Wednesday, April 15 : Saint Gregory of Narek

And now, O only Lord, good and exalted above the heavens, Yours is the power, and from You is forgiveness, From You is healing, and from You are gifts, From You are graces, and in You alone is the gratuity of all blessings, From You is peace, and from You is protection, Your ways no one has conceived, And Your paths do not enter the mind of any human being. Your measures cannot be reckoned, You are the beginning and You are the end! Never let the darkness of Your wrath cast its shadow Upon the splendor of Your mercy, For passions have no dominion over You. You who surpass every word, You are the icon without outline, You who are not subject to weight or measure, O radiance of infinite glory, O active power, extending beyond every limit, O absolute fullness overflowing beyond all that contains it, O abyss of merciful goodness that never runs dry, You who, according to the word of the prophet, turn the shadow of death into dawn, You descended willingly into the depths of the abyss, into the prison of those held captive in the lowest regions of the earth, Where prayers are held within its thresholds, So that the shadows of the exiled souls might be held in bondage, Your victorious Word, with its sharp sword, Cut the painful knot of death, And scattered the anxiety of sin. Turn toward me, spare me from the abyss of this prison, This muddy pit where my sins bind me, I who am wounded, revived, and pierced by the arrows of the accuser.

maronite readings – rosary,team