Monday of Clean Week – First part of the Great Canon of St Andrew of Crete

Listen, O heaven, and I will speak. O earth, hear the cry of one returning to God and singing His praises.

Look down on me in Your mercy, O compassionate God and Saviour, and accept my fervent confession.

More than all have I sinned; I alone have sinned against You, O God my Saviour, but have compassion on me, Your creature.

Through love of pleasure has my form become deformed and the beauty of my inward being has been ruined.

O compassionate One, as You saved Peter when he was about to sink, so reach out now to me, for a storm of evil surges around me.

O Saviour, I have defiled the garment of my flesh and polluted that which You fashioned within me according to Your own image and likeness.

With passions have I darkened the beauty of my soul and permitted my whole inward being to become mire.

I like naked, having torn up the garment which my Creator fashioned for me in the beginning.

I am ashamed, for the serpent deceived me and my garment is in tatters.

O compassionate One, like the prostitute who anointed Your feet so now do I offer You tears. Have mercy on me, O Saviour.

I like naked and ashamed, for the beauty of the tree, which I saw in the middle of the garden, deceived me.

The demons have cut deep wounds of passion into my back; their lawlessness has made it like a plowed field.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O God of all, I sing of You as One yet Three in Person, Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O Most holy Theotokos, Virgin alone praised everywhere, pray fervently that we may be saved.

ODE 3

Establish Your Church, O Christ, on the unshakeable rock of Your commandments. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

The Lord once caused fire to rain down from heaven, O my soul, and the land of Sodom was consumed.

Save yourself from sin, O my soul! Like lot on the mountain, take timely refuge in the town of Zoar.

Run from the flames, O my soul! Run from the burning of Sodom! Run from the destruction caused by fire sent from God!

O Christ my Saviour, I have sinned more than anyone; I alone have sinned against you, yet do not forsake me!

As a Good Shepherd search for me, Your sheep who has gone astray, and do not forsake me.

I confess, O Saviour, that I have sinned against You, but since You are compassionate, absolve and forgive me.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O God, Trinity yet One, save us from delusion, temptations and misfortune!

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Hail, O Womb which received God! Hail, O Throne of the Lord! Hail, O Mother of our Life!

ODE 4

The prophet heard of Your coming, O Lord, and was afraid that You were to be born of a virgin and appear to men, and he said “I have heard the report of You and am afraid”; Glory to Your power, O Lord. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

Do not forget Your saving acts, O righteous Judge, or turn away form Your creatures, but in Your compassion forgive me, though I have sinned more than all. For Yours is the power to remit the sins of all.

The end is approaching, O my soul, it is approaching! So why do you not care or prepare yourself for it? Arise! The time is short! The Judge already stands at the door. Life is vanishing like a dream, so why do you continue living in vanity?

Arise, O my soul, and reveal the evil things you have done. Ponder them well and allow your tears to flow. Then confess your deeds and thoughts openly to Christ, and He will make you righteous.

There never has been a sin, a deed, an evil act that I have not cherished, O Saviour. I have sinned in my thoughts, my words, and my deeds, and no one has sinned more than I.

Despair condemns me in the tribunal of my conscience where judgment is harsher than by any law on earth. O my Judge, Who created and redeemed me, spare, deliver and save me, Your servant.

The ladder which long ago Jacob the great patriarch saw is for you, O my soul, an image to consider. The bottom most rung is a first step towards doing the will of God, while those that follow lead to a true knowledge of Him. Therefore, renew your Life if you wish to do God’s work, to receive knowledge and insight.

Wishing to marry Rachel, Jacob tended her father’s sheep for seven years through the scorching heat of day and the frost of night. When given Leah by deceit he struggled and slaved yet another seven finally to win his chosen bride.

Now consider these two wives as images of diligence and wisdom Leah, who bore many children, is untiring labor, while Rachel is that wisdom which one acquires only through diligence. Neither, however, is possible, O my soul, without your effort.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

I confess You as one God in Trinity, a single essence unconfused in persons, co-enthroned and co-ruling, and I sing to You, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

As a virgin you gave birth, and a virgin you remained by nature, your womb giving birth painlessly for He Who was born of you renewed the laws of nature, since when God wills its order is overthrown.

