God, Gracious and Merciful, give us, we entreat Thee, a humble trust in Thy mercy, and suffer not our heart to fail us. Though our sins be seven, though our sins be seventy times seven, though our sins be more in number than the hairs of our head, yet give us grace in loving penitence to cast ourselves down into the depth of Thy compassion—Amen.

Christina Rosetti

O God, the Source of perfect blessedness, who dost teach Thy faithful ones to walk in Thy laws, to search Thy testimonies, to keep Thy commands; grant unto us, we beseech Thee, Thy righteousness, that we may seek Thee with our whole hearts; that we, who hitherto have wandered like lost sheep, restored by Thy kind arms, may rejoice in the glories of Paradise, through Jesus Christ Thy Son.—Amen.

Sarum Breviary, A. D. 1085.