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

Remember King Solomon’s words: “He who covers his sins
will not prosper, but whoever confesses and forsakes them will
have mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).
Repentance is a second baptism. St Athanasius the Apostolic
says, “As a baptised person is enlightened with the grace of the
Holy Spirit, so also he who confesses his sins through the
priest, receives remission of sins through the grace of Christ.”
After you finish confessing, kneel before the priest in reverence,
pray one or so of the prayers mentioned before, such as Psalm
51, King Menassah’s prayer, or the prayer of Repentance in the
Agbia, then say the “Our Father…”
Repeat these prayers in contriteness, humility and hope in the
forgiveness of your sins, so that you might not repeat them
again.
During this, the priest puts the holy cross on your head, praying
the three absolutions, the blessing, then the “Our Father…”
V In the first absolution he asks for God’s help, support and
grace be upon you, in order to give you the strength and
power to crush Satan and his wicked tricks under your feet
quickly.
V In the second absolution, he asks God to grant you His divine
grace and peace, which you lost because of your sins.
He also asks God to return you once more to His fear, so that
you will choose the way of hoilness which is Christ, rather than
the way of destruction which is with the evil one.
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