The Book of Life

And I saw the dead, small and great, stand before God; and the books were opened; and another book was opened, which is the book of life: and the dead were judged out of those things which were written in the books, according to their works.
                                                                             Revelation 20:12


On the dead for whom once Thou diest, Lord Jesus, have mercy,
On the living for whom Thou ever livest, have mercy.
Thou who wast arraigned before a corrupt judge, O Incorruptible Judge, have mercy,
Thou who knowest what is in man, O Son of Man, have mercy.
Thou whose works were all good, have mercy.
Thou whose life, in the sight of the unwise, once hung in suspense before Pilate, have mercy.
Thou who Thyself ever knowest what Thou wilt do, have mercy.
On the small, mercy.
On the great, mercy.
Thou who art unlike us in Thy sinlessness, on us sinners, have mercy.
Thou who art like us in Thy Humanity, on us Thy brethren and Thy sisters, have mercy.
Blot out our evil works from Thy Book of Works, and have mercy.
Write our names in Thy Book of Life, and have mercy.
Blot not out our names, but have mercy.
Give us tears from the Fountain of Thy Mercy.
Store our tears in Thy bottle, with Thine own tears shed for us in pure mercy.
And whatever we lack let us not lack Thy mercy.  
                                                                                        Amen

From 'The Face of the Deep' by Christina Rossetti (1830-94)