O Thou who art the Father of that Son which hast awakened us, and yet urgest us out of the sleep of our sins, and exhortest us that we become Thine, to Thee, Lord, we pray, who art the supreme truth, for all truth that is, is from Thee. Thee we implore, O Lord, who art the highest wisdom, through Thee are wise, all those that are so. Thou art the supreme joy, and from Thee all have become happy that are so. Thou art the highest good, and from Thee all beauty springs. Thou art the intellectual light, and from Thee man derives his understanding. To Thee, O God, we call and speak. Hear us, O Lord, for Thou art our God and our Lord, our father and our creator, our ruler and our hope, our wealth and our honour, our home, our country, our salvation, and our life; hear, hear us, O Lord. Few of Thy servants comprehend Thee, but at least we love Thee—yea, love Thee above all other things. We seek Thee, we follow Thee, we are ready to serve Thee; under Thy power we desire to abide, for Thou art the Sovereign of all. We pray Thee to command us as Thou wilt; through Jesus Christ Thy Son our Lord. Amen. —Alfred the Great For Forgiveness We implore the mercy of Thy Majesty, that it may please Thee to give to us Thy servants, pardon of our sins, that we, being delivered from all the bonds of the enemy, may cleave to Thy commandments with our whole heart, and evermore love Thee alone, with all our strength, and one day be counted worthy to attain to the sight of Thy blessedness. Through Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen. —Old Rheims Manuscript TENTH CENTURY PRAYERS Benediction May our Lord Jesus Christ be near us to defend us, within us to refresh us, around us to preserve us, before us to guide us, behind us to justify us, above us to bless us, who liveth and reigneth with the Father and the Holy Ghost, God for evermore. Amen. —Anonymous For a Birthday We beseech Thee, Lord, open Thy heavens; from thence may Thy gifts descend to _him_. Put forth Thine own hand from heaven and touch _his_ head. May _he_ feel the touch of Thy hand, and receive the joy of the Holy Spirit, that _he_ may remain blessed for evermore. Amen. —Ethelwold of York Confession and Prayer for Forgiveness O _Lord_, O King, resplendent on the citadel of heaven, all hail continually; and of Thy clemency upon Thy people still do Thou _have mercy_. _Lord_, Whom the hosts of cherubim in songs and hymns with praise continually proclaim, do Thou _upon_ us eternally _have mercy_. The armies aloft, O _Lord_, do sing high praise to Thee, even they to whom the seraphim reply, “do Thou _have mercy_.”