ODE 5

Out of the night watching early for You, enlighten me I pray, O Lover of man, and guide me in Your commandments, and teach me, O Saviour, to do Your will. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

In the darkness of night has my whole Life passed, amidst shadowy delusions I cannot escape But, O Saviour, make me now a child of the day.

My soul is in despair, for like Reuben who defiled his father’s bed, I have disobeyed the will of God my Father by defiling His image within me.

I confess my sins to You, O Christ my King, like Joseph’s brothers have I sold into slavery him who was chaste and pure.

As an image of our Lord was that righteous soul cast out by his brothers and sold into slavery, while you, my soul, have sold yourself into your own evil hands.

O suffering and hopeless soul, imitate the purity of mind in righteous Joseph, and do not sin by being led astray by irrational desires.

Joseph’s being placed in a pit formed an image of Your burial and resurrection, O Lord and Master. Will I ever be able to endure such things for Your sake?

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

We glorify You, O Trinity, One in essence, and we praise and adore You forever, singing, “Holy! Holy! Holy!” Father, Son and Holy Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

God, the Creator of all things, became incarnate through you, O pure Virgin Mother, uniting our human nature to Himself.

ODE 6

With my whole heart, I cried unto the compassionate God, and He heard me; and He lifted up my soul from the depths of hell and from corruption. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

I offer you, O Saviour, sincere tears and the deepest groans of my soul, crying from the heart, “O God, I have sinned against You, be merciful to me”.

When Datham and Abiram defied Moses and turned from the Lord, the earth opened to swallow them. Now you, my soul, having turned from the Lord as well, must cry with your whole heart from the depths of hell to be spared, lest you share their lot.

Having lived as a stubborn mule, O my soul, like that idol worshipper Ephraim, now as an agile deer flee the hunters and save your Life, strengthening it with good deeds, wisdom, and prayer.

Be assured, O my soul, that as God was able to turn Moses’ hand white with disease and cleanse it once again, so can He also cleanse and purify a diseased Life. Therefore, do not despair of yourself even though infected with many sins.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

“I AM the Trinity, simple and undivided in essence yet divided in Persons. I AM also the Unity united in nature,” says God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

Your womb, O Theotokos, held God Who for our sakes took human form. Implore Him, the Creator of all, that through your prayers we may be justified.

KONTAKION (TONE 6)

My soul, my soul, Arise! Why are you sleeping? The end is drawing near, and you will be confounded, awake then and be watchful that Christ our God may spare you, Who is everywhere, and fills all things.

ODE 7

We have sinned, transgressed, done wrong before You. We have not watched or done as You have commanded us, but do not give us up utterly, O God of our fathers. Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me.

I have sinned, I have erred, I have rejected Your commandments. I have increased in sin and added to the wounds of my soul. But in Your compassion, be merciful to me, O God of our fathers.

I have confessed to You, my Judge, the secrets of my heart. See my humility, my distress, and give me now Your judgment, in Your compassion being merciful to me, O God of our fathers.

Saul lost his father’s flock and found himself suddenly proclaimed King of Israel. Watch, O my soul, lest your animal instincts now block you from the kingdom of Christ.

David was a forefather of the Lord, O my soul, yet sinned doubly by committing both murder and adultery. Your sickness, however, is even worse than his deeds because of your impulsive will.

David, though once compounding his sins by first murdering a man and then stealing his wife was quick to repent of both. You, however, O my soul, have done worse things than he, yet never repented of them before the Lord.

David once showed us the image of true repentance in a psalm he wrote exposing all he had done. “Be merciful to me and cleanse me!” he wrote, “for against You only have I sinned, the God of our fathers”.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit.

Simple and undivided, One in essence and nature, Light and Lights, One Holy and three Holies, Gd is praised as Trinity. So sing praises to Him, O my soul, and glorify the Life and Lives, the God of all.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

We praise you, we bless and venerate you, O Mother of God, for from the undivided Trinity you brought forth the only Son of God and restored to us on earth the heavenly realms.

