Have mercy on me, O God, in Your goodness.
In Your compassion, blot out my offense.
O wash me more and more from my sin
And from my sin, cleanse me.
For my offenses, truly I know them.
My sin is always before me.
Against You, You alone have I sinned,
What is evil in your sight, I have done.
That You may be justified in Your sentence
Vindicated when You condemn,
Indeed, in guilt was I born,
In sin, my mother conceived me.
Behold, You are pleased with sincerity of heart
and in my inmost being You teach me wisdom.
The Columbans are a society of missionaries, including priests and lay people, who minister to people of various cultures as a way of witnessing to the universal love of God.