Kenosis

He must increase, but I must decrease. [John 3:30]

Take from us, O Lord:
all greed, all envy, all malice;
all anger, all lust, all pride;
all preoccupation with this world
and all timorous fear of becoming holy.
Take from us our heart of stone
and breath into us the living Spirit,
clean and fruitful,
animating us us with a kindly charity and hope,
so that we may say with the apostle:
"And I live, now not I; but Christ liveth in me."

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Pray for us, Spirit-filled baptizer of our Lord,
that our contrition and conversion
may be sincere and thorough
and that we may persevere
through the trials of this life,
acknowledging our faults, doing penance,
and following the way of the Lord faithfully.

We ask this in the name of thy holy kinsman
Jesus our Lord,
Who has lifted thee and all the saints to Heaven,
where He reigns with the Father
in the unity of the Holy Ghost,
blessing all who dwell there
with gifts of joy and understanding.

Amen.