A Note from Liturgy of St. Mark

An ancient prayer from Liturgy of St. Mark for peace, love, holiness.

A strange mercy of the Christian tradition is that it refuses to flatter us. It gives us words when our own words have become too polished to be honest.

The source text, drawn from Liturgy of St. Mark, turns on a simple pressure: the soul cannot heal itself by becoming more articulate. It must be addressed, searched, forgiven, and led.

The author is not trying to be novel. That is precisely the relief. The prayer belongs to a Church old enough to have buried many fashions.

If the line feels severe, stay with it. Severity in the saints is often just mercy without cosmetics.