May 12, 2013, Sunday of St. Thomas - “Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” - Pray of St. Isaac the Syrian

Sunday of St. Thomas

May 12, 2013

“Put your finger here and see my hands. Reach out your hand and put it in my side. Do not doubt but believe.” - Pray of St. Isaac the Syrian

Ο Lord Jesus Christ, our God, You who weeped over Lazarus, and shed tears of sorrow and compassion for him, accept the tears of my bitterness. By Your passion, cure my passions. By Your Wounds, heal my wounds. By Your Blood, purge my blood; mingle the fragrance of Thy life-creating Body with my body. Let the gall You drink at enemies' hands sweeten my soul from the bitterness which the foe has given me to drink. Let Your Body, O Lover of men, which was stretched on the Tree the Cross, extend toward Yourself to my  intellect which is dragged evilly downward by demons. Let Your Head, which You bowed on the Cross, raise up my head,  which is buffeted by my adversaries. Let Your all-holy Hands, which were nailed to the Cross, by the unbelieving  Jews, lead me out of the abyss of perdition to You, as Your all-holy Mouth hath promised. Let Your Countenance, which received blows and spittings from accursed men, brighten my countenance, which is stained with iniquities. Let Your Soul, which You, on the Cross, did commend to Your Father, guide me to You by Your grace.

I have not a mournful heart wherewith to seek You. I have no repentance. I have no compuction, which bring the children into their proper inheritance. O Master, I have not comforting tears. My mind is darkened by the affairs of this life, and has no strength to look steadfastly toward You with groaning. My heart is grown cold from the multitude of temptations and cannot warm herself with tears of love for You. But Thou, my Lord and God Jesus Christ, the Treasury of good gifts, grant me thorough repentance and a sorrowing heart, that with all my soul I may go forth to seek You. For without You, I am a stranger to all that is good. Therefore, O Good One, freely grant me Thy grace. Let the Father, Who has timelessly and everlastingly brought You forth from His bosom, renew in me the features of Your image. I have forsaken You, do not forsake me. I have gone out from You, come out to seek me, and lead me up to Thy pasture, and number me among the sheep of Your chosen flock, and nourish me with them on the verdure of You Divine Mysteries; for their pure heart is Your lodging-place, and therein is the illumination of Your revelations clearly beheld, which is the comfort and refreshment of those who for Your sake have travailed in afflictions and every kind of outrage.

May we also be deemed worthy of this illumination by Your grace and love for man, O our Savior Jesus Christ, unto the ages of ages. Amen.

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