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The Text of

The Holy Mystery of Repentance

 

 

            The spiritual father leadeth the one who desireth to make confession alone, not two or more such, before the icon of our Lord Jesus Christ, the penitent having his or her head uncovered.


And the Confessor beginneth as usual:

 

            Blessed is our God always, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages. 

           

Amen.

           

Then:

 

            Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us.  (Three times)

 

            Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

            O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us.  O Lord, blot out our sins.  O Master, pardon our iniquities.  O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities for Thy name's sake.

 

            Lord, have mercy.  (3 times)

 

            Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

            Our Father, Who art in the heavens, 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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from the evil one.

 

            Priest:  For Thine is the kingdom, and the power, and the glory:  of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.

 

Amen.

 

            Lord, have mercy.  (Twelve times)

 

            Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

            O come, let us worship God our King.

            O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ, our King and God.

            O come, let us worship and fall down before Christ Himself, our King and God.

 

Psalm 50

 

            Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgression.  Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin.  For I know mine iniquity, and my sin is ever before me.  Against Thee only have I sinned and done this evil before Thee, that Thou mightest be justified in Thy words, and prevail when Thou art judged.  For behold, I was conceived in iniquities, and in sins did my mother bear me.  For behold, Thou hast loved truth; the hidden and secret things of Thy wisdom hast Thou made manifest unto me.  Thou shalt sprinkle me with hyssop, and I shall be made clean; thou shalt wash me, and I shall be made whiter than snow.  Thou shalt make me to hear joy and gladness; the bones that be humbled, they shall rejoice.  Turn Thy face away from my sins, and blot out all mine iniquities.  Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.  Cast me not away from Thy presence, and take not Thy Holy Spirit from me.  Restore unto me the joy of Thy salvation, and with Thy governing Spirit establish me.  I shall teach transgressors Thy ways, and the ungodly shall turn back unto Thee.  Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, Thou God of my salvation; my tongue shall rejoice in Thy righteousness.  O Lord, Thou shalt open my lips, and my mouth shall declare Thy praise.  For if Thou hadst desired sacrifice, I had given it; with whole-burnt offerings Thou shalt not be pleased.  A sacrifice unto God is a broken spirit; a heart that is broken and humbled God will not despise. Do good, O Lord, in Thy good pleasure unto Sion, and let the walls of Jerusalem be builded.  Then shalt Thou be pleased with a sacrifice of righteousness, with oblation and whole-burnt offerings.  Then shall they offer bullocks upon Thine altar.

 

Then follow these troparia in tone 6:

 

Have mercy on us, O Lord, have mercy on us; for at a loss for any defense, this prayer do we sinners offer unto Thee as Master:  have mercy on us.

 

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

 

            Lord, have mercy on us; for we have hoped in Thee, be not angry with us greatly, neither remember our iniquities; but look upon us now as Thou art compassionate, and deliver us from our enemies, for Thou art our God, and we, Thy people; all are the works of Thy hands, and we call upon Thy name.

 

            Both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

            The door of compassion open unto us, O blessed Theotokos, for, hoping in thee, let us not perish; through thee may we be delivered from adversities, for thou art the salvation of the Christian race.

 

Penitent (or priest):  Lord, have mercy.  (40 times)

 

            The penitent is given the Book of the Holy Gospels and the Precious Cross to kiss.

 

Then the priest says:

 

Let us pray to the Lord.

Penitent:  Lord, have mercy.

 

And the Confessor readeth this prayer

 

            O God our Savior, Who by Thy prophet Nathan didst grant unto David, when he repented, remission of his sins, and didst accept the prayer of repentance of Manasses:  Do Thou Thyself, in Thy usual love for mankind accept also Thy servant (handmaid) N., as he (she) repenteth of the sins which he (she) hath committed, disregarding all that he (she) hath done, forgiving wrongs, and passing over iniquities.  For Thou hast said, O Lord:  With desire I desire not the death of a sinner, but that he return and live, and to forgive sins seventy times seven.  For Thy majesty is incomparable, and Thy mercy is immeasurable, for if Thou shouldest mark iniquities, who shall stand?

            For Thou art the God of those who repent, and unto Thee do we send up glory:  to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

           

            Priest:  Let us pray to the Lord.

            Penitent:  Lord, have mercy.

