The Canon of Repentence is one of three canons prescribed for the faithful before receiving the Eucharist in the Eastern Churches. Canons have eight odes, except for those during the Lenten period. Canons normally start with the usual introductory prayers.
The Canon of Repentance
Introductory Prayers
O God, be merciful to me, a sinner. (Bow)
O God, cleanse me of my sins, and have mercy on me.
(Bow)
O Lord forgive me for I have sinned without number.
(Bow)
O most Holy Theotokos, have mercy on me, (Bow)
My guardian Angel, protect me from all harm. (Bow)
Holy Apostles pray to God for me. (Bow)
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus
Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to You, our God, glory to You.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth,
everywhere present and filling all things, Treasury of
Blessings and Giver of Life, come and dwell within us,
cleanse us of all stain, and save our souls, O Gracious
Lord.
Holy God, Holy and Mighty, Holy and Immortal, have
mercy on us. (3x)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and ever and forever, Amen.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, cleanse
us of all stain; O Master, forgive our transgression; O
Holy One, come and heal our infirmities, for Your
name’s sake.
Lord, have mercy. (Thrice)
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and ever and forever. Amen.
Our Father, Who art in the heavens, hallowed be Your
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 the evil.
Lord, have mercy. (Twelve times)
O Come, let us adore the King our God. (Bow)
O Come, let us adore, Christ the King and our God.
(Bow)
O Come, let us adore and fall down before Christ, our
King and God. (Bow)
Canon
Ode I
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.
Now I, a burdened sinner, have approached
You, my Lord and God. But I dare not raise my eyes to You.
Heaven. I only pray, saying: Give me, O Lord,
understanding, that I may 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 repentance in me. Give me, O Lord, tears,
that I may 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 forever. Amen.
O 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.
Ode III
There is none holy as You, O Lord my God, Who
have exalted the horn of Your faithful, O Good One, and
have strengthened us on the rock of Your confession.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
When the thrones are set at the dread
judgment, then the deeds of all men shall be laid bare.
There will be woe for sinners being 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. Wherefore, before the end, 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 teardrop do I have,
because of my hard-heartedness. But now rise from the
earth, my soul, and repent of your evil deeds.
Both now and ever, and forever. Amen.
Behold, Your Son calls, O Lady, and directs
us what is good. Yet I, a sinner, I always flee from the
good. But do You, O merciful one, have mercy on me,
that I may repent of my evil deeds.
Sessional Hymn
I think of the terrible day and weep over my evil deeds.
How shall I answer the Immortal King? With what
boldness shall I, a prodigal, look at the Judge? O
compassionate Father, O 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 forever. Amen.
Bound now with many fetters of sins, and
inhibited by cruel passions, I flee unto You, my
salvation, and cry aloud: Help me, O Virgin, Mother of
God.
Ode IV
Christ is my power, my God and my Lord, does
the holy august Church divinely sing in godly fashion
and she does cry out with a pure mind, keeping festival
in the Lord.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Broad is the way here and convenient for
indulging in pleasures, but how bitter it will be on the
last day when the soul is separated from the body!
Beware of these things, O man, for the sake of the
Kingdom of God.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Why do you wrong the poor man? Why do you
withhold the wage of the hired servant? Why do you
not love your brother? Why do you pursue lust and
pride? Therefore, abandon 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 mindless man! How long will you busy yourself like a
bee, collecting your wealth? For it will soon perish like
dust and ashes. But seek rather the Kingdom of God.
Both now and ever, and forever. Amen.
O Theotokos, have mercy on me, a sinner and strengthen and keep me in virtue, lest sudden death snatch me away unprepared. And bring
me, O Virgin, to the Kingdom of God.
Ode V
With Your divine light, O Good One, illumine the
souls of them that rise early to pray to You with love, I
pray, that they may know You, 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.
Remember, wretched man, how you are
enslaved to lies, calumnies, theft, infirmities, wild
beasts, on account of 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 done
wrong: with my eyes in looking, with my ears in hearing,
with my tongue in speaking evil, and by surrendering
the whole of myself to Gehenna. O my sinful soul, is
that what You have desired?
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit.
You did receive the prodigal and the thief who
repented, O Savior, 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 forever. Amen.
