Akathist of Repentance
Through the prayers of our holy fathers, O Lord Jesus Christ our God, have mercy on us. Amen.
Glory to Thee, our God, glory to Thee.
O Heavenly King, Comforter, Spirit of Truth, who art everywhere present and fillest all things with Thy grace, Treasury of good things and Giver of life: come and abide in us, and cleanse us from every stain, and save our souls, O Good One.
Holy God, Holy Mighty, Holy Immortal, have mercy on us (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.
O Most Holy Trinity, have mercy on us. O Lord, deliver us and release us from our sins; O Master, pardon our iniquities; O Holy One, visit and heal our infirmities, for Thy name’s sake.
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.
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 debts, as we forgive our debtors; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen.
O holy Master and Lord, my God, our heavenly Father, long-suffering and most merciful! Before the all-holy icon of Thy Son I entreat Thee with tears of repentance, from the depth of my wretched soul defiled by my many sins, with a sorrowful heart: O Lord my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O Creator of the angels and of all things visible and invisible, Giver of our life, to Thee I flee with prayer and supplication for the forgiveness of my sins: O my God, my God, hear the prayer and lament of my soul and save me! I am wholly buried in sins, my soul abideth in infirmities, and my heart is full of evil thoughts. As with a spider’s web, my whole being is entangled by evil spirits. Weep, O my soul, and lament, and with sorrow cry to the Lord my God: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O most merciful Jesus, help me and make me worthy to offer my prayer to Thee without condemnation; open my lips and cleanse my heart of evil thoughts, that I may cry to Thee with joy: Alleluia.
Jesus, Son of God, forgive and have mercy on me, the prodigal. Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, who walk in darkness and see not the light of truth. Jesus, my Saviour, have mercy on me, the breaker of Thy commandments. Jesus, my all-good Shepherd, save me, who have spent all my life in sloth and sins. Jesus, Son of God, save me, for my heart is wholly drowned in earthly vanities. Most merciful Jesus, have mercy on me, sunk in crafty and evil thoughts. O God of my heart, hear me as I cry to Thee: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
Jesus, Son of God, grant me grace-filled strength, that I may not fear the evil deeds of this life, but follow Thy way with repentance and humility and cry to Thee: Alleluia.
O Lord my God, I know that by shameful deeds I have defiled my soul, darkened by vanities. And as Thou didst bid the blind man receive his sight, help me also to see again after my sins, that I may behold the wisdom of Thy glory. O my merciful God, Thou knockest at the door of the temple of my defiled heart: help me to open it to Thy voice, that I may be cleansed by tears of repentance. O God my Saviour, behold my weakness and forgive me all my iniquity. O God, O God my Saviour, holy Sun who enlightenest us sinners by Thy mercy, hear my voice: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
Behold, I come to Thee, Jesus, Son of God, and falling down before Thy holy icon I glorify Thy long-suffering, which Thou showest towards me a sinner, singing to Thee the hymn of praise: Alleluia.
O God, our merciful Father, I alone have sinned before Thee; I am not worthy to look up to the height of Thy glory. O my soul, why sleepest thou, why art thou drowning in sins? Cry to the Lord with repentance: O God, cleanse me, a sinner, and have mercy on me by Thy boundless mercy. I know, O Lord, that a pure prayer cannot rise from a muddy spring; but Thou art long-suffering and most merciful, the ever-existing true Light, almighty and all-powerful, the Sun of righteousness who enlightenest the whole world and us sinners; Thou art the Beginning without beginning, the Creator of all that is; Thou art the Wisdom that filleth our hearts with joy. Hear me; I cry to Thee, my Lord: have mercy on me. On this day, gladdened by hope in Thy mercies, I make bold to ask Thee: hear the lament of my soul as it crieth to Thee: O God our Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
Jesus, Son of God, make me worthy to love Thee with all my heart and all my mind and all my soul, and give me understanding to do Thy holy will without guile, that I may sing to Thee with compunction: Alleluia.
O merciful God, make me worthy to weep bitterly for my sins; grant me tears of repentance, O long-suffering God; touch my wretched soul, that I may repent of my wrongdoings. My eyes have lost their virgin purity and are covered with the wounds of my sins. O God, touch my eyes, that I may not see the vanities of the earth; my ears are defiled by the stench of the words of human folly: send me a guardian angel to touch them and cleanse them, that I may hear Thy voice. Weep, O my soul, for thy sins: the end of life is near and the time of repentance is come. Weep, weep, lament and pray, that my long-suffering and most merciful God may hear thee and have mercy on thee. O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
I have gone astray, O Lord, and turned aside from the way of truth, and I am drowned in my sins; send me a guardian angel to lead me in the way of salvation, that I may sing to Thee with joy: Alleluia.