 

Then the Confessor readeth this second prayer:

 

            O Lord Jesus Christ, Son of the living God, Shepherd and Lamb, Who takest away the sin of the world, Who gavest remission to the two debtors, and didst grant to the sinful woman forgiveness of her sins:  Do Thou Thyself, O Master, loose, remit, pardon the sins, iniquities, offences voluntary and involuntary, whether in knowledge or in ignorance, whether by transgression and disobedience, committed by these Thy servants.  And if, as humans bearing flesh, and living in the world, they have been beguiled of the devil; if in word, or in deed, or in knowledge, or in ignorance, they have scorned the word of a priest, or have been under the curse of a priest, or fallen under their own curse, or bound themselves by an oath; do Thou Thyself, as a good Master Who beareth no malice, be pleased to absolve these Thy servants through Thy word, pardoning them also their own curse and oath, through Thy great mercy.  Yea, O Master and Lord, Lover of mankind, hearken unto us who entreat Thy goodness for these Thy servants, and disregard, as Thou art plenteous in mercy, all their sins, and deliver them from torment eternal.  For Thou hast said, O Master:  Whatsoever ye shall bind on earth shall be bound in heaven, and whatsoever ye shall loose on earth shall be loosed in heaven.

            For Thou alone art sinless, and unto Thee do we send up glory:  to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

After this he saith to him (her):

            Behold, child! Christ invisibly standeth here receiving thy confession; be not ashamed, nor be afraid, and conceal nothing from me; but do not hesitate to tell all that thou hast done, that thou mayest receive forgiveness of our Lord Jesus Christ.  Behold also His image is before us; I am only a witness, that I may testify before Him of all that thou sayest to me; if thou concealest anything from me, thou hast a double sin.  Take heed, therefore, that, having come to the physician, thou go not away unhealed.

 

            And thus he questioneth him (her) diligently, point by point, and awaiteth until he (she) answereth every question.

 

First of all he questioneth him (her) concerning the Faith, saying:

 

            Tell me, child, if thou believest what the Catholic Apostolic Church, planted and nourished in the East, and from the East sowed in all the world, and in the East until now remaining immovable and unchangeable, hast handed down and taught?  And if thou doubtest any of her Traditions?

 

            And if he (she) believeth Orthodoxly and undoubtingly, let him (her) read the Symbol of Faith:

 

The Symbol of Faith

 

            I believe in one God, the Father Almighty, Maker of heaven and earth, and of all things visible and invisible.  And in one Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, the Only-begotten, begotten of the Father before all ages; Light of Light; true God of true God; begotten, not made; of one essence with the Father; by Whom all things were made; Who for us men, and for our salvation, came down from the heavens, and was incarnate of the Holy Spirit and the Virgin Mary, and became man; And was crucified for us under Pontius Pilate, and suffered, and was buried; And arose again on the third day according to the Scriptures; And ascended into the heavens, and sitteth at the right hand of the Father; And shall come again, with glory, to judge both the living and the dead; Whose kingdom shall have no end.  And in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the Giver of Life; Who proceedeth from the Father; Who with the Father and the Son together is worshipped and glorified; Who spake by the prophets.  In One, Holy, Catholic, and Apostolic Church.  I confess one baptism for the remission of sins.  I look for the resurrection of the dead, and the life of the age to come.  Amen.

 

            (Following are the questions once asked by spiritual fathers.  They are rarely, if ever, used now, but they are included here because they were once a normal part of confession, and they can be useful as an additional tool for examining the conscience.)

 

            And this being finished, he questioneth him (her):

 

            Tell me, child, hast thou been a heretic, or an apostate?  Hast thou been enthralled with them, visiting their temples, listening to their teachings, or perusing their books?  Hast thou loved the things of the world more than thy Creator?  Hast thou borne false witness?  Hast thou broken a vow made to God?  Hast thou subjected the Holy Scriptures to blasphemy?  Tell me, child, if thou hast defiled thy virginity with masturbation, or dost thou indulge in masturbation?  Tell me if thou hast sodomized anyone or if anyone hath sodomized thee?  Hast thou committed fornication with a woman?  And with how many hast thou fallen?  And what kind of people were they?  Divorced women, or those who have husbands?  Because if thou hast fallen with a married woman, it is adultery; likewise, a married woman who hath fallen with another (man) is called an adulteress.

 

            And again he questioneth him (her) concerning incest:  Tell me, child, if thou hast fallen with some person from among thy kindred, or with thy godmother—such things are called incest?  Tell me if thou hast fallen with beast or fowl?  Hast thou fallen unnaturally with thy wife?  Or, while betrothed to her, didst thou fall with her prior to marriage?  Or hast thou fallen carnally with a heathen?  For this is penanced more severely than simple fornication.

 

            Tell me, child, hast thou slain a man intentionally or unintentionally?  Tell me, child, hast thou stolen something, or conspired to do so?  Or hath another man stolen something and thou didst receive it from him?

 

And if the person confessing hath stolen something, then let him (her) return it; and when he (she) hath returned it, then let him (her) hasten to his (her) bishop to receive forgiveness, and to perform his (her) penance.  And if he (she) hath not conspired, then let him (her) fulfill, if possible, the penance of a thief only.

