Oratio devoti amatoris et laudatoris Dei
The Devout Offering of Praise
The devotee begins by dedicating their prayer and praise to God, acknowledging Him as the source of all joy and spiritual song.
Lord, let my prayer be directed like incense in your sight. Lord my God, I desire to praise, bless, and proclaim you devoutly with all your saints and creatures in every place and time, to love you always with a pure heart, and to magnify and exalt your holy name forever above all your works. For you are my God, and I am your poor servant. You are my light and my hope, my God. You are my strength, my patience, my praise, and my glory, my God. You are my wisdom and my prudence, my beauty and my sweetness, my God. You are my music and my harp, my organ and my drum, my God. You are my psalm and my hymn, my song and my jubilation, my God.
God as the All-Sufficient Treasure
The devotee lists a vast array of metaphors describing God as the protector, provider, and ultimate beauty of the soul.
You are my helmet and my armor, my bow and my sword, my God. You are my treasure, my gold, my silver, and my talent to pay off all my debts, my God. You are my house, my fortress, and my palace, my God; you are my shield, my banner, the tower of strength, and the defender of my life, my God; you are my garden, my enclosure, my orchard, and my place of rest, my God; you are my hall, my table, my food, and my drink, my God. For any food not prepared and cooked by you is tasteless to me, my God; you are my cinnamon and my balm of sweetness, my spikenard and my chosen myrrh with precious ointments, my God; you are my rose and my lily, my garland and my crown, my God; you are my chamber and my bed, my napkin for wiping and linen for wrapping, my God; you are my lamp and my light, my candlestick and my star, my God; you are my book written inside and out, my Bible in which all sacred scripture lies, my teacher and my God; you are my reader and my instructor, my physician and my apothecary, my God.
A Prayer for Heartfelt Union
The devotee expresses that all satisfaction is found in God alone, concluding with a plea for spiritual enlargement and eternal salvation.
In you, I find everything, and I have you as a gift and in your mercy; and whatever I seek and desire outside of you, I feel is of little or no benefit to me. Therefore, open my heart to your holy law; restore to me the joy of your salvation; enlarge my heart to run in your way; confirm me in your words; for there is no one who helps, and there is no one besides you who can save and lead to eternal life. Hear me, my God, as I pray; when I am troubled, when I rejoice, when I am at ease—in all things, I commend myself to you, and I bless you forever. Amen.
Read the original Latin
Dirigatur Domine oratio mea sicut incensum in conspectu tuo. Cupio Domine Deus meus cum omnibus sanctis tuis et creaturis in omni loco et tempore devote te laudare, benedicere et praedicare, et puro corde semper amare: et super omnia opera tua nomen sanctum tuum magnificare et exaltare in perpetuum. Quoniam tu es Deus meus: et ego paupers servus tuus. Tu lux mea et spes mea Deus meus. Tu fortitudo mea patientia mea: laus et gloria mea Deus meus. Tu sapientia mea et prudentia mea: pulchritudo mea et dulcedo mea Deus meus. Tu musica mea et cithara mea: organum meum et tympanum meum Deus meus. Tu psalmus meus et hymnus meus: cantus meus et iubilus meus Deus meus.
Tu galea mea et lorica mea: arcus meus et gladius meus Deus meus. Tu thesaurus meus, aurum meum, argentum meum, talentum meum: ad solvendum omne debitum meum Deus meus. Tu domus mea et castrum meum: et palatium meum Deus meus, tu scutum meum, et vexillum meum: turris fortitudinis et defensor vitae meae Deus meus, tu hortulus meus et pomerium meum: viridarium meum et refrigerium meum Deus meus tu aula mea et mensa mea: cibus meus et potus meus Deus meus. Omnis enim cibus qui non est a te coctus et paratus: insipidus est mihi Deus meus, tu cinnamomum meum et balsamum suavitatis meae: nardus mea et electa murra mea cum pretiosis unguentis Deus meus, tu rosa mea et lilium meum: tu sertum meum et corona mea Deus meus, tu thalamus meus et lectulus meus: susdarium meum ad tergendum, linteum ad involvendum Deus meus, tu lucerna mea et lampas mea: candelabrum meum et sidus meum Deus meus, tu liber meus intus et foris scriptus: biblia mea in qua tota sacra scriptura iacet, magister meus et Deus meus, tu lector meus et instructor meus: medicus meus et apothecarius meus Deus meus. In te omnia invenio et habeo te donante et miserante; et quicquid extra te quaero et desidero: parum vel nihil mihi prodesse sentio. Aperi ergo cor meum in lege tua sancta: redde mihi laetitiam salutaris tui; dilata cor meum ad currendam viam tuam: confirma me in verbis tuis; quia non est qui adiuvet: non est qui praeter te salvum faciat et ad vitam aeternam perducat. Exaudi me Deus meus cum deprecor: cum tribulor cum laetor, cum assanus sum: in omnibus me tibi commendo, et te in aeternum benedico. Amen.
The Little Garden of Roses & The Valley of Lilies companion
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