A Prayer of St. Basil the Great

O Master, Lord Jesus Christ our God, the Fountain of life and of immortality, the Author of all creation, both visible and invisible, the Son coeternal with the Father and equally without beginning, as is the Father which hath no beginning, who through thy great goodness hast, in these latter days, endued flesh, and hast suffered crucifixion and burial for us ungrateful and evil-natured men, and hast renewed with thy blood our nature which was become corrupt through sin: Do thou accept, O King immortal, the repentance of me, a sinner; incline thine ear unto me, and give heed unto my words: for I have sinned, O Lord, I have sinned against heaven and before thee, and am not worthy to look upon the loftiness of thy glory. I have affronted thy goodness, in that I have transgressed thy commandments, and have not obeyed thy behests. But thou, O Lord, inasmuch as thou art not vengeful, but long-suffering and of great mercy, hast not delivered me over unto destruction with my transgressions, for that thou didst, at every moment, await my return. For, O thou who lovest mankind, thou hast said, by the mouth of thy prophet: I desire not the death of the sinner, but that he should turn again and live. Thou dost not desire, O Master, to destroy the work of thy hands, neither desirest thou the destruction of the human race, but willest that all men should be saved, and should come to the knowledge of the truth. Wherefore I, also, albeit I am unworthy of heaven and of earth and of this transitory life, in that I have made myself all sin, and have become a slave to sensual things, and have defiled thine image; yet, inasmuch as I am thy creature and the work of thy hands, I despair not of my salvation, accursed though I be, and I draw near with confident hope to thine illimitable compassion. Accept me also, O Lord who lovest mankind, as thou didst accept the sinning woman, the thief, the publican, the prodigal Son; take thou my heavy burden of sin, O thou who hast borne the sins of the world, who healest human infirmities, who invitest to thyself, and givest rest unto, those who labour and are heavy-laden: who didst come to call not the righteous but sinners to repentance. Purify me from all uncleanness, both bodily and spiritual, and teach me to fulfil holiness in thy fear; that having received a portion of thy Holy Things with the testimony of my pure conscience, I may be united unto thy holy Body and Blood, and may possess thee, dwelling within me and abiding with the Father and thy Holy Spirit. Yea, O Lord Jesus Christ my God, let the communion of thine All-pure and Life-giving Mysteries be not unto me for condemnation, and let me not be infirm in body and soul because I have partaken thereof unworthily. But grant that, even unto my last breath, I may partake uncondemned of thy Holy Things, unto communion with the Holy Spirit, unto a viaticum for life eternal, unto an acceptable defence at thy dread Judgment Seat. And let me, together with all thine elect, be a partaker of the incorruptible good things which thou hast prepared, O Lord, for those who love thee; in whom, also, thou art glorified forever. Amen.