HOLY MYSTERY OF PENANCE

The Order of Penance

If those who will confess gather in the church, the priest reads over them the following prayer as a group; then the individual and private confession follows.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Penitents: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of the living God, shepherd and lamb, who take away the sin of the world, who forgave the loan to the two debtors and granted remission of her sins to the sinful woman; do you yourself, O Lord, loose, remit, forgive the sins, the transgressions and the errors, both voluntary and involuntary, known or unknown, which have been committed through violation and disobedience by these your servants. And if they, being human, bearing flesh and dwelling in the world, were deceived in anything by the Devil, either in word or deed, knowingly or unknowingly, if they broke the word of a priest, or came under the curse of a priest, or fell under their own anathema, or have broken any oath, do you, the same good and forgiving Master, be pleased to set free these your servants by your word, granting them forgiveness from their own anathema and oath, according to your great mercy. Yes, Master, Lord and lover of mankind, hear us as we pray to your goodness for these your servants, and, in your great mercy, overlook all their faults; deliver them from eternal punishment; for you have said, O Master: "Whatever you pronounce unforgiven on earth shall remain unforgiven in heaven, and whatever you forgive on earth shall be forgiven in heaven." For you alone are without sin and to you we ascribe glory, together with your beginningless Father, and your all-holy and good and life-giving Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

Penitents: Amen.

Priest: Blessed is our God at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Priest: In peace let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: For peace and forgiveness of wrongdoing both voluntary and involuntary of the servant of God N., let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: That the Lord God will grant him (her) remission of sins and time for repentance, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: That he (she) may be delivered from all affliction, wrath, danger and need, let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Help us, save us, have mercy on us and protect us, O God, by your grace.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Remembering our all holy, spotless, most highly blessed and glorious Lady the Theotokos and ever virgin Mary with all the saints, let us commend ourselves and one another and our whole life to Christ God.

All: To You, O Lord.

Priest: For to you belongs all glory, honor and worship, to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

All: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the Living God, both Shepherd and Lamb Who take away the sin of the world; who remitted the loan to the two debtors and forgave the sinful woman her sins, forgive the sins of these your servants. Remit their offenses which they have committed deliberately and indeliberately, knowingly or inadvertently. And if they transgressed or did not keep your commandments because they are human and living in the world; if they were deceived by the devil; if they disregarded the words of a priest or have fallen under his anathema, or have fallen into a curse by themselves or have sworn falsely: be pleased in your great mercy to grant these your servants forgiveness and remission of all these sins, since You are good and the Lord of forgiveness. O Lord and Master, who love mankind, listen to us who beseech You, and pray to You for your servants, and overlook all their sins and deliver them from eternal fire, for You are full of mercy. You have said, O Master, Whatever you declare bound on earth shall be bound in heaven; and whatever you declare loosed on earth shall be loosed in heaven. For You alone are without sin, and we render glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

When the above order is omitted for individual confessions, the priest begins here:

Priest: Blessed is our God at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

Penitent: Amen.

If it is paschal time, we say the troparion "Christ is risen from the dead..." three times and omit the following up to and including "Come, let us worship..."

Priest and Penitent: Holy God! Holy Mighty One! Holy Immortal One! Have mercy on us (three times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

All Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. Lord, forgive us our sins. Master, pardon our transgressions. Holy One, look upon us and heal our infirmities for Your name's sake.

Lord, have mercy (three times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name. Thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil.

Priest: For thine is the kingdom and the power and the glory, of the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever.

All: Amen.

Lord, have mercy (twelve times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Come, let us worship God, our King, and bow down before Him (reverence).

Come let us worship Christ God, our King, and bow down before Him (reverence).

Come let us worship Christ, our King and our God, and bow down before Him (reverence).

And they recite Psalm 50.

O God, have mercy on me in the greatness of your love;

In the abundance of your tender mercies wipe out my offense.

Wash me thoroughly from malice and cleanse me from sin,

For I am well aware of my malice and my sins are before me always.

It is You alone I have offended, I have done what is evil in your sight;

Wherefore You are just in your deeds and triumphant in your judgment.

Behold I was born in iniquities and in sins my mother conceived me.

But You are the Lover of Truth: You have shown me the depths and secrets of your wisdom.