O Lord Jesus Christ, Thou art the Giver of our food, drink and clothing, of temperate weather, of an abundance of the fruits of the earth and of peaceful times; but I abide in guile and pride, not remembering these Thy mercies; I have done nothing good on this earth, and when I die I shall take nothing with me but my evil deeds; and how much envy, slander, injustice, gluttony, adultery, sloth, lawlessness and much, much other evil I have done in my life! Where are thy good deeds, O my soul? O God my Saviour, behold the sorrows of my soul, and as the father forgave his prodigal son, so do Thou forgive my sins, voluntary and involuntary; and as Thou didst have mercy on the harlot and forgive the thief in the last hour, so forgive me also and have mercy on me, who fall down before Thee with tears of repentance, not daring to look upon Thine icon, and cry to Thee: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
I abide in sloth and have forgotten Thy commandment, by which the seventh day is to be given to Thee. I do not go to the holy temple, where Thou art invisibly present among those who pray, O Lord our God, and at the time of my prayer my heart was far from Thee. The evil spirit hath blinded my eyes, defiled my ears and heart and seized my mind. Weep, O my soul, for my sins; weep!
O God, bountiful in love and most merciful, behold the sorrow of my soul and forgive me all my sins; strengthen me and give me understanding never to forget all Thy mercies; make me worthy to pray to Thee with a pure heart, and take not my guardian angel from me, that he may keep me from the wiles of the evil one, and that I may glorify Thy holy name.
O God my Saviour, Physician of my soul and body, Thou teachest us to repent of our sins and to be strengthened in Thy mercies. I am poor and needy, and my tongue cleaveth to my palate; but hear me, O most merciful God, and deliver me from the temptations of the evil spirit; forgive me the malice of my heart, for the sorrows of my heart are multiplied, that I may cry to Thee like the publican: God, be merciful to me a sinner. Jesus, Son of God, cleanse and heal my sick soul, which crieth to Thee. O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O incomprehensible depth, riches of wisdom and mercy! How incomprehensible, O Lord, is Thy providence! Cleanse me also, faint-hearted and of little faith, with the light of truth, that from the depth of my soul I may sing to Thee: Alleluia.
Jesus, bounty of love, who didst endure sufferings for us sinners, have mercy on me, who have crucified Thee by my sins. I know, O Lord, that the apostles and prophets of God have shown us the way of life; but I abode in guile; having ears to hear, I did not hear… Have mercy on me, O God, who have many times repented of my sins on the evil road. Jesus, Son of God, who hast granted us the joy of communion in Thy holy Mysteries, grant it to me also; Jesus, Son of God, hear me as I cry to Thee in the sorrow of my heart: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O Lord my God, I see Thy bridal chamber, but I have no holy garment to enter it; open to me the doors of repentance, O my Saviour, cleanse the garment of my sinful soul and save me, that in repentance of heart I may cry to Thee: Alleluia.
Jesus, our joy, have mercy on me. Jesus, Son of God, who didst show Thy glory to Thy disciples on Mount Tabor, make Thine unsetting light shine in my soul. In the garden of Gethsemane Thou didst pray with fervent prayer: Jesus, Son of God, teach me also to pray; Jesus, Son of God, teach me also to pray to Thee. Jesus, Son of God, grant me the humility and faith of the holy patriarch Abraham. Jesus, Son of God, hear the voice of Thy sinful servant (handmaid) crying to Thee: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
Jesus my God, Thou didst raise the righteous Lazarus from death; raise me also from the abyss of my sins. As Thou didst bid the dead Lazarus come forth from the cave of death, bid me also, O Lord, come forth from the cave of my sins and iniquities, that the light of truth may shine in my soul and joy in my heart, and I may cry to Thee: Alleluia.
Jesus, Son of God, I have sinned against Thee, the long-suffering and most merciful, and have spent all my life in evil before Thee. Now, weeping for my sins like the holy prophet David, I cry to Thee: Have mercy on me, O God, according to Thy great mercy, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions blot out my iniquities. I know, O Lord, that faith without works is dead, and I have no good works, and my soul is full of sorrow; but Thou hast said: Blessed are they that mourn, for they shall be comforted… O merciful God, help me and teach me to mourn for my sins, and hear me as I cry to Thee: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O Lord, Thou hast said: Love your enemies, bless them that curse you, do good to them that hate you, and pray for them which despitefully use you and persecute you, that ye may be the children of your Father which is in heaven. O God my Saviour, help me to love my neighbours and all that Thy hands have made in wisdom, and from the depth of my soul to sing glory to Thee: Alleluia.