Wonderful and speedy helper of all men,
help me. Mother of God, unworthy as I am, for my
sinful soul has desired that.
Ode VI
Beholding the sea of life surging with the
tempest of temptations, I run to Your calm haven, and
cry unto You: Raise up my life from corruption, O
Greatly-merciful One.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
I have lived my life wantonly on earth and
have delivered my soul to darkness. But now I implore
You, O merciful Lord, free me from this work of the
enemy and give me the knowledge to do Your will.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy m me.
Who does such things as I do? For just like a swine lying
in the mud, so do I serve sin. But do You, O Lord, pull
me out of this vileness and give me the heart to do Your
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 forever. Amen.
O Virgin Mother of God, protect me from
evil visible and invisible, O Immaculate One, and accept
my prayers and convey them to Your Son, that He may
grant me the mind to do His will.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit, now and ever, and to 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?
Cease from these things and turn to God with weeping,
and cry out: O Kind-hearted Lord, have mercy on me, a
sinner.
Ekos
Think, my soul, of the bitter hour of death and the
judgment day 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.
Ode VII
An Angel made the furnace sprinkle dew on the
righteous youths. But the command of God consumed
the Chaldeans and prevailed upon the tyrant to cry:
Blessed are You, O God of our fathers.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Put not your hope, my soul, in corruptible
wealth, and for what is unjustly collected. For you do
not know to whom you will leave it all. But cry aloud: O
Christ our God, have mercy on me, who am unworthy.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Trust not, my soul, in health of body and 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 forever. Amen.
Fall down, my soul, before the Mother of
God, and pray to her; for she is the quick helper of
those that repent. She entreated the Son, Christ God,
and has mercy on me the unworthy.
Ode VIII
From the flame You did sprinkle dew upon the
Saints, and did burn the sacrifice of a righteous man
which was sprinkled with water. For You alone, O Christ,
do all as You will. You we exalt unto all ages.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
How shall I not weep when I think of death?
For I have seen my brother in his coffin, without glory or
comeliness. What, then, am I to expect? And what do I
hope for? Only grant me, O Lord, repentance before the
end.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
How shall I not weep when I think of death? For I have
seen my brother in his coffin, without glory or
comeliness. What, then, am I to expect? And what do I
hope for? Only grant me, O Lord, repentance before the
end.
Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy
Spirit.
I believe that You will come to judge the living and the
dead, and that 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 the end.
Both now and ever, and forever. Amen.
O most pure Theotokos, accept my
unworthy prayer and preserve me from sudden death;
and grant me repentance before the end.
Ode IX
It is not possible for men to see God, on Whom
the ranks of Angels dare not gaze; but through You, O
all-pure one, appeared the Word Incarnate to men,
Whom magnifying with the heavenly hosts we call You
blessed.
Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.
Now I flee unto to you, you Angels,
Archangels, and all the heavenly hosts who stand at the
throne of God: pray to your Creator that He may deliver
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 hierarchs, and all the elect
of Christ: 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 ones 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 forever. Amen.
O Mother of God, help me who have strong
hope in You; implore Your 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
O Master Christ God, Who have healed my passions
through Your Passion, and have cured my wounds
through Your wounds, grant me, who have sinned
greatly against You, tears of compunction. Transform
my body with the fragrance of Your life-giving Body, and
sweeten my soul with Your precious Blood from the
bitterness with which the foe has fed me. Lift up my
down-cast mind to You, 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 You in
pain. I cannot warm myself with tears of love for You.
But, O Sovereign Lord Jesus Christ, Treasury of good
things, give me thorough repentance and a diligent
heart to seek You; grant me Your grace, and renew in
me the likeness of Your image. I have forsaken You – do
then not forsake me! Come out to seek me; lead me up
to Your pasturage and number me among the lambs of
Your chosen flock. Nourish me with them on the grass
of Your Holy Mysteries, through the intercessions of
Your most pure Mother and all Your saints. Amen.
Conclude with the usual ending prayers.
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This prayer is strictly for personal devotional use. It
has not been approved by liturgical authorities.
This Akathist was adopted from
http://pomog.org/canon-of-repentance-to-our-lordjesus-christ-en/
to whom we are vastly indebted. Any
errors can be attributed to the editor.
Mark Koscinski CPA D.Litt. 