ODE 8

Him Whom the hosts of heaven glorify, Whom the Cherubim and Seraphim dread, let every breath and creature praise, bless and magnify throughout all ages. Have mercy on us, O God, have mercy on us.

O Saviour, I have sinned! Now convert my soul and receive me in repentance as I cry, “Against You only have I sinned and lived lawlessly. Have mercy on me!”

Remember, O my soul, how Elijah once drove the fiery chariot into heaven, abandoning all earthly cares by perfection in every virtue.

Elisha inherited a double portion of prophetic spirit when Elijah’s mantle fell from heaven upon him. But how can you, O my soul, hope to share in such graces, not yet having learned to control your love of worldly pleasures?

Once the river Jordan was divided when Elisha struck its waters with Elijah’s mantle. But how can you hope to share in such wonders, not yet having learned to control your love of worldly pleasures?

The wealthy woman of Shuynem showed her good will by entertaining the righteous Elisha, but you, my soul, receive neither strangers nor travellers, and will find yourself an alien cast out of the bridal chamber of Christ.

When Elisha cured Naaman of a dread disease he asked no price in return. But you, my soul, have imitated his wicked servant Gehazai, who sought money in his master’s name. Abandon such greed before the end, lest you be cast into eternal fire.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

O Eternal Father, co-eternal Son, and gracious Comforter, the Spirit of Truth, O Father of the Divine Word, Word of the eternal Father, and Life-creating Spirit, Trinity in unity, have mercy on us.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O pure Virgin, the flesh of Emmanuel was formed within your womb as a robe of royal crimson is spun from scarlet silk. We proclaim you to be truly the Mother of our God.

ODE 9

Ineffable is the child bearing of a seedless conception, a mother remaining pure. For the birth of God renews nature, so in all ages we magnify you as mother and bride of God. Have mercy on us, O God, have mercy on us.

My inward being is wounded, my body is weak; my spirit is ill, and the word is powerless. Life is giving way to death and the end is near. What shall I do when the Judge comes and I must stand before Him?

I have reminded you, O my soul, from the books of Moses how the world was created, and from accounts throughout the Old Testament have shown examples of both the righteous and the unrighteous. But of these you have imitated the latter rather than the former and thereby have sinned against your God.

The law has no power over you, O my soul. You have made the Gospel fruitless, scorned the Scriptures, and reaped yourself no value from the prophets or the writings of the just. Your wounds have increased and you have no physician to heal you.

Therefore, O my soul, I will remind you of examples from the New Testament to lead you to contrition. Imitate the righteous and shun the ways of sinners that through prayer, fasting, purity, and reverence you may obtain the mercy of Christ.

Christ became a man, taking our flesh and of His own free will enduring everything which pertains to human nature (except sin). He has shown you an image of His own condescension.

Christ became a man and called both robbers and prostitutes to repentance. Return, therefore, O my soul, to Him. For the doors of the kingdom now stand open and the Pharisees, tax collectors and adulterers who have changed their ways are entering ahead of you!

Christ granted salvation to the Magi who worshiped Him; He summoned shepherds to His crib; He manifested as martyrs the infants whom Herod slew, glorified Simeon the Elder and the widow Anna, but you, my soul, have not imitated the lives and works of any such as these. Therefore, how terrible it will be for you when you are judged!

After He had fasted forty days in the wilderness, hunger revealed the Lord’s human nature. Therefore, O my soul, do not despair if the enemy attacks you, for it is only through prayer and fasting that he shall be defeated.

Glory to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit.

We glorify the Father, we exalt the Son, and we worship the Holy Spirit, the indivisible Trinity Who exists as One, the Light and Lights, the Life and Lives Who grants light and Life to the ends of the world.

Now and ever, and unto ages of ages. Amen.

O purest Mother of God, preserve your people, for through you are we kept faithful, strengthened, and made able to overcome every temptation, trial, and tribulation.

O holy Father Andrew, pray to God for us.

O honourable Andrew, thrice-blessed Father and pastor of Crete, never cease praying to God for those who sing your praises, that He may deliver from anger, sorrow, corruption, and countless sins all of us who faithfully honour your memory.

ODE 1