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PRAYER OF ST. JOHN OF KRONSTADTS
I thank Thee, Eternal sweetness, incomparable, without number surpassing all earthly, carnal and coarse sweetness, Sweetness incorruptible, life-giving, holy, quiet, light, most peaceful, joyful, inexhaustible; I thank Thee, as if you gave me these perishable sweets for tasting, enjoyment, yes, although in part, I know how sweet You are, that You are all sweetness, all desire. Shining with a material light, I say: glory to Thee, the Light that is unstoppable, sweet and all-joyful, as if by this corruptible, but beautiful light – the image of Your unapproachable divine light shines on us, and from this material light we incessantly flow with thought to You, the eternal, unstoppable Light, and yes we strive to achieve Your all-blissful contemplation with the purity of life.
ANOTHER PRAYER ST. JOHN OF KRONSTADTS
My endless sweetness, Lord Jesus Christ, what sweetness did You not give me to taste in my temporary existence! Thank you, my Grace, my Sweetness! But if earthly sweets are so numerous, varied, pleasant, then what are heavenly, spiritual sweets: they are truly endless, innumerable, unimaginably pleasant. Therefore, do not deprive me, many-merciful, most generous Lord, of Your heavenly sweets, which Thou hast prepared for those who love Thee. Do not deprive them and your other people! Let us all know Thee, O Lord, our Sweetness!
A SONG OF PRAISE IN THE SIMILARITY OF THE PSALMS OF DAVID (FROM THE WORKS OF ST. JOHN OF KRONSTADTS)
The Lord is my being; The Lord is deliverance from eternal death; The Lord is my eternal life; The Lord is my cleansing and deliverance from many sins and my sanctification; The Lord is strength in my weakness, space in my narrowness, hope in my cowardice and despondency; The Lord is a light in my darkness, the world is in my confusion; The Lord is an intercessor in my temptations. He is my thinking, my desire, my activity; He is the light of soul and body, food, drink, my garment, my shield, my weapon. All for me the Lord!
PSALM 103
Bless, my soul, the Lord. Lord my God, thou hast exalted greatly; thou hast put on confession and magnificence; clothe yourself with light like a robe, stretch out the sky like a skin; cover Your most exalted with waters, lay clouds on Your ascent, walk on the wing of the wind; create your angels spirits, and your servants fiery flame. Foundation the earth on its firmament; it will not bow forever and ever. The abyss is like a raiment of her garment, on the mountains there will be waters; they will flee from your prohibition, they will be afraid at the sound of your thunder. Mountains rise, and fields descend to the place that thou hast founded for them. Thou hast set a limit, they will not pass it, they will turn below to cover the earth. Send springs into the wilds, waters will flow through the mountains. All the animals of the countryside will drink, and the onagers await in their thirst. On top of that, the birds of heaven are grafted; from the midst of stones they will give a voice. Solder the mountains from Your most lofty ones; From the fruit of Your works the earth shall be satisfied. Vegetate grass for cattle, and grass for the service of man, bring bread from the earth; and wine gladdens the heart of man, anoint the face with oil, and bread strengthens the heart of man. The Polish trees will be sated, the cedars of Lebanon, which thou hast planted. There the birds nest, the dwelling of Erodius leads them. The mountains are high like a deer, a stone is a refuge for a hare. He created to eat the moon in time, the sun knew its west. You put it in darkness, and it was night, in the darkness all the beasts of the oak forest will pass, roaring skins, rapture and seek food from God for themselves. The sun will rise, and gather together, and they will lie down in their beds. A man will go out to his work, and to his work until evening. For Thy works are exalted, O Lord: Thou hast done all wisdom: the land of Thy creation is filled. This sea is great and spacious; There the ships swim, this serpent, you created him to swear at him. Everyone is waiting for You, give food to them at a good time. I will give them to you, they will gather them together, I will open your hand, everything will be filled with goodness. I will turn away Your face, they will rebel; take away their spirit, and they will vanish, and return to their dust. Follow thy Spirit, and they shall be built up, and renew the face of the earth. Be the glory of the Lord forever; the Lord rejoices in his works; look down on the earth, and make it shake, touch the mountains, and smoke. I will sing to the Lord in my belly, I will sing to my God as long as I am; May my conversation be sweet to Him, but I will rejoice in the Lord. May the sinners disappear from the earth, and the lawless, as if they were not to be. Bless, my soul, the Lord. The sun knew its own west; thou didst put darkness, and it was night. As Your works are exalted, O Lord, Thou hast done all wisdom.
PSALM 116
Praise the Lord, all nations, praise Him, all people, for His mercy is established on us, and the truth of the Lord endures forever.
PSALM 145
Praise, my soul, the Lord. I will praise the Lord in my stomach; I will sing to my God while I am. Do not rely on princes, on the sons of men, in whom there is no salvation. His spirit will go out and return to his own land. In that day all his thoughts will perish. Blessed is God, Jacob, his Helper, His hope is in the Lord his God, who created heaven and earth, the sea and all that is in them, who keeps the truth forever, who executes judgment on the offended, who gives food to the hungry. The Lord will decide the fettered. The Lord makes the blind wise. The Lord raises up the downtrodden. The Lord loves the righteous. The Lord guards the aliens, he will accept the orphan and the widow, and destroy the path of sinners. The Lord will reign forever, your God, Zion, throughout generation and generation.
PSALM 148
Praise the Lord from heaven, praise Him in the highest. Praise Him, all His angels, praise Him, all His might. Praise Him, sun and moon; praise Him, all the stars and light. Praise Him Heaven of heavens and water, which is above the heavens. Let them praise the name of the Lord: as he said, and it was, he commanded, and he was created. Put me in the century and in the century of the century, put the command, and it will not pass. Praise the Lord from the earth, serpents and all the abyss: fire, hail, snow, nakedness, a stormy spirit that creates His word, mountains and all hills, fruitful trees and all cedars, beasts and all cattle, reptiles and feathered birds. The king of the land and all the people, the princes and all the judges of the land, young men and virgins, elders with young people, may they praise the name of the Lord, as if ascending the name of That One, His confession on earth and in heaven. And the horn of his people will lift up, a song to all his saints, the sons of Israel, people who draw near to him.