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invisible, unapproachable, and incomprehensible, intangible, that cannot be touched, altogether ungraspable, Savior, how shall we name you, and how shall we dare to say what kind and sort of substance you are? For truly you are none of all things, O my God, but all things are your works, brought forth from non-being; but you alone exist uncreated, you alone are without beginning, Savior, Holy and venerable Trinity, the God of all, and you have shown us a light of your immaculate glory. Grant this to me now also without separation, Savior, grant me always to behold you as in a mirror through it, O Word, and to contemplate well your ineffable beauty, which, being altogether incomprehensible, utterly astonishes my mind, drives my senses out of their wits and kindles a fire of your love in my heart. And this, becoming a flame of divine longing, shows me your glory more clearly, O my God. Worshipping it, I ask you, Son of God, grant me (347) both now and in the future to possess it without succession and through it to behold you, the God, eternally. Do not give me glory, Master, the vain glory in the world, nor perishing wealth, nor talents of gold, nor the height of a throne, nor rule over these perishable things. Unite me with the humble, with the poor and the meek, so that I too may become humble and meek, and my ministry, if I do not pursue it for what is profitable and for your good pleasure and your service, be pleased that I be cast out from it and only, Master, to lament my own sins, and to be anxious only for your just judgment, and how I shall defend myself, having greatly angered you. Yes, O sympathetic shepherd, good and meek, who wills that all who believe in you be saved, have mercy, hearken to this my supplication; be not angry, do not turn your face from me, but teach me to fulfill your will. For I do not seek that my own will be done, but yours, so that I may serve you, O merciful one. I adjure you, have mercy, you who are merciful by nature, and do what is profitable for my wretched soul, for you alone are the God who loves mankind, uncreated, without end, truly all-powerful,

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ἀόρατος, ἀπρόσιτος, ἀκατανόητός τε, ἀναφής, ἀψηλάφητος, ἄληπτος ὅλως, Σῶτερ, πῶς σε προσονομάσωμεν, πῶς δέ σε καί οὐσίαν ποταπήν τε καί ὁποίαν τολμήσωμεν εἰπεῖν σε; Ὄντως οὐδέν τῶν πάντων γάρ ὐπάρχεις, ὦ Θεέ μου, ἀλλά τά πάντα ἔργα σά ἐξ οὐκ ὄντως παρήχθη˙ μόνος δ᾿ ὑπάρχεις ἄκτιστος, μόνος ἄναρχος, Σῶτερ, Τριάς Ἁγία καί σεπτή, ὁ Θεός τῶν ἁπάντων, καί φῶς παρέδειξας ἡμῖν δόξης σου τῆς ἀχράντου. Αὐτό καί νῦν παράσχου μοι ἀδιάστατον, Σῶτερ, δός μοι ἀεί σε δι᾿ αὐτοῦ ἐνοπτρίζεσθαι, Λόγε, καί κάλλος τό ἀμήχανον καλῶς κατανοεῖν σου, ὅπερ ἀκατανόητον παντάπασιν ὑπάρχον ὑπερεκπλήττει μου τόν νοῦν, ἐξιστᾷ μου τάς φρένας καί πῦρ ἐν τῇ καρδίᾳ μου σῆς ἀγάπης ἀνάπτει. Τοῦτο δ᾿ ἀποτελούμενον εἰς φλόγα θείου πόθου τρανοτέραν δεικνύει μοι τήν δόξαν σου, Θεέ μου. Ἥν προσκυνῶν αἰτοῦμαί σε, Υἱέ Θεοῦ, παράσχου (347) καί νῦν καί ἐν τῷ μέλλοντι ἀδιαδόχως ἕξειν καί δι᾿ αὐτῆς σε τόν Θεόν καθορᾶν αἰωνίως. Μή δός μοι δόξαν, ∆έσποτα, ἐν κόσμῳ τήν ματαίαν, μή πλοῦτον ἀπολλύμενον, μή τάλαντα χρυσίου, μή θρόνου ὕψος, μή ἀρχήν τῶνδε τῶν φθειρομένων. Τοῖς ταπεινοῖς με σύζευξον, τοῖς πτωχοῖς τε καί πρᾴοις, ἵνα κἀγώ γενήσομαι καί ταπεινός καί πρᾷος, καί τήν διακονίαν μου, εἰ μή πρός τό συμφέρον καί πρός τήν σήν ἀρέσκειαν καί τήν σήν θεραπείαν μετέρχομαι, εὐδόκησον ἐξεωθῆναι ταύτης καί μόνας, ∆έσποτα, θρηνεῖν τάς ἐμάς ἁμαρτίας, τῆς κρίσεώς τε μεριμνᾶν τῆς δικαίας σου μόνης, καί πῶς ἀπολογήσομαι πολλά σε παροργίσας. Ναί, ὁ ποιμήν ὁ συμπαθής, ὁ ἀγαθός καί πρᾷος, ὁ θέλων πάντας τούς εἰς σέ πιστεύοντας σωθῆναι, ἐλέησον, εἰσάκουσον δεήσεώς μου ταύτης˙ μή ὀργισθῇς, μή πρόσωπον ἀπ᾿ ἐμοῦ ἀποστρέψῃς, ἀλλά τό σόν με δίδαξον θέλημα ἐκπληρῶσαι. Οὐ γάρ ζητῶ τό θέλημα τό ἐμαυτοῦ γενέσθαι, ἀλλά τό σόν, ἵνα καί σέ θεραπεύσω, οἰκτίρμον. Ὁρκίζω σε, ἐλέησον, ὁ φύσει ἐλεήμων, καί τό συμφέρον ποίησον ψυχῆς μου τῆς ἀθλίας, ὅτι Θεός φιλάνθρωπος αὐτός ὑπάρχεις μόνος, ἄκτιστος, ἀτελεύτητος, παντοδύναμος ὄντως,