Abortion - a sin or not and can it be redeemed?
One common belief is that the basis of life lies in conception . However, neither medicine, nor the Bible, nor various religions, nor legal traditions support this position. Some early clergy (for example, Tertullian) showed their negative attitude towards abortion. At the same time, in early Christianity, it seems, abortion was not mistaken for murder.
Catholic theologian Thomas Aquinas noted in the 13th century that the soul enters the body of a boy 40 days after conception and 80 days later into the body of girls . This formed the basis of church doctrine that was followed for many centuries - abortion was not considered a mortal sin.
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The decree of Pope Pius IX, issued in 1869, gives rise to a new belief - life begins at conception . It contains a provision that anyone who terminates a pregnancy at any stage will receive punishment - he will be excommunicated from the church.
In English common law, abortions were allowed until "revival", that is, until the first movements of the fetus were detected, this is approximately until the 5th month. Likewise, there was no significant regulation of this issue in the United States until the mid-1800s. Around 1900, the first laws regarding the topic of abortion began to appear, but the main reasons were the possibility of injury and death as a result of the practice of unskilled doctors, as well as the fight between rival factions over who would have the right to control the practice of medicine.
Is abortion considered a sin? Yes . His sin is that an unborn child is killed by its mother. But he is completely defenseless and cannot prevent this in any way. These are terrible pictures when a child dies without ever getting the opportunity to see this world, and will never be able to do this again. Moreover, conceiving a child is a gift from God. Therefore, killing a fetus becomes a sin that can be compared to taking the life of a person who has already been born.
Abortion becomes a heavy burden that falls on women's shoulders. Quite often it is said that their mothers dream of murdered unborn children. Meanwhile, women, after some time, come to the conclusion that if they had the opportunity to act differently at the decisive moment, they would not agree to an abortion.
This sin requires atonement .
Children have a pure soul, killing them is a terrible crime. Only sincere repentance will allow you to take the path of redemption.
Abortion of children is a grave sin
According to statistics, only every third pregnancy ends in childbirth. Often young girls are not ready to have a child due to life circumstances - they are not married, they do not have their own home, money, or a career is in the foreground.
In modern times, abortion has become a standard medical service. In past centuries, termination of pregnancy was treated differently throughout the world.
Historical reference
In Ancient Greece and Rome, abortion was legal and not prosecuted unless instigated to harm the family. Women have terminated pregnancies using plant extracts that cause spasms and miscarriage.
Under Emperor Augustus, the demographic situation in the Roman Empire worsened. The country needed warriors. Therefore, restrictions were introduced for single citizens and a ban on abortion.
With the spread of Christian teaching, a negative attitude towards the deliberate removal of a fetus developed under the influence of morality, and not from the point of view of benefit to society. In the Middle Ages, abortion began to be considered a crime. In Europe, the murder of an unborn child was punishable by death, but then the sentence was commuted to hard labor and prison. Doctors and patients were threatened with punishment.
Consequences
Abortion deals a heavy blow to a woman’s body and psyche:
- the menstrual cycle is disrupted, “unscheduled” bleeding occurs more often;
- the risk of developing diseases of the reproductive system and ectopic pregnancies increases;
- Immunity decreases and hormonal balance is disrupted, which leads to depression.
Termination of pregnancy always has consequences, even several years after the operation. The most common is the inability to get pregnant again. It is this “side effect” that becomes retribution for the sins of youth, forcing us to remember that children are a gift from God.
Priest's opinion
The immutable truths that debunk prejudices and false speculations are the first commandment, “Be fruitful and multiply,” and the sixth commandment, “Thou shalt not kill.” The life of a child begins from the moment of fertilization.
A new soul must come into the world according to the law established by God. But man goes against His Will and destroys the vessel prepared for the new soul.
The rise of material goods over spiritual ones and the cultivation of a consumerist attitude towards life led to the fact that people began to benefit from abortions. In past centuries, peasants had to work hard to feed a large family. Abortion allows you to escape responsibility and continue to live in vice.