Wash me with hyssop and I shall be pure, cleanse me and I shall be whiter than snow.

Let me hear the sounds of joy and feasting: the bones that were afflicted shall rejoice.

Turn your face away from my offenses and wipe off all my sins.

A spotless heart create in me, O God; renew a steadfast spirit in my breast.

Cast me not afar from your face, take not your blessed Spirit out of me.

Restore to me the joy of your salvation and let your guiding Spirit dwell in me.

I will teach your ways to the sinners and the wicked shall return to you.

Deliver me from blood-guilt, O God, my saving God, and my tongue will joyfully sing your justice.

O Lord, You shall open my lips and my mouth shall declare your praise.

Had You desired sacrifice, I would have offered it, but You will not be satisfied with whole burnt offerings.

Sacrifice to God is a contrite spirit: a crushed and humbled heart God will not spurn.

In your kindness, O Lord, be bountiful to Sion; may the walls of Jerusalem be restored.

Then will You delight in just oblation in sacrifice and whole-burnt offerings.

Then shall they offer calves upon your altar .

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, O God. (reverence)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, O God. (reverence)

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia, glory to You, O God our hope, glory to you. (reverence)

Lord, have mercy (three times).

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit, now and always and forever and ever, amen.

(Tone 6)

Have mercy on us, Lord, have mercy on us. At a loss for any defense, we sinners offer this prayer to you, the Master: have mercy on us.

Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Lord, have mercy on us for we have put our trust in you: rise not in anger against us, remember not our transgressions, but in the depth of your mercy look upon us even now and save us from our enemies: for you are God and we are your people, we are all the work of your hands and we constantly call upon your name.

Now and always and forever and ever. Amen.

Open the portal of your deep mercy to us who put our trust in you, blessed Mother of God, so that we may not be brought to confusion, but through you may be delivered from adversity, for you are the salvation of the Christian fold.

Lord, have mercy (fifty times).

Penitent: I have sinned, Lord, forgive me. God have mercy on me, the sinner.

Priest: Let us pray to the Lord.

Penitent: Lord, have mercy.

Priest: O God our Savior, who granted forgiveness through your Prophet Nathan to the penitent David, and received Manasseh's prayers of repentance: in your loving-kindness receive your servant N. who repents of his (her) sins, overlooking all he (she) has done, O You Who forgive offenses and pass over transgressions. For it was You, O Lord, Who said "I desire not the death of a sinner," but rather that he should be forgiven and turn from his wickedness and live, and that sins should be forgiven even seventy times seven. Your greatness is beyond comparison and your mercy is without limit: for if You should regard iniquity, who should stand? For You are the God of the penitent and we render glory to You, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, now and always and forever.

Penitent: Amen.

Then the priest says in a gentle voice:

Priest: My brother (sister), do not be ashamed to relate before God or before me all that you came to tell; because you are not telling these things to me but to God, before whom you stand.

After the confession, the priest says to the penitent:

Priest: My spiritual child, as you have come to me and to God, be not ashamed for you do not confess to me but to God whom you stand before. I, also a humble sinner, have not power on earth to forgive sins, but God alone. But through God's spoken Word which came to the Apostles after the holy Resurrection of our Lord Jesus Christ, saying "whatsoever sins you shall remit, they shall be remitted; and whatsoever sins you shall retain, they are retained": be content and believe that whatsoever you have said to me and to God in whose presence we stand, and whatsoever you have failed to say, whether through ignorance or forgetfulness, whatever it may be, God will forgive you in this world and in the world to come.

Penitent: Amen.

The priest asks the penitent to kneel, places his epitrakilion and his hand over the penitent's head and says:

Priest: May God who forgave David his sins through his prophet Nathan, who forgave the woman found in adultery weeping at his feet, who forgave Peter who denied him three times, the publican in the temple and the prodigal son upon his return, may this same Lord forgive you N. of all your sins through myself the priest N., also a sinner, so that we may both stand before his judgment seat and there bless him in this world and in the world to come, for he is blessed at all times, now and always and forever and ever.

Penitent: Amen.

During paschal time, the resurrection dialogue, otherwise:

Priest: Through the prayers of our holy Fathers, Lord Jesus Christ, have mercy on us and save us.

Penitent: Amen.