CANON OF REPENTANCE TO OUR LORD JESUS CHRIST
Song 1. Tone 6.
Eirmos:
When Israel
walked on foot in the sea as on dry land, on seeing their pursuer
Pharaoh drowned, they cried: Let us sing to God a song of victory.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
Now I, a burdened sinner,
approach Thee, my Lord and God. But I dare not raise my eyes to
Heaven. I only pray, saying: Give me, O Lord, the sense to weep
bitterly over my deeds.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
O woe is me, a sinner!
Wretched am I above all men. There is no penitence in me. Give me, O
Lord, tears to weep bitterly over my deeds.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Foolish, wretched man, you
are wasting your time in idleness! Think of your life and turn to the
Lord God, and weep bitterly over your deeds.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Most
pure Mother of God, look upon me, a sinner, and deliver me from the
snares of the devil, and guide me to the way of repentance, that I may
weep bitterly over my deeds.
Song 3.
Eirmos: There is
none holy as Thou, O Lord my God, Who hast exalted the power of Thy
faithful, O Good One, and strengthened us on the rock of Thy
confession.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
When the thrones are set
at the dread judgment, then the deeds of all men will be exposed. Then
alas for the sinners sent to torment! And knowing that, my soul,
repent of your evil deeds.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
The righteous will
rejoice, but the sinners will weep. Then no one will be able to help
us, but our deeds will condemn us. Therefore, before the end dawns,
repent of your evil deeds.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Woe is me, a great sinner,
who have defiled myself by my deeds and thoughts. Not a tear-drop do I
have, because of my hard-heartedness. Now raise yourself from the
earth, my soul, and repent of your evil deeds.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Lo, thy
Son calls, O Lady, and teaches us what is good. But, sinful as I am, I
always flee from the good. But do thou, O merciful one, have mercy on
me, that I may repent of my evil deeds.
Lord, have mercy.
(Thrice).
Sedalion, tone 6: I
think of the awful day and weep over my evil deeds. How shall I answer
the Immortal King? How shall I, a prodigal, dare to look at the Judge?
O gracious Father, Only-Begotten Son, and Holy Spirit, have mercy on
me.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the
ages
of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Bound
now with many chains of sins, and inhibited by cruel passions, I have
recourse to thee, my salvation, and cry: Help me, O Virgin, Mother of
God.
Song 4.
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Eirmos: Christ is
my power, my God and my Lord, the holy Church divinely sings, crying
with a pure mind, keeping festival in the Lord.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
Broad is the way here and
conducive to indulging in pleasures, but how bitter it will be on the
last day when the soul is separated from the body! Beware of
pleasures, man, for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
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The prodigal son
returns. |
Why do you wrong the poor?
Why do you withhold the wage of the hired servant? Why do you not love
your brother? Why do you run after pride and lust? And so, stop these
things, my soul, and repent for the sake of the Kingdom of God.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
O thoughtless man! How
long will you busy yourself like a bee, accumulating your fortune? For
it will perish like dust and ashes soon. But seek rather the Kingdom
of God.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: O Lady,
Mother of God, have mercy on me, a sinner. Strengthen me in the
virtues and keep me safe, lest sudden death take me by surprise. And
bring me, O Virgin, to the Kingdom of God.
Song 5.
Eirmos: Illumine
with Thy divine light, I pray, O Good One, the souls of those who with
love rise early to pray to Thee, that they may know Thee, O Word of
God, as the true God, Who recalls us from the darkness of sin.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
Remember, wretched man,
how you are enslaved to lies, calumnies, theft, infirmities, wild
beasts and fears, on account of your sins. O my sinful soul, is that
what you have desired?
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
My members tremble, for
with all of them I have sinned: with my eyes in looking, with my ears
in hearing, with my tongue in speaking evil, and by surrendering the
whole of myself to hell. O my sinful soul, is that what you have
desired?
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Thou didst receive the
prodigal and the robber who repented, O Saviour, and I alone have
succumbed to sinful sloth and have become enslaved to evil deeds. O my
sinful soul, is this what you have desired?
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion:
Wonderful and speedy helper of all men, help me. Mother of God,
unworthy as I am, for my sinful soul desires that.
Song 6.
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Eirmos: Beholding
the sea of life surging the flood of temptations, I run to calm haven,
and cry to Thee: Raise up my life from corruption, O Most Merciful
One.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
I have lived my life
wantonly on earth and have delivered my soul to darkness. But now I
implore Thee, O merciful Lord, free me from this work of the enemy and
give me the knowledge to do Thy will.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
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Confession of Sins |
Who does such things as I
do? For just like a swine lying in the mud, so I serve sin. But do
Thou, O Lord, pull me out of this vileness and give me the heart to do
Thy commandments.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Rise, wretched man, to God
and, remembering your sins, fall down before your Creator, weeping and
groaning, for He is merciful and will grant you to know His will.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Virgin Mother of God,
protect me from evil visible and invisible, O immaculate one, and
accept my prayers and convey them to thy Son, that He may grant me the
sense to do His will.