 

            Tell me, child, if thou hast sworn an oath, and how thou hast sworn it, willingly, or unwillingly, under duress?  Hast thou betrayed the powerless into the hands of the mighty?  Dost thou wrong someone, or hast thou wronged him in business, or anything else?

 

            And if he (she) hath wronged, or is wronging someone, then let him (her) make recompense.

 

            Tell me, child, hast thou practiced magic, or, practicing augury hast thou poured wax and tin [into water to make predictions based on the shapes formed]?  Hast thou brought a sorcerer into thy house, and did he work his spells for thee?  Or, dost thou do these things thyself, or hast thou ever done them?  Or hast thou practiced sorcery to anyone’s detriment?  Hast thou placed a charm upon an animal, so that a wolf might not eat it?  Or didst thou give it to another to place a spell upon it for thee?  Or hast thou placed a charm upon a husband and wife, or some other charm against sickness?  Dost thou wear charms from herbs?

 

            And if it is found that he (she) hath done any of these things, or others have done them for him (her), then he (she) is penanced for six years, as the rules dictate.  But a professional practitioner who doeth such things is penanced like a murderer; that is, for twenty years, as saith Basil the Great.

 

            And again say:  Tell me, child, hast thou rebuked thy parents, or a priest, or a monk, or any other person?  Dost thou bear enmity toward someone?  If so, then reconcile thyself with him.  Because if thou bearest enmity or envy toward anyone, then thy gifts and prayers are not pleasing to God; nor if thou dost do something for the sake of God is it pleasing to Him.  Tell me, child, if thou hast eaten that which died of itself, or of blood, or of flesh strangled, or flesh of an animal that had been carried off by a wolf, or struck by a bird?  Hast thou defiled thyself by any other thing that is regulated by the holy canons?  Or during Lent or on a Wednesday or Friday with meat or cheese?  Hast thou consigned any man to the devil, or blasphemed, or criticized the Faith or the law; hast thou uttered blasphemy, or cursed a man?  Hast thou spoken a lie, or dost thou swear falsely?  Or art thou vainglorious, or dost thou indulge in drunkenness, thereby ruining thy soul and body?

 

            And the Priest then calleth to mind other deadly sins:            Pride, greed, fornication, envy, gluttony, anger, sloth, and all the sins which are born from these seven mothers; with every discreet inquiry considered according to the difference of person, and making inquiry accordingly:  clergy in one way, laity in another; monastics in one way, seculars in another; youth in one way, the elderly in another.

 

Admonition

 

From all these things thou must henceforth keep thyself, for thou art baptized with a second baptism, according to the Christian Mystery, and do thou make a good beginning, God helping thee; and above all, do not make a fool of thyself by returning to these same things, lest thou make thyself a laughingstock to men, for these things are not proper for a Christian; but may God help thee to live honorably, and uprightly, and devoutly by His grace.

 

            And when thou hast said all these things to him (her), and carefully examined him (her), he (she) shall again reveal all things concerning himself (herself) without shame.  And thou shalt say unto him (her):

 

Bow thyself.

            Then he (she) that hath confessed boweth his (her) head; and the spiritual father saith this prayer:

 

Let us pray to the Lord.

 

            O Lord God of the salvation of Thy servants, O Merciful and Compassionate and Long-suffering One, Who repentest concerning our evils, Who desirest not the death of a sinner, but rather that he return and live:  Do Thou now show mercy to Thy servant (handmaid), N., and grant unto him (her) an image of repentance, pardon and remit his (her) sins, forgiving him (her) every transgression, both voluntary and involuntary; reconcile and unite him (her) to Thy holy Church, through Christ Jesus our Lord, to Whom with Thee is due dominion and majesty, now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

           

            After the prayer the priest absolveth the penitent who kneeleth lowly [prostrateth], saying thus the Completion of the Holy Mystery of Confession.

 

            Our Lord and God Jesus Christ, through the grace and compassion of His love for mankind, forgive thee, child, N., all thy transgressions, and I, an unworthy priest, through His power given me, forgive and absolve thee of all thy sins, in the Name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit.  Amen.

 

            And finally, while saying this absolution, the priest signeth the penitent cruciformly with his right hand.

 

            Then:  It is truly meet to bless thee, the Theotokos, ever-blessed and most blameless, and Mother of our God.  More honorable than the Cherubim, and beyond compare more glorious than the Seraphim, who without corruption gavest birth to God the Word, the very Theotokos, thee do we magnify.

 

            Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, both now and ever, and unto the ages of ages.  Amen.

 

            Priest:  May Christ our true God, through the intercessions of His most pure Mother and of all the saints, have mercy on us and save us, for He is good and the Lover of mankind.