There are situations when pregnancy threatens a woman’s health or it ends in a premature involuntary miscarriage. Some priests oppose abortion even in this case. In other parishes, it is practiced to assign a penitential prayer rule without excommunication from the Eucharist. But this is how things stand if a woman is a church member and has consulted with her confessor.
The decision to have an abortion seems simple and logical to a person far from religious and social debates. This possibility is even associated with the progress of science and technology. But after the procedure, it is not relief that comes, but emptiness and a feeling of guilt.
The surging depression can be attributed to those same physiological consequences, hormonal imbalance. But it is so difficult to fight it that even non-believing women go to church and confess.
Public opinion
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Along with the position of the church, some activists who proclaim the ability to choose have a different opinion. They accept a woman's right to terminate a pregnancy as part of her right to make her own choice, free from any legal restrictions. In addition, abortion does not have any fundamental differences in comparison with other forms of birth control.
If abortion is allowed at the legislative level, then this is not coercion to resort to it, activists say. At the same time, their position does not take into account the fact that most of the adopted legislative acts arose as a result of moral problems, and there is a fairly long history of how moral opposition to abortion and regulation of its practice at the legislative level.
You can light candles for the repose of aborted children, but in an informal manner
Orthodox publicist Sergei Khudiev speaks about it this way:
“Our relationship with God is personal, not formal.
In prayer, you can ask him for anything - in the Holy Scriptures, God calls himself the Father, the one to whom you can turn with deep trust.
As the Holy Apostle Paul says, “Because you did not receive the spirit of slavery [to] again [live] in fear, but you received the Spirit of adoption as sons, by whom we cry: “Abba, Father!” (Rom.8:15).
Sergey Khudiev
journalist
The word “Abba”, which the Apostle uses here, means a very close, family appeal of a native child to the Father, like the Russian “papa” or even “father”.
God is not a formalist; if you turn to Him with a heartfelt request, He will hear it. Therefore, if you are concerned about the eternal fate of the baby, you, of course, can pray to God for him.”
Attitude of Christianity today
The first argument of Christianity's position on abortion:
- regarding rape situations;
- incest.
A baby who was conceived due to the above reasons can be given up for adoption to a loving family that cannot have a child themselves . Also, a child can be raised by his mother. After all, in fact, nothing is his fault, so why should he be held responsible for the bad actions of his male parent?
The second argument follows from a frequently asked question regarding the risk to the mother’s life and the possibility of having an abortion procedure to save her. It is quite difficult to answer this question. First, you need to remember that this situation happens quite rarely (less than 0.1% of cases). At the same time, most women resort to abortion not to save themselves, but to create convenience for themselves.
Secondly, God will be able to save the life of a woman and her child, regardless of medical diagnoses . Ultimately, the solution to the problem depends on the man, the woman and the Lord. A couple facing this difficulty should pray to God for wisdom (James 1:5) regarding what He wanted them to do.
About the author About the book
More than 95% of abortions are performed by those representatives of the fair sex who simply do not want to have children. Less than 5% are cases based on rape, miscegenation or poor maternal health. However, even for such reasons, you should not put termination of pregnancy in the first place, you should not consider this as the only way out of the situation. A person already lives in the womb, and it is worth it to give him the opportunity to be born.
Christian believers, along with society, do not have a clear position. There is no single decision in which cases abortion is permissible.
Surveys of the population were conducted regarding their attitude towards abortion. The results look like this:
- 28% support the legalization of abortion, regardless of the reasons that led to it;
- 17% support the position that abortion is illegal regardless of the circumstances;
- 54% say that abortion should be allowed for a certain list of reasons.
What else is needed to atone for a terrible sin?
