A Prayer for the Fourth Sunday after Trinity

Luke 6:36–42 / By Esaias Heidenreich

Righteous and eternal God, You who are eternal and true Love, how high, rich, and mighty is Your mercy. As a father has compassion on his children, so also You have compassion on those who fear You. You know what sort of creatures we are; You remember that we are dust. With Your grace, You surpass the fidelity and love of all our mothers, so that even if they forget us, You still hold us engraved in Your hand. Not only do Your radiant Word and promise attest to and preach to us of Your mercy, but also the great deeds, such as the creation of the world, of heaven, of earth, of all creatures in the air, water, and so on. Our bodies, souls, and lives extol Your mercy and the mighty blessings which we enjoy every moment from Your mercy. And above all this, we behold the wellspring of all Your goodness and grace in the bleeding wounds of Your only-begotten Son, Jesus Christ, whom You have made unto us as wisdom, righteousness, sanctification, and redemption. Grant that we, confirmed in faith, comfort, and strength by Your mercy, may hasten from the misery of this life to You, our true and eternal Father, through Jesus Christ, our true Redeemer and Savior. Amen.

Esaias Heidenreich, Betbüchlein (1572)

Pieter Bruegel, The Blind Leading the Blind (c. 1568)