 

            The Priest then imposeth a penance upon the penitent for his or her offenses. And if the penitent have many sins, he imposeth upon him a heavy penance, i.e., one of many years' duration, and others are loosed from these.  And the Priest saith to the penitent:                       

My child, the divine and sacred canons command that thou not commune of the divine Mysteries for so many years; rather, drink only of the waters sanctified at Holy Theophany. If thou wilt abstain from divine Communion, thy sins will be loosed; but if thou wilt disobey and take Communion anyway, thou shalt be a second Judas. If thou art sick unto death, then receive Communion. But if thou rise from thy sickbed restored, resume thy years of penance, and fulfill the full measure of time.          

 

Attend unto this: From the time when a man leaveth off sin, he accepteth a penance, according to Canon 39 of Basil the Great; and for as long as he committeth the sin, even if he doth not receive Communion, it [the time of penance he hath served] is not imputed to him.  But when he abstaineth for a time from Communion, yet again falleth into sin, he must begin his penance again from the beginning.

 

If it happen that he fall into another sin before concluding his penance, the Priest ought to see how many years of penance are left yet unfulfilled, and how many are due for the newly committed sin; and he should hold to whichever period is of longer duration. And if again due to
abstaining from sin, he hath withheld himself from Communion, either of his own accord, or as instructed by another spiritual father, the penance should be reduced by this period of time.

 

Attend unto this: When a devout man repenteth, and intendeth to make a certain number of prostrations day and night according to his strength, reduce the length of his penance and abstinence from Communion by a year. And if he agree to give alms to the limit of his ability, leave off another year. And if he will fast on Wednesdays and Fridays according to the divine canons, leave off yet another year. And if he will agree to forego meat on Mondays also, he may be released from yet another year; and if he will abstain from cheese and eggs, another year.  Likewise, if he will exercise himself in some other virtue, leave off yet another year. If the penitent is younger than thirty years of age, leave off another year; and if younger than twenty, he or she is penanced even less. But if the penitent doth not desire to do any of these things, let him or her fulfill the full number of years prescribed.

 

Attend unto this: If after committing some offense, the penitent desireth to take the monastic tonsure, reduce his or her penance by two-thirds, leaving only one-third to be fulfilled. And if the penitent desireth to enter the common life of a monastery, remit his or her penance entirely.  But if after receiving the tonsure he or she falleth again, let him or her carry out in full all the penance due his or her sin. 

 

Concerning women: Ask of women if they have worn herbs so as not to conceive a child, or if they have poured anything into their wombs so as not to conceive, or if they have eaten any plant, or have overeaten, and intentionally miscarried or aborted their child.  And when it is found that they have done something and intentionally miscarried or aborted, she is a murderer and is penanced like a murderer. But if she involuntarily, because of a certain circumstance, miscarried her child, let her not receive  Communion for a single year; but if she is wearing herbs, let her put them away, and let her be forbidden to commune for six years, in accordance with Canon 60 of the Council in Trullo. Likewise also bindings, i.e., silken cords, or amulets, if against their own children, or if they place them on livestock, or work sorcery with them. And if she hath eaten herbs or anything else, and poisoned her own womb, and will never again bear children, she is penanced as a murderer.  If she hath resorted to sorcery, let her tell whose child she beareth, or let her acknowledge that its paternity is unknown, and let her not commune for six years, according to Canon 60 of the Sixth Ecumenical Council. And the spiritual father asks also concerning other sins:  fornication, sorcery, masturbation, murder and theft, as he doth of men; and especially if they have had unnatural relations with their own husbands.  And if she hath entered into fornication with anyone, let her be under ban as a harlot.                                                           

 

 

HOW SPIRITUAL FATHERS OUGHT TO DEAL WITH THOSE WHO MAKE THEIR CONFESSION TO THEM

Canon 12 of the First Ecumenical Council at Nicća, and Canons 2, 5 and 6 of the Council of Ancyra, leave to the bishops the authority either to intensify or reduce penances for those who manifestly show their penitence to be more fervent than lax. Let their former way of life be examined, and if afterwards they live chastely, or laxly and idly, and thus let condescension be apportioned. If they adhere stubbornly to their habits and desire to continue to labor for the carnal pleasures rather than the Lord, and do not accept life according to the Gospels, there is nothing for us to say to them; for among such disobedient and contrary people we are wont to hear:  Thou who wouldst save us, look to thine own soul!  (Matthew 7:4)


            In the days of His Holiness, Patriarch Luke, when a certain soldier had committed voluntary murder, a bishop gave him a writ of absolution after a very short period of penance. This hierarch, being brought up on charges by a council, offered as his defense that bishops have the authority either to reduce or increase penances for penitents.  But he heard that while this was indeed given to hierarchs, they must not treat such penitents with excessive condescension and without examination; and that it is not proper to bind with spider's webs those who ought to be bound with triple chains.  Therefore, the council imposed a just penance on the soldier; and they suspended the hierarch from serving the Liturgy for a specified period of time.