A Short
Confession
The penitent, in some churches, turns and bows to the
congregation as a sign that he/she is at peace with his/her brothers and
sisters in Christ. The penitent approaches the place where confessions are
customarily heard then kisses the Gospel and the the Cross.Then he/she stands
with bowed head with his/her arms by his/her sides
Priest:
Let us pray to the Lord.
Pentitent:
Lord have mercy.
Priest:
O God, our Saviour, Who by Thy Prophet
Nathan did grant remission of his sins to the repentent David, and did accept
the penitent prayer of Manasseh: do Thou Thyself, in Thy customary love for
mankind, accept this, Thy servant / handmaid N. who repents of the sins he/she has committed, overlooking all
that he/she has done, forgiving him/her unrighteousness, and overlooking his /
her transgressions.
For Thou, O Lord, has said:
“I desire not the death of a sinner, but that he turn from his way and live” and that sins shall be forgiven even unto
seventy times seven, for as Thy majesty is immeasurable, so is Thy mercy beyond
compare. For if Thou should 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. Amen
Priest:
Let us pray to the Lord.
Penitent:
Lord have mercy.
*Priest: Behold my child, Christ stands here
invisibly and recieves your confession. Therefore be not ashamed, neither be afraid, and conseal
nothing from me but tell me
all the things that you have done, so that you may receive forgiveness from our
Lord Jesus Christ. Behold, His holy image is before us and I am but a witness,
bearing testimony before Him of all that you shall say unto me. But if you
conceal anything from me, you shall have the greater sin. Take heed therefore,
that having come to the physician, you depart unhealed.
Penitent: I confess
to God, My Lord, and before you honourable Father, all my numerous transgressions,
which I have committed up until this hour by deed, by word, by thought. Every
day and every hour I commit a sin of ingratitude to God for His great and
numerous blessings to me and His all merciful care for me, a sinner.
The Penitent may say some or all of these … I have committed the sin of: -
gossiping, condemnation, disobedience, pride, unmerciful behaviour, envy,
anger, slander, thoughtlessness, negligence, carelessness, unconcern,
impertinence, irritability, depression,
repaying evil with evil, bitterness, grumbling, self-justifying, contradiction, arbitory behaviour, wilfulness,
reproaching, scandal talking, lying, laughing, temptation, haughtiness,
ambition, gluttony, over indulgence in food and drink, vanity, laziness,
acceptance of impure thoughts, excessive sleep, impure outlook, missing the
service of God because of laziness and carelessness, inattention at the prayer
in the church and at home by deed, by word, by thought,, by the senses of
sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch and my other senses, both spiritual and
bodily and I repent all my transgressions and ask for forgiveness.
The Priest
may question the penitent and / or the penitent may open his/ her heart unto
the Lord.
Penitent: I also
repent and ask forgiveness for everything that I did not confess because of
forgetfulness or lack of understanding. Forgive and relieve me, honourable
Father, and bless me to join the Holy and Life-Giving Mysteries of Jesus Christ,
to leave behind my sins and enter the eternal life.
Then the
priest lays his epitrakil upon the head of the
penitent saying:
Priest: Reconcile and unite this Thy child to Thy
Holy, Catholic and Apostolic Church, through Jesus Christ our Lord, to whom
with Thee are due dominion and majesty, + now and ever and unto the ages of
ages.
Penitent: Amen
*The Penitent
normally remains standing with bowed head, though some kneel. Finally the
priest, while saying the absolution, signs the penitent with the sign of the
Cross.
Priest: May our Lord
and God and Saviour Jesus Christ, by the grace and compassion and love for
mankind, forgive you, my child N. all
your transgressions,+,
and I, His unworthy priest N.
through the power vested in me, forgive and absolve you + of all your sins; in
the Name of the Father + and of the Son and of the Holy Spirit.
Penitent: Amen
*The penitent
then kisses the Gospel Book and the Cross and takes a blessing from the Priest.
* If
pressured for time, these prayers are compulsory. Vladika
Mark likes to use the Prophet Laban prayer if possible. The priest only says
the “Behold my child…” prayer once as he begins to hear a number of confessions,
Some say this outloud facing
the people then the penitents approach. Others say the prayer each time.
Краткая исповедь
пред Духовником
Иеповедаю Господу
Богу моему
и пред тобою, отче
честнный,
все мои
бесчисленные
прегрешения,
которые
я сотворил
(а) до настоящего
дня и часа:
делом, словом, помышлением.
Ежедневно
и ежечасно
согрешаю
неблагодарностью
к Богу за Его
великие
и бесчицленные
мне блогодеяния
и всеблагое
промышление
о мне грешном
(ой).
Согрешил(а): празднословием,
осуждением,
нонокорством,
гордостью,
немилосердием,
завистью,
гневом. оклеветаннем,
непадением,
небрежением,
беспечностью,
паздражительностью,
унынием, воздаянием
зла за
зло, ожесточением,
преслышанием,
ронтанием,
самооправданием,
прекословием,
самочинием,
своеволием,
укорением,
злоречием,
ложью, смехом, соблазном,
самолюбием,
честолюбнем,
чревоугодием,
излишеством
в пище и питье, тщеславием,
леностью,
принятием
нечистых
помыслов,
многоспанием,
нечистым
воззрением,
опущением
службы Божьей по лености
и небпежению,
рассеяностью
на молитве
церковной
и домашней
делом, слобом, помышлением,
зрением, слухом, обонянием,
вкусам, осязанием
и прочими
моими чувствами
душевными
и телецными,
во бсех
миих соргешениях
каюсь и прошу прощения.
Здесь нужно
сказть и иные грехи,
есле имеешь
что лидо
особенное
на душе.
Еще каюсб
и прошу прощения во всем
том, что
по неразумию
не исповдл(а),
Прости и разреши мя, отче
честиый,
и благослови
приобщнться
Святых и Животворящих
Христовых
Тайн во
оставление
грехов и жизнь вечную.