How to Benefit from the Holy Liturgy - Pope Kirillos Scientific Family

Prayers of Submission and Absolution
After completing the Lord's Prayer, the priests begins to pray
three reverent prayers inaudibly. In the first prayer, he asks
for himself and his people saying, "Lead us not into
temptation, neither let any iniquity overcome us, but
deliver us from unprofitable deeds, and abolish the
tempter and cast him from us the cause which drives us to
sin."
At its conclusion, the deacon invites people to repentance by
saying, "Bow your heads before the Lord."
All the congregation kneel before God, as it is a moment of
repentance and confession, so that we may be worthy to
accept the Prayer of Absolution from the priest. Hence the
people respond, "We bow before You, O Lord" or "Here
we are Lord, bowing our heads, confessing our iniquities
and sins, asking for Your Divine mercy to wash us, so that
we may become whiter than snow." We may pray the
prayer of repentance, which is mentioned in the absolution of
the Evening Vesper prayers. Alternatively, we can pray
Psalm 150, or, "O God, absolve, remit and forgive us our
sins which we have done willingly and unwillingly," then
say the, "Our Father who art in Heaven..."
My beloved, offer unto God a true repentance during these
awesome moments, bow your head and your soul under
God’s mighty hand, that He might lift you up, accept your
repentance and forgive your sins, according to His divine
promise, “But on this one will I look on him who is poor
and of a contrite spirit, and who trembles at My word”
(Isaiah 66:2).
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