Deprecationes

Of John of Damascus. The creator and sustainer of the heavens, and the Artificer of every cosmic and supracosmic creation, for whom no place among all things exists—since place is defined as that which contains what is within—in you a child will be created from himself without seed, and he will show you to be a spacious treasury of his own divinity, which fills all things and alone is uncircumscribed. Wholly compressed in you without passion, and remaining wholly outside, and having himself as an uncircumscribed place! From you the sun of righteousness will rise, even if the Akephaloi rage with their two natures; one hypostasis, even if Nestorius is torn apart. For the Father will send forth his own Son like a divine spiritual seed, and the Word will be born from you as flesh without change. And the Father, having begotten the Son without passion the first time naturally, will beget the same one without passion a second time economically. For just as a shell from heaven, from the lightning of divinity, you will conceive in your womb and give birth to the precious pearl Christ, the only-begotten light, which does not beget but is always begotten, whose being begotten is only a hypostatic property. In you the laws of nature will be innovated, and the unmixable will come together. For there will be a virginity that gives birth. A mixture of divinity and humanity, of passion and impassibility, of life and death, so that in all things the worse might be overcome by the better. For you will not be a receptacle of the energy of God, but substantially of the hypostasis of God; and the Creator will assume a portion from you, the firstfruits of the human mixture, being enfleshed from the Holy Spirit and your blood.

Prayer of John of Damascus. Lord Master Jesus Christ, our God, who alone has authority to forgive sins among men, as good and philanthropic, overlook all my transgressions in knowledge and ignorance, and deem me worthy to partake without condemnation of your divine, glorious, immaculate, and life-giving mysteries, not for punishment, not for an increase of sins, but for purification, and sanctification, and a pledge of the future life and kingdom, for a wall, and help, and overthrow of adversaries, for the obliteration of my many offenses. For you are the God of mercy, and compassion, and philanthropy; and we send up glory to you together with the Father and the Holy Spirit, now, and always, and unto the ages of ages. Amen. Another prayer of the same John of Damascus. I have stood before the doors of your temple, and I do not depart from terrible thoughts. But you, Christ God, who justified the publican, and had mercy on the Canaanite woman, and opened the gates of paradise to the thief, open the bowels of your philanthropy to me, and receive me approaching and touching you, as the harlot and the woman with the issue of blood. For the one, having touched the hem of your garment, readily received healing; and the other, having grasped your immaculate feet, obtained the release of her sins. I, the pitiable one, receiving your whole body many times, may I not be consumed, but receive me as you did those women, and enlighten the senses of my soul, burning up the accusations of my sin. By the intercessions of the one who bore you without seed, and of the heavenly powers; for

Blessed are you unto the ages of ages. Amen. Another prayer of the same. I am wounded in heart; your zeal has consumed me, your love has transformed me, O Master; I am a captive to your passion. May I be filled with your flesh; may I be sated with your life-giving and deifying blood; may I enjoy your blessings; may I delight in your divinity; may I be worthy to meet you coming in glory, snatched up into the air in clouds with all your elect, so that I may hymn, and worship, and glorify you in thanksgiving and confession, together with your beginningless Father and your all-holy, good, and life-giving Spirit, now and always and unto the ages of ages. Amen.