In addition to prayer, a woman can receive forgiveness through good deeds:
- do charity work, help children in orphanages and young mothers who find themselves without money and housing;
- participate in volunteer programs to disseminate information about the dangers of abortion;
- become a helpline consultant and provide moral support;
- pray every day for all women who have had or are planning to have an abortion;
- raise children born in piety in order to protect them from mistakes.
The sin of abortion divides life into two parts and often entails loneliness and difficulties in communicating with family and others. Prayer and participation in the life of the church parish will help overcome despondency and grief and come to the rescue if a woman or girl with a similar problem appears among the parishioners. Attentiveness, goodwill and timely advice will save not one, but two lives - the child’s and the mother’s.
The dangers of abortion for women's health
Unfortunately, the awareness of the female population about abortion is quite low. As a rule, it is limited to the knowledge that termination of pregnancy is based on suction or curettage of the fetus. However, not everyone is aware that abortion is one of the common causes of female death.
Termination of pregnancy has a strong negative impact on a woman’s health, since from the first days of pregnancy the body begins to undergo restructuring, in particular this applies to both the nervous and hormonal systems. As a result, abortion entails severe hormonal imbalances and nervous breakdowns that affect the entire body. In turn, hormonal imbalances can lead to disturbances in reproductive function and the menstrual cycle. With each abortion, the chances of conceiving and carrying a child drop rapidly . In addition, there is a risk that inflammatory processes in the genital organs will worsen.
Menstrual irregularities may consist in the fact that menstrual flow begins to occur less and less often and be scanty, or, conversely, to come more often and abundantly. Also, menstruation may stop altogether or cause uterine bleeding. The period of menstrual bleeding can become much more painful . Approximately 12% of women who had an abortion experienced such negative consequences. Most often they are the result of curettage.
The negative consequences of abortion also affect the development of thyroid diseases, which also affects the entire body.
The adrenal glands also suffer from abortions - metabolism is disrupted, the production of male hormones begins in larger quantities, which can be seen both at the external and psychological levels (in particular, the woman will become unstable to stress) levels.
The pituitary gland is also susceptible to the negative influence of abortion, and this can lead to disruption of the reproductive system and infertility.
A greater degree of dangerous consequences of termination of pregnancy is typical for women who do not have children . Since with the onset of pregnancy the female body begins to rebuild, the reverse process may not follow immediately. If an abortion is performed by a woman who has already given birth, the reversal may take three to four months. At the same time, a woman who has not given birth will need a year, or even more.
Also, in 25 out of 100 cases, abortion during the first pregnancy results in infertility . With this in mind, it is very important to carefully select the clinic where the abortion will take place.
The rule of Schema-nun Antonia is not Orthodox practice
Literature on how to pray for aborted children, baptize them and give them a name has become popular on the Internet. These tips have nothing in common with the Orthodox tradition. Priest Maxim Obukhov sharply criticized the ideas set out in the “Rule”.
He reminds how to atone for sin for aborted children - to confess and perform penance. But the schema-nun’s formulations like “Lord, have mercy on my children who died in my womb,” from his point of view, are doubtful.
As Priest Obukhov notes, a sinner guilty of terminating a pregnancy should seek mercy and think about how to atone for the sin for aborted children, but not beg for babies.
That is, formally this is a Christian prayer, but not accepted by the Orthodox tradition.
Opinion of an Orthodox priest on the Rule of Schema-nun Anthony
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Prayer before abortion
The conspiracy can relieve psychological stress, ensure a successful abortion, and free one from negative karma.
Forgive me, Lord, for my actions. Forgive me and, my fruit, that you will not become a man. You will not have your own destiny and your soul will not be able to incarnate in you.
Lord, be my witness during this medical act and save me from severe moral and physical complications and consequences after this. Protect me from the judgment of people and the discontent of loved ones and give me the opportunity to become a mother another time, when I am ready for this and when circumstances are favorable to me. And now I am going for an abortion and doing it consciously, so as not to cripple the life of either myself or my potential child, since now is not the time for me to give birth.
