Repentance 2

Repentance is the doorway to the spiritual life, the only way to begin. It is also the path itself, the only way to continue. Anything else is foolishness and self-delusion. Only repentance is both brute-honest enough, and joyous enough, to bring us all the way home.

Frederica Mathewes-Green

The Penitential Rite from the BCP

DEARLY beloved brethren, the Scripture
moveth us in sundry places to acknowledge
and confess our manifold sins and wickedness;
and that we should not dissemble nor cloke them
before the face of Almighty God our heavenly
Father; but confess them with an humble, lowly,
penitent, and obedient heart; to the end that
we may obtain forgiveness of the same, by his
infinite goodness and mercy.
And although we ought at all times humbly to
acknowledge our sins before God; yet ought we
most chiefly so to do, when we assemble and meet
together to render thanks for the great benefits
that we have received at his hands, to set forth
his most worthy praise, to hear his most holy
Word, and to ask those things which are requisite
and necessary, as well for the body as the soul.
Wherefore I pray and beseech you, as many as
are here present, to accompany me with a pure
heart and humble voice unto the throne of the
heavenly grace.

ALMIGHTY and most merciful Father, We
have erred and strayed from thy ways like
lost sheep, We have followed too much the devices
and desires of our own hearts, We have
offended against thy holy laws, We have left
undone those things which we ought to have
one, And we have done those things which we
ought not to have done; And there is no health
in us. But thou, O Lord, have mercy upon us,
miserable offenders. Spare thou them, O God,
which confess their faults. Restore thou them that
are penitent; According to thy promises declared
unto mankind in Christ Jesu our Lord. And grant,
O most merciful Father, for his sake, That we may
hereafter live a godly, righteous, and sober life,
To the glory of thy holy Name. Amen.