A Prayer of Simeon, the New Theologian

From lips defiled, from heart iniquitous, from tongue impure, from soul polluted, receive thou my prayer, O my Christ, and despise not my words, imaginations and presumption. Vouchsafe that I may speak boldly, O my Christ, that which I desire. Teach me, moreover, that which I ought to do and to say. I have sinned above the sinning woman who, having learned where the Lord was, and having bought ointment, came fearlessly to anoint thy feet, my God, my Master and my Christ. As thou didst not repulse her, when she came from the impulse of her heart, so also despise thou not me, O Word, and grant that I, also, may clasp thy feet and kiss them and fearlessly anoint them with floods of tears, as with precious ointment. Wash me and purify me with my tears, O Word; remit my transgressions and grant me pardon. Thou knowest the multitude of my evil-doings; thou knowest also my scars; thou seest my wickedness. But thou knowest also my faith, and beholdest my earnest desire, and hearest my sighing. Not a single tear-drop, nor even a single portion of a drop, is hidden from thee, O my God, my Maker, my Deliverer. Thine eyes behold also that which I have not yet done: in thy book is written also that which, as yet, is not performed. Thou seest my humility, thou seest my infirmities and all my sins. Remit them, O God of all men, that with a pure heart, with trembling mind and contrite soul I may partake of thine undefiled and all-holy Mysteries, wherewith is quickened and made a participant of the divine every man who eateth and drinketh thereof with a pure heart. Thou hast said, O my Lord: Every one who eateth my flesh and drinketh my blood abideth in me, and I in him. True is every word of my Lord and God. Partaking of the divine Mysteries which make men like unto God, I am no longer alone, but abide O, my Christ, with thee, the all-effulgent Light which illumineth, the world. And I shall not be left without thee, the Life-giver, my Breath, my life, my joy, the salvation of the world. Wherefore I draw near unto thee, as thou seest, with tears and a contrite soul, and implore thee that thou wilt vouchsafe unto me to receive remission of my transgressions, and to partake, uncondemned, of thy spotless and life-giving Mysteries. Abide with me, the greatly-accursed one, as thou hast promised, that the Evil One may not craftily tempt me, and having tempted, may not lead me astray from thy precepts which render god-like. And therefore I fall down before thee, and I cry fervently unto thee: As thou didst accept the prodigal son, as thou didst accept the sinning woman who came unto thee, so also receive thou me, who am a prodigal and vile, O Bountiful One! Having now recourse unto thee with a contrite soul, I know, O my Saviour, that no other man hath so sinned against thee as have I, no other man hath wrought such deeds as have I. But I know, also, that neither the magnitude of the transgression, nor the multitude of the sins can transcend the great long-suffering and unutterable love toward mankind of my God. According to thy mercy and condescension thou cleansest those who repent with their whole heart; thou cleansest and enlightenest them, and makest them participants of the light, and sharers of thy Divinity. And, albeit it is strange for angels and men to comprehend, thou ofttimes holdest converse with them as with thy true friends. All this doth render me bold, all this doth give me wings, O my Christ. And confidently setting my hope on thy rich mercy to usward, both with joy and trembling, I partake of fire, being myself but grass. And — O marvellous wonder! — I am not consumed but am sprinkled with dew, as was of old the bush which burned yet was not consumed. Now, with grateful thoughts, with grateful heart, with grateful members both of my soul and of my body, I bow in worship, I laud and glorify thee, O my God, who art blessed now and forevermore.