O Father Almighty, the only living and life-giving God,
from Whom every light of being doth proceed,
forsake us not who have erred and strayed from Thy ways like lost sheep;
Yes, we have offended against Thy Fatherly love;
We have done those things which we ought not to have done,
and we have left undone those things which we ought to have done.
Behold, in our despair we stand now before Thee as miserable offenders,
and we implore Thee:
Restore our nature by the power of Thy Holy Spirit,
Illumine and hallow us by Thy Word abiding in us;
Stablish us in the likeness of Thy beloved Son,
that our hearts may be formed in His ineffable Image,
in which Thou didst fashion man...*