Lord, have mercy.
(Thrice).
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the
ages
of ages. Amen.
Kontakion: O my
soul, why do you become rich in sins? Why do you do the will of the
devil? On what do you set your hope? Stop these things and turn to God
with tears, and cry: O Merciful Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Oekos: Think, my
soul, of the bitter hour of death and the awful judgment of your God
and Creator. For terrible Angels will seize you, my soul, and will
lead you into the eternal fire. And so, before your death, repent and
cry: O Lord, have mercy on me, a sinner.
Song 7.
Eirmos: An Angel
made the furnace throw dew on the holy Children. But the command of
God consumed the Chaldeans and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry:
Blessed art Thou, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
Do not hope, my soul, for
corruptible wealth, and for what is unjustly collected. For you do not
know to whom you will leave it all. But cry: O Christ our God, have
mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Do not trust, my soul, in
your physical health, and in your quickly-passing beauty. For you see
that the strong and the young die. But say: O Christ our God, have
mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Remember, my soul, eternal
life and the Heavenly Kingdom prepared for the saints, and the outer
darkness and the wrath of God for the evil, and cry: O Christ our God,
have mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Fall
down, my soul, before the Mother of God, and pray to her; for she is
quick to help those who repent. She prays to Christ, her Son and our
God, and has mercy on me who am unworthy.
Song 8.
Eirmos: Thou didst
make flame sprinkle the Saints with dew, and didst burn the sacrifice
of a righteous man with water. For Thou alone, O Christ, dost do all
as Thou willest. Thee we exalt throughout all ages.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
How can I not weep when I
think of death? For I have seen my brother lying in his coffin,
inglorious and hideous. What, then, do I expect? And what do I hope
for? Only grant me, O Lord, repentance before my end.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
(again:) How
can I not weep when I think of death? For I have seen my brother lying
in his coffin, inglorious and hideous. What, then, do I expect? And
what do I hope for? Only grant me, O Lord, repentance before my end.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
I believe that Thou wilt
come to judge the living and the dead, and all will stand in order,
old and young, lords and princes, priests and virgins. Where shall I
find myself? Therefore I cry: grant me, O Lord, repentance before my
end.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: Most
pure Mother of God, accept my unworthy prayer and preserve me from
sudden death; and grant me repentance before my end.
Song 9.
Eirmos:
It is
impossible for men to see God, upon Whom the orders of Angels dare not
gaze. But through thee, O all-pure one, did the Word incarnate appear
to men, and with the Heavenly Hosts we magnify Him, and thee we call
blessed.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Troparia:
I now have recourse to
you, holy Angels, Archangels, and all the Heavenly Hosts who stand at
the throne of God: pray to your Creator that He may save my soul from
eternal torment.
Have mercy on me, O
God, have mercy on me.
Now I turn to you with
tears, holy patriarchs, kings and prophets, apostles and holy
prelates, and all Christ's elect: help me at the judgment, that He may
save my soul from the power of the enemy.
Glory to the Father, and
to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit:
Now I lift my hands to
you, holy martyrs, hermits, virgins, righteous and all the saints, who
pray to the Lord for the whole world, that He may have mercy on me at
the hour of my death.
Both now and ever, and
unto the ages of ages. Amen.
Theotokion: O
Mother of God, help me who have strong hope in thee; implore thy Son
that He may place me on His right hand, unworthy as I am, when He sits
to judge the living and the dead. Amen.
Prayer after the Canon
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Lord
Christ our God, Who hast healed my passions through Thy Passion,
and hast cured my wounds through Thy wounds, grant me who have
sinned greatly against Thee tears of compunction. Transform my
body with the fragrance of Thy life-giving Body, and sweeten my
soul with Thy Holy Blood from the bitterness with which the foe
has fed me. Lift up my downward looking mind to Thee, and take it
out of the pit of perdition, for I have no repentance, I have no
compunction, I have no consoling tears, which uplift children to
their heritage. My mind has been darkened through earthly
passions, I cannot look up to Thee in pain. |
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"Peter,
lovest thou Me?"
"Yea, Lord, Thou knowest that I love Thee." |
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I
cannot warm myself with tears of love for Thee. But, O Lord Jesus
Christ, Treasury of good gifts, give me thorough repentance and a
diligent heart to seek Thee; grant me Thy grace, and renew in me
the lineaments of Thy image. I have forsaken Thee - do not forsake
me! Come out to seek me; lead me up to Thy pasturage and number me
among the lambs of Thy chosen flock. Nourish me with them on the
grass of Thy Holy Mysteries, by the prayers of Thy Most Pure
Mother and all Thy saints. Amen. |
