O God, our Father, Thou Searcher of men’s hearts, help us to draw near to Thee in sincerity and truth. May our religion be filled with gladness and may our worship of Thee be natural.
Strengthen and increase our admiration for honest dealing and clean thinking, and suffer not our hatred of hypocrisy and pretense ever to diminish. Encourage us in our endeavor to live above the common level of life.
Make us to choose the harder right instead of the easier wrong, and never to be content with a half truth when the whole truth can be won. Endow us with courage that is born of loyalty to all that is noble and worthy, that scorns to compromise with vice and injustice and knows no fear when truth and right are in jeopardy.
Guard us against flippancy and irreverence in the sacred things of life. Grant us new ties of friendship and new opportunities of service. Kindle our hearts in fellowship with those of a cheerful countenance, and soften our hearts with sympathy for those who sorrow and suffer.
May we find genuine pleasure in clean and wholesome mirth and feel inherent disgust for all course-minded humor. Help us in our work and in our play, to keep ourselves physically strong, mentally awake, and morally straight, that we may better maintain the honor of the Corps untarnished and unsullied, and acquit ourselves like men in our efforts to realize the ideals of The Citadel in doing our duty to Thee and to our Country. All of which we ask in the name of the Great Friend and Master of Men. – Amen.
