Penitential Prayer of St. Ambrose of Milan

St. Ambrose of Milan (AD 339-397)

O Lord, who hast mercy upon all,
take away from me my sins,
and mercifully kindle in me
the fire of thy Holy Spirit.
Take away from me the heart of stone,
and give me a heart of flesh,
a heart to love and adore Thee,
a heart to delight in Thee,
to follow and enjoy Thee, for Christ's sake, Amen

Epiphany Hymn of St. Ambrose

Hymn of St. Ambrose (338-397), used by the Church in Milan

Most High God!
Thou that enkindlest
the fires of the shining stars!
O Jesus!
Thou that art peace and life and light and truth,
hear and grant our prayers.

This present day has been made holy
by thy mystic baptism,
whereby thou didst sanctify
those waters of the Jordan,
which of old were thrice turned back.

It is holy by the star shining in the heavens,
whereby thou didst announce
thy Virginal Mother's delivery
and didst, on the same day,
lead the Magi to adore thee in thy crib.

It is holy too,
by thy changing the water
of the pitchers into wine;
which the steward of the feast,
knowing that he had not so filled them,
drew forth for the guests.

Glory be to thee, O Lord Jesus,
that didst appear on this Day!
And to the Father and to the Holy Spirit,
for everlasting ages. Amen.

A Daily Prayer Before Daily Mass

By Saint Ambrose

O gracious Lord Jesus Christ, though I, who am a sinner, in nowise presume on any merits of my own, and put all my trust in Thy goodness and mercy, yet do I fear and tremble in drawing near to the Table on which is spread Thy banquet of all delights. Many a sin has sullied me in body and in soul because I did not restrain my thoughts nor guard my lips: nevertheless it is to Thee, O God of majesty and love, that I turn in my extremity, for Thou art the fount of mercy; to Thee, as quickly as I may, I speed: for Thou alone canst heal me; I take refuge under Thy protection. I dare not face Thee as my judge, but I cleave to Thee as my saviour. Thy mercy is above all Thy works. Though I fear, because of my sins, yet I trust in Thee on account of Thy mercy. Turn, then, those pitiful eyes of Thine upon me, O Jesus Christ, our everlasting king and Lord, Who art God and man, and Who for man wast crucified. Have mercy upon me, full of misery and of sin though I be, upon me, whose only hope is in Thee, because of Thy loving-kindness. Hail! Thou saving victim, offered up for me and for all mankind upon the gibbet of the cross! Hail! thou glorious and most Precious Blood, that flowest from the wounds of Jesus Christ, my crucified Lord; to wash away the sins of all the world! Forget not, O Lord, that I am one of those whom Thou hast created, and with Thine own blood hast redeemed. I repent me of my sins: I will strive to amend my ways. O most merciful Father, put far from me all my iniquities and all my offences; so that, by Thee made whole in body and in soul, I may be accounted worthy to approach the Holy of holies. Grant, in fine, that the holy foretaste of Thy body and blood, which thou vouchsafest to me, a poor sinner, may be a pledge of the full remission of my sins and of the washing away for evermore of all my guilt. From my mind may it chase away every sinful thought: in my will may it foster all holy desires: may it spur me on to the doing of works well-pleasing to Thee; and may it be to me, of body and of soul, a very sure protection and defence against the craft of all my enemies.
Amen.

Saint Ambrose

Lord Jesus Christ, I approach your banquet table in fear and trembling, for
I am a sinner, and dare not rely on my own worth but only on your goodness
and mercy. I am defiled by many sins in body and soul, and by my unguarded thoughts and words.

Gracious God of majesty and awe, I seek your protection, I look for your
healing. Poor troubled sinner that I am, I appeal to You, the fountain of
all mercy. I cannot bear your judgment, but I trust in your salvation.
Lord, I show my wounds to You and uncover my shame before You. I know my sins are many and great, and they will fill me with fear, but I hope in Your
Mercies, for they cannot be numbered.

Lord Jesus Christ, eternal king, God and man, crucified for mankind, look
upon me with mercy and hear my prayer, for I trust in You. Have mercy on
me, full of sorrow and sin, for the depth of your compassion never ends.

Praise to You, saving sacrifice, offered on the wood of the cross for me and for all mankind. Praise to the noble and precious blood, flowing from the
wounds of my crucified Lord Jesus Christ and washing away the sins of the
whole world. Remember, Lord, your creature, whom You have redeemed with Your Blood. I repent my sins, and I long to put right what I have done.
Merciful Father, take away all my offenses and sins; purify me in body and
soul, and make me worthy to taste the holy of holies.

May Your Body and Blood, which I intend to receive, although I am unworthy, be for me the remission of my sins, the washing away of my guilt, the end of my evil thoughts, and the rebirth of my better instincts. May it incite me
to do the works pleasing to You and profitable to my health in body and
soul, and be a firm defense against the wiles of my enemies.

Amen.