O my God! Source of all mercy! I acknowledge Your sovereign power. While recalling the wasted years that are past, I believe that You, Lord, can in an instant turn this loss to gain. Miserable as I am, yet I firmly believe that You can do all things. Please restore to me the time lost, giving me Your grace, both now and in the future, that I may appear before You in "wedding garments." Amen.
By St. Teresa of Avila
Further reading
Interior Freedom reflects on the freedom that grows through faith, hope, and love, including our response to the past. It offers a thoughtful companion to this prayer for grace to receive the present and begin again.
Interior Freedom by Jacques Philippe (paperback) on Amazon (paid link)