Take this guilt away from me, Lord, and spare the one who caused my pregnancy and abortion. Make it so, Lord, that he and I will feel good and calm in the future, so that over time we can afford to give birth to a healthy and strong baby. Our destinies and the threads of time are in your hands. Save us from illnesses, troubles, mistakes and evil. Make us happy and forgive...
Khantaa ular.
God protects the life of the unborn child and the mother alike
The Bible says that if a child is born before a certain time, but there is no other harm, the people who started the quarrel and hit the pregnant woman must pay damages because they interrupted the normal development of the fetus. If “other harm” is caused, they must pay accordingly. What other harm could there be? This may be the loss of life of the fetus or the mother, or even both. In any of these cases, the quarreling people had to pay with their lives, the death penalty would be applicable, even if the murder they committed was not premeditated. Abortion is premeditated murder and the killers deserve death far more. But people today have begun to believe the lies that are often repeated on television, in newspapers, magazines, etc., that the fetus does not yet have life, is not a person, is not a person, etc. God categorically states in the Bible that...
Prayer of a girl who had an abortion
There are several prayers that women can recite after an abortion.
A woman’s prayer for the souls lost in her womb:
Remember, O Lord who loves mankind, the souls of Your departed servants, the infants who in the womb of Orthodox mothers died accidentally from unknown actions, or from a difficult birth, or from some carelessness, or who were deliberately ruined and therefore did not receive Holy Baptism. Baptize them, O Lord, in the sea of Thy bounty and save with Thy ineffable grace, and forgive me, a sinner (name), who committed the murder of the baby in my womb and do not deprive Thy mercy. Amen.
Prayer to the Blessed Virgin Mary:
Open the doors of mercy to us, Blessed Mother of God, who hope in You, so that we may not perish, but may we be delivered from troubles by You, for You are the salvation of the Christian race. Rejoice, One Most Pure Mother of the One Creator, Lord, God and Savior of ours, Jesus Christ! Be my Intercessor on the day of the terrible trial, when I appear before the Throne of the Unfeigned Judge, so that I may be delivered from the fiery punishment of torment through Your prayers, O Blessed One. Most Holy Theotokos, save us!
Appeals to the Lord:
O Master, Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God! Much of Your goodness, for our sake and for our salvation, man was clothed in flesh, and crucified, and buried, and with Your Blood renewing our corrupted nature, accept my repentance for sins and hear my words: I have sinned, O Lord, in Heaven and before You, in a word , deed, soul and body, and thoughts of my mind. I transgressed Your commandments, did not listen to Your commandment, angered Your goodness, my God, but as Your creation exists, I do not despair of salvation, but boldly come to Your immeasurable Compassion and pray to You: Lord! in repentance, give me a contrite heart and accept me as I pray and give me a good thought, give me tears of tenderness, Lord, let me, by Thy grace, make a good beginning. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me who has fallen, and remember me, Thy sinful servant, in Thy Kingdom, now and ever and unto ages of ages. Amen.
- Prayer for murdered babies;
- Read here a prayer for the birth of a healthy child;
- The 10 commandments of God and the 7 deadly sins - https://bogolub.info/10-zapovedej-i-7-grexov/.
Akathist text
The Akathist of the Repentant Wives who killed their babies in the womb is an alternative to the lifelong reading of the rule of nun Antonia. The prayers are compiled for repentant women and are intended only for home reading.
Kontakion 1
Lamb of God, take away the sins of the world, hear my groaning and take in the sorrows of my heart, take my heavy burden of sin, bear our infirmities, accept in repentance I fall to You, praying and crying from the depths of my soul:
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Ikos 1
God and Lord! Yours is a creation, but alas for me, Adam’s sin committed in paradise lives in me and in my body, and like a slave I always work diligently for him, but now I pray to You:
Have mercy on me, Creator of the heavenly world; have mercy on me, Creator of the earthly nature.
Have mercy on me, Lord of the Heavenly Powers; Have mercy on me, Ruler of bodily creatures.
