John Donne on Penitence

Act of Penitence

Forgive me, Lord, my sins

The sins of my youth,

The sins of the present;

The sins I laid upon myself in an ill pleasure,

The sins I cast upon others in an ill example;

The sins which are manifest to the whole world,

The sins which I have labored to hide from mine acquaintance,

            From mine own conscience,

            And even from my memory;

My crying sins and my whispering sins,

My ignorant sins and my willful;

Sins against my superiors, equals, servants,

Against my lovers and benefactors,

Sins against myself, mine own body, mine own soul,

Sins against thee, O almighty Father, O merciful Son,

            O blessed Spirit of God.

Forgive me, O Lord, through the merits of thine Anointed, my Savior, Jesus Christ.

John Donne