Jesus, Son of God, forgive me all wherein I have sinned against Thee from my youth, in word or deed, knowingly or in ignorance. O Lord, save the godly, and hear me also, Thy most sinful and unworthy servant (handmaid), and deprive me not of Thy mercies, in the name of the Father and the Son and Thy Holy Spirit. Jesus, good Comforter, have mercy on me. Jesus, my joy, hear me, and let my heart rejoice. Jesus, Son of God, take not my guardian angel from me, and send me Thy Holy Spirit. O God, who art everywhere and canst do all things, calm my sorrow and hear the voice of one who crieth to Thee: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
Buried in my sins, I cling to Thy holy feet, O Lord, crying to Thee: wash me with tears of repentance and cleanse me; grant me the joy of Thy mercy, and let my heart, broken by many sins, be magnified; create a clean heart in me, O my God, that with joy, by the Holy Spirit, I may cry to Thee: Alleluia.
Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, who have spent all my life in double-mindedness and pride of heart; Jesus, Son of God, have mercy on me, who in my boldness have killed every gift Thou gavest me from my birth. Jesus, our Wisdom, have mercy on me, who have not known Thy wisdom, so as to love Thee and to confess Thy commandments to my kin and my neighbours. O with what tears shall I wash away the affliction and sorrow of my heart? O Lord, as Thou hearest the prayer of repentant sinners, hear me also, as I cry to Thee in the sorrows of my heart: O God my Saviour, help me to wash my sinful soul with tears of repentance!
O Lord my God, Saviour of my soul, Thou didst grant me the beginning of life, that with joy and a pure heart I might do Thy holy will; but from my youth I have turned aside by every sin from the way of truth, and like a lost sheep I walk in sorrow. On this day with a weeping heart I fall at Thy holy feet and cry to Thee: My God, my God, hear and despise not my prayers, and forgive me the infirmities of my soul; give me understanding, O Lord, to know Thy holy wisdom, and establish me, of little faith and wicked, in Thy holy faith; make me worthy to understand Thy commandments with all my heart and all my soul, to fulfil them without double-mindedness and to do Thy holy will; incline not my heart to words and thoughts of wickedness, and give me understanding to see and not to forget all my sins and all Thy gifts. Bless my labour and the sorrows of my toilsome days for the guarding of my heart, and send down upon me the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, that I may be comforted, that my soul, bowed down by sins and sorrows, may be made straight, and that with a contrite heart I may cry to Thee: Alleluia.
O my soul, weep and lament for thy sins, that thou mayest be washed with tears of repentance. Have mercy on me, O Jesus Christ our God, who art everywhere and canst do all things, according to Thy great mercy. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me, for Thou art our God and we are Thy people: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
(This we say thrice on bended knees, then Ikos 1 and Kontakion 1.)
O God my Saviour, Thou art the fountain of life and immortality; Thou didst love us with Thy great divine love before I was brought into being. Our Lord Jesus Christ offered Himself in sacrifice, endured sufferings by crucifixion and shed His holy blood for the sins of the world. O God, our merciful Father, make all, and me also, worthy to know and not to forget the mystery of this great love of Thine and of Thine only-begotten Son. O how many times have I insulted and grieved Thee, my Lord, by my loathsome deeds and thoughts; in my wickedness I did not remember the mercies and compassions Thou hast shown me. I am buried in sins, yet every hour Thou grantest me Thy mercy: bread, water, fruits, temperate air, warmth and joy of heart; and when my broken soul riseth up to Thee, when I am overcome by sins as by the waves of the sea, before whom else shall I fall down? O Lord, to whom shall I cry? To whom shall I turn my gaze and my prayer for my sins, if not to Thee, O Lord my God? Again I fall; but disregard not, because of my weaknesses, my soul that repenteth and yet ever abideth in sins. O Lord, Lord, with what tears shall I offer Thee thanksgiving for Thy mercies, what praise shall I sing to Thee! Thou art my life, my joy and my eternal love; but when I depart from Thee, darkness encompasseth me, a sorrow that leadeth to death filleth my heart, and my soul grieveth. O God my Saviour! Jesus, Son of God, make me worthy to know Thy holy love again, and send down upon me the grace of Thy Holy Spirit, to set me, of little faith and faint of heart, on the way of salvation: teach me, a sinner, to do Thy will with humility and love; burn up my evil thoughts in the fire of long-suffering, and as iron in the furnace heat my heart, renew it and cleanse it from my sins, that I may sing to Thee with joy: Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia.