Have mercy on me, Provider of all; Have mercy on me, bringing my tears for my sins to You.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 2
All-Merciful Master, how dare such a vile sinner come to You with my prayer, who has transgressed Your commandment, which You commanded me through Your prophet Moses: Thou shalt not kill, for I am a murderer, and alas, a hundred times crueller, of a serpentine disposition, who, although for a short time she allows her children to see the light, then she devours them, but she, the accursed one, mercilessly deprived her children of not only the sensual, but especially the true Light, our Lord Jesus Christ, through the Sacrament of Baptism, illuminating; and for the sake of temporary bodily peace, avoiding many children, she killed while still in her womb. And therefore, I, darkened by these and many countless sins, hope only for the mercy of Your mercy, and with boldness I call to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 2
I have despised the words of Your life, O Lord, and walked according to the will of my heart, from my very youth even to this day, but now in repentance I call upon You, my All-Bountiful Savior:
Have mercy on me, who was conceived in iniquity; have mercy on me, born in sins.
Have mercy on me, who have not kept Your commandments; Have mercy on me, who have lost Your grace.
Have mercy on me, who does not care about my salvation; have mercy on me, who have caught me in the net of passions.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 3
It is good and beautiful for brethren to live together and to love each other, as You commanded, our Savior, as if he is angry with his brother, he is a murderer, and with his anger he surpassed all those born from the ages, especially murderers, whose victims were for various reasons, lives and ages in time, I, the accursed one, took the lives of those who had only received time to live from You, the Giver of life for their existence, but in my madness I mercilessly took it away even in my womb, without the Fear of God, rejecting Your will and blessed The gift of childbearing is yours. I willfully snatched my innocent children from Your creative hands and, before Your eyes, I killed them without shame. But their fate is in Your right hand, O Lord, and I will take away my sin before me. I repent to You alone, and I pray to You, O Blessed One, to direct my feet on the path of repentance, so that with all the repentant sinners I will sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 3
Alone, knowing human weakness, weigh all my sins, do not remember the sins of my youth, and cleanse me from my secrets, calling to You:
Have mercy on me, a great sinner; have mercy on me, a transgressor of God's law.
Have mercy on me, the breaker of Your covenant; have mercy on me, as You, my Master, have repaid the reward of evil.
Have mercy on me, who came to You in repentance at the tenth hour; have mercy on me, accursed child killer.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, fallen.
Kontakion 4
Giver of Life, Heavenly King, come and dwell in me, defiled by sins, and cleanse me from all filth, and save, O Blessed One, my soul, so that I may call to You, the one who is being saved: Alleluia.
Ikos 4
I have gone astray, like a lost sheep, seek me, Thy servant, my God, who has wandered away from Thy commandments into the impenetrable wilderness of passions and self-will, save me, unworthy, groaning warmly to Thee, praying and crying out:
Have mercy on me, aggravated by willful sins; have mercy on me, darkened by passions.
Have mercy on me, delighted with pride; have mercy on me, consumed by envy.
Have mercy on me, filled with unrighteousness; have mercy on me, you who do not want the death of a sinner.
Have mercy on me, the deliberate killer of my children.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 5
Wherever you want, my Almighty God, there the order of nature is overcome, conquer my living, sinful nature and its forces that attract me to sin, for You are the Creator of all things and the Creator of nature, by Your Divine grace renew the spirit of rights in my womb, not cast me away from Thy presence, and do not take Thy Holy Spirit away from me, and erase the death seal of the child killer that is worthily placed on my soul, imposed by Thy justice according to the sixth commandment of Thy law, “Thou shalt not kill,” and restore again Thy eternal covenant to us, broken by my sins. , Lord, and restore my former virtues, lost through sin, so that I may sing to You without restraint: Alleluia.
