Traditional Prayers
Prayer of St. Isaac the Syrian for Mercy on All
From the Ascetical Homilies of St.
O Lord, grant me a merciful heart —
a heart burning with love for all creation,
for men, for birds, for beasts, for demons,
for every creature.
When such a man thinks of them or looks at them,
his eyes fill with tears
because of the great compassion that grips his heart.
His heart is humbled and he cannot bear
to hear or see any suffering
or the smallest sorrow in any creature.
Therefore he prays with tears at every hour,
even for the enemies of truth
and for those who do him harm,
that they may be preserved and purified.
Amen.
Ascetical Homilies of St. Isaac the Syrian, Homily 71
About the prayer
Isaac the Syrian (seventh century), a hermit-bishop of the Church of the East whose writings became universally beloved in Orthodox monasteries. This passage is the classic Eastern description of a heart made merciful by grace.
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