“I confess to Thee, O Savior, the sins I have committed, the wounds of my soul and body, which murderous thoughts, like thieves, have inflicted inwardly upon me.”
—A Stichera from the First Ode of the Great Canon of Repentance by St. Andrew of Crete
Every commandment I have broken. Every sin that has passed from my heart to the world has uncovered yet another, deeper, deformity of which I am capable. I have proven that sin is alive, and thrives in the souls of those who rebel against God. Who hate Him for who He is. That I am not Him. That I am not the God I believe that I am.
All of this I lay before you. All that I am I expose to You.
Scourge my flesh. Mock me. Humiliate me. Strip me. Spit on me. Nail me to the cross with you, My God. Let me share in Your suffering. Your pain that I caused. Your anguish I created.
My Lord, please have mercy. Please forgive me.