Ikos 5
Who has ever sinned as I have sinned, the accursed one, which sin I have not committed, which evil I have not imagined in my soul, but with a repentant heart and with tears I come to You, All-Bountiful Lord, crying out:
Have mercy on me, Thy unfaithful servant; have mercy on me, petrified of sins.
Have mercy on me, who hates my neighbor; have mercy on me, who offends me in word and deed.
Have mercy on me, foul in soul and body; have mercy on me, my conscience is seared.
Have mercy on me, a child killer, like Herod.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 6
With the rays of Your grace, O Lord, enlighten the robe of my soul, Light-Giver, and save me, so that, rejoicing, I will sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 6
Many are my many sins, O Christ, and like the dark night of all my life, but not despairing of Thy mercy, my Savior, like David, I cry out to Thee:
Have mercy on me, who spent my entire life in laziness; Have mercy on me, about prayer for my sins.
Have mercy on me, ungrateful for Your good suggestions of repentance; Have mercy on me, who did not honor Your law and did not keep Your commandments.
Have mercy on me, as I have loved the world and have loved everything in the world; have mercy on me, who spent the days of my age in the vanity of the world.
Have mercy on me, for, imitating the laws of this age and disdaining the childbearing blessed by You, I committed infanticide.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 7
I lift my eyes to heaven to You, the Word of God, but my mortal nature draws me down, my Savior. O Creator of heaven and earth and everything in them! Raise me to the things above with the way I think and act, so that I may always sing victoriously with my heart and lips: Alleluia.
Ikos 7
The imam has an evil eye and is filled with all kinds of impurity, I am seduced by the charms of this world, I also pray to Thee, O All-Blessed One, turn away my eyes from seeing my vanity, and I pray to Thee:
Have mercy on me, who longs to serve You faithfully; have mercy on me, who desires to worship You in spirit and truth.
Have mercy on me, tears of my repentance, like a sacrifice for my sins brought to You; Have mercy on me, asking You for forgiveness for the murder of my children.
Have mercy on me, who awaits deliverance from my passions from You; have mercy on me, who weep bitterly for my grave and mortal sins.
Have mercy on me, a murderer, guilty of divine and human judgment.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 8
Have mercy on me, Lord, my Savior, who came into the world to save sinners, from whom I am the most vile of all, but I pray to Thee, my All-merciful God, bow to the mercy of Thy compassion, hear my heartfelt sighs, accept the sources of my tears, warm spiritual prayers, yes I will sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 8
Robbery evil thoughts attacked me, my sleeping conscience, alas for me, the bright clothes given to me at my Baptism, for the vileness of my sins, I lost them, that’s why I committed childicide, I still remain naked in virtue, with the same greatness I strive to lift up my grief, down to those who have fallen for the multitude cruel things done before You, O Lord, and thus I cry to You:
Have mercy on me, who have committed a mortal sin; have mercy on me, hitherto stuck in sins.
Have mercy on me, full of all abomination; have mercy on me, tainted by unnatural vices.
Have mercy on me, who did not preserve the purity of my virginity; have mercy on me, for I have deprived myself of pious motherhood.
Have mercy on me, from the womb of my child who spewed forth without time.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 9
Grant me tears, O my God, that I may weep for my sin, and so, rejoicing, I cry: Alleluia.
Ikos 9
She has defiled my body with vile secrets, she has darkened my soul with my placeless deeds, my body is weak, my soul is also weak. Falling down to You, the One Unmemorable, Merciful Judge and my God, I pray:
Have mercy on me, the murderer, for the memory of the fate of my expelled children brings me into awe and horror and unspeakable surprise: how, O Merciful Lord and Most Righteous Judge, bear with and do good to me, a prisoner of hell, even to this day and hour, awaiting my repentance in every possible way; have mercy on me, who repeatedly promised to reform, and again returned to sins, like a dog to its vomit.
Have mercy on me, who has committed many murders; have mercy on me, as without the fear of God and maternal love for my children, but with the ferocity of a wild beast, I tore my children to pieces.
