touching Thy sacred Wounds, grace beyond that vouchsafed to many of the Saints who beheld Thee during Thy life in the flesh, and believed in Thee after Thy Resurrection.
With all the powers of my soul therefore do I bless Thee, and give thanks to Thee, my Lord and my God, Who by Thy Apostles hast taught me to believe rightly, to lead a good life, and boldly and without equivocation to confess the true faith: for Thou hast said, and Thy word is truth: " Every one that shall confess Me before men, I will also confess him before My Father." Give me, then, O Lord, I beseech Thee, grace always to speak the truth, and to confess the right faith, even as holy Thomas spoke before Thee in the presence of the other Apostles, saying: " My Lord, and My God."
What can be plainer than those words, what more true, what more perfect, what more faithful? And so it is that blessed John writes thus: " Thomas answered and said to Him (that is, to Thee, my Lord and my God), 'My Lord and my God.' " Many faithful souls have addressed Thee and called Thee by divers holy names, as their faith and their devotion moved them; and rightly and fitly was this done in accordance with Thy unspeakable Majesty, Which is far beyond the rank of, and the praise due to, any creature, and far above every name in Heaven and in earth. Some in prayer to Thee have said, " Jesus of Nazareth, have mercy on me .' " Others have said, "O Son of David"; others, "Good, Master and Lord "; others, " Rabbi or Rabboni "; others, " Teacher and Saviour of the World." Others have addressed Thee as " Great Prophet and King of Israel "; others (as John the Baptist) have said,
