O mer­ci­ful Cre­at­or, hear;
In ten­der pi­ty bow Thine ear:
Accept the tear­ful pray­er we raise
In this our fast of for­ty days.

Each heart is ma­ni­fest to Thee;
Thou know­est our in­fir­mi­ty:
Repentant now we seek Thy face;
Impart to us Thy par­don­ing grace.

Our sins are ma­ni­fold and sore,
But spare Thou them who sin de­plore;
And for Thine own name’s sake make whole
The faint­ing and the wea­ry soul.

Grant us to mor­ti­fy each sense
By means of out­ward ab­sti­nence,
That so from ev­ery stain of sin
The soul may keep her fast with­in.

Blest Three in One, and One in Three
Almighty God, we pray to Thee,
That Thou wouldst now vouch­safe to bless
Our fast with fruits of right­eous­ness.