Have mercy on me, for I have committed my sins by my own will; have mercy on me, who have defiled my spirit with vile thoughts.
Have mercy on me, as I continue to lead my sinful life to this day.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 10
I was wounded by the charms of this world and bowed my knees before it, choosing the disastrous path of its vile law, forgetting my promises, given by me at Baptism, and, committing my crimes one after another, which only the world suggested to me, I finally reached the very pinnacle of mortal sins - murder of children, but embraces, Father, open to me, my God, struggling, until at the end of my life I bring the sacrifice of praise to Thee, crying out: Alleluia.
Ikos 10
Predators, murderers, thieves and all unrepentant sinners will not inherit the kingdom of God. But I have defiled my body and soul with all unrighteousness and all sorts of vile sins; for this reason, for the sake of my spiritual distress, falling down, I call to You:
Have mercy on me, born in the New Testament of Your blessed Kingdom; have mercy on me, in the Church created by You, in the Church.
Have mercy on me, sealed with the gifts of the Holy Spirit; Have mercy on me, nourished by Your Most Pure Body and Life-Giving Blood.
Have mercy on me, baptized in Christ, clothed in Christ; have mercy on me, who have rejected all these good deeds and chosen a vicious life.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 11
Grant me the spirit of chastity, Lord and Master of my life, since from my very youth I have been deprived of virtue, I have enslaved myself entirely to passion, I have desecrated my spirit and soul and corrupted my body. God of bounty and mercy! Do not disdain to cleanse me, such a vile sinner, Thy creation I am, have mercy on me, and cleanse me from all filthiness of the flesh and spirit and make me worthy to boldly sing to You: Alleluia.
Ikos 11
Do not reject the aspirations of my heart, which trusts in You, O Lord, and do not disgrace me before angels and men at Your righteous and Last Judgment. Do not then judge me according to my deeds, but by Your mercy forgive all my sins, crying out to You:
Have mercy on me, who have an unclean heart; have mercy on me, caught in demonic captivity.
Have mercy on me, born in sins, washed by Baptism and fallen like a pig into iniquity; have mercy on me, the wounds of the fall of my soul stink.
Have mercy on me, because of my grave mortal sins I have fallen into despondency and despair; have mercy on me, who have committed every sin and am worthy of every punishment.
Have mercy on me, my Creator, and in repentance accept me, the fallen one.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 12
With the breadth of Your love, my God, cover all the sins of my iniquity, accept my repentance, so that in love for You I always call: Alleluia.
Ikos 12
My youth passed in my madness, my entire life was spent in sins, in laziness and negligence to repentance, but my old age, with the horror of death of Your inevitable Judgment, brought me to repentance. Do not reject me, my Savior, who at the tenth hour came into Your Father’s embrace and called in repentance:
Have mercy on me, as the blood of my innocent children cries out to You, testifying to my murder of them; have mercy on me, my God, by the Triune nature.
Have mercy on me, O Lord, with wonderful mercy; Have mercy on me, Master, long-suffering for our sins.
Have mercy on me, Holy King, who heals infirmities; have mercy on me, O Thou of Love, and Who warmeth desperate sinners with Thy love.
Have mercy on me, O Almighty, who bore our infirmities.
My Lord, Lord, my joy, have mercy on me, the fallen one.
Kontakion 13
To appear as the sign of the Son of Man in Heaven on that terrible day and the second Coming of the Judge alive and dead, the Son of God, the Most Honest and Life-Giving Cross. Then all the tribes of the earth will mourn. Oh, Jesus Christ, our Savior and Judge and King of all! Give me tears of repentance before this day, so that I may weep in the warmth of my evil and destructive deeds, for I have detested my soul and Thy Most Pure Blood of Thy Testament to the mountaineer! Yes, then with the angels and with all the saints and righteous I sing to You: Alleluia.
(This kontakion is read three times, then the 1st ikos: “God and Lord!..” and the 1st kontakion: “Lamb of God...”).
