I CONFESS WITH FAITH
Useful prayers for each believer in Christ
by St. Nerses Shnorhali (the Grace-filled) (1102-1173)
Catholicos of Armenians
(Download Armenian-English pdf version)
1
I confess with faith and worship you,
Father and Son and Holy Spirit
Existence without beginning or end,
Creator of the heavens and mortals and all that exists,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
2
I confess with faith and bow before you,
Light indivisible,
Holy Trinity united in one Divinity,
Creator of the light, banisher of darkness,
dispel from my soul the darkness of ignorance and sin
and illumine my mind now
that my prayers to You may be favorably received
and my supplications answered by You,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
3
Heavenly Father, True God,
who sent your beloved Son
to rescue the lost sheep,
I have sinned before heaven and before You.
Receive me like the prodigal son
and clothe me in my original cloak
stripped away by my sins,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
4
Son of God, True God,
who descending from your Father’s side humbled yourself
and became incarnate through the holy virgin Mary,
who, for our salvation, was crucified and buried,
rose from the dead and ascended in glory to the Father,
I have sinned before heaven and before you.
Remember me, like the repentant robber,
when you come with your kingdom,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
5
Spirit of God, True God,
who descended at the Jordan River and upon the Upper Room,
and illumined me through baptism at the holy fount,
I have sinned before heaven and before you.
Make me clean again with your divine fire,
as you did the holy apostles with fiery tongues,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
6
Uncreated existence,
I have sinned with my mind, my soul and my body.
For the sake of your holy name
do not recall my prior sins,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
7
Seer of all,
I have sinned against you in thought, word and deed.
Erase the record of my transgressions,
and write my name in the book of life,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
8
Examiner of secrets,
I have sinned against you willingly and unwillingly,
knowingly and unknowingly.
Grant forgiveness to me a sinner.
For from my birth at the holy fount
to this day, I have sinned before your Divinity
with my senses and with my body in all its parts,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
9
All-caring Lord,
place your holy terror, as a sentinel
upon my eyes that I should no longer gaze in lust,
and upon my ears that I should not delight in evil words,
and upon my mouth that I should not speak lies,
and upon my heart that I should not think evil,
and upon my hands that I should not act unjustly,
and upon my feet that I should not walk the path of iniquity.
Rather correct their movements
to follow your commandments always in all things,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
10
Christ, living fire,
Kindle within me the fire of your love
which you have cast upon the earth,
that it may purify my soul,
and wipe clean the conscience of my mind,
and cleanse the sins of my body,
and set my heart aflame with the light of knowing you,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
11
Jesus, wisdom of the Father,
give me wisdom
to think and to speak and to do the good
before you at all times.
Save me from evil thoughts, words and deeds,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
12
Benevolent Lord, shaper of our will,
do not abandon me to follow the impulses of my self,
but guide me always
to be in accord with the lovingkindness of your will,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
13
King of heaven,
grant me your kingdom
which you promised to those whom you love.
And strengthen my heart
to hate sin and to love only you and do your will,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
14
Caregiver of all creatures,
with the sign of your cross guard my soul and body
from the snares of sin,
from the temptations of demons,
and from unjust people,
and from all the other perils of the soul and body,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
15
Christ, protector of all,
may your right hand shelter me,
day and night
at home and abroad,
asleep and awake,
that I may never falter,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
16
My God, who with open hands
fills all things with your mercy,
I commit myself to you.
Care for and provide for the needs of my soul and body
from this time and evermore,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
17
Retriever of the wayward,
turn me from my bad habits
to good ways,
and nail in my soul the terrible day of my death
and the fear of hell and the love of the kingdom
that I may repent my sins and do righteousness,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
18
Fountain of immortality,
make the tears of repentance flow from my heart
like the prostitute’s so that I can wash away the sins from my soul before I leave this world,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
19
Granter of mercy,
endow me with orthodox faith and good works
and through communion of your body and blood,
come to me,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
20
Beneficent Lord,
entrust me to the angel of goodness
that I may sweetly give up my soul to you
and pass unharmed through the evil of demons
who are beneath the heavens,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
21
True light, Christ,
make my soul worthy to behold with joy
the light of your glory on the day of my summons,
and to find repose in the light of your goodness
in the lodgings of the just until the great day of your Coming,
and have mercy on your creatures
and also upon me with my many sins.
22
Just judge,
in the hour when you come with the glory of the Father
to judge the living and the dead,
do not enter a judgment against your servant
but save me from the eternal flames,
And let me hear the blissful call to the righteous
to your heavenly kingdom,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
23
All merciful Lord,
have mercy upon all who believe in you,
mine own and others, known and unknown,
living and dead,
Forgive my enemies and those who hatefully trespass against me,
and turn them back from the malice they have toward me,
that they may be worthy of your mercy,
and have mercy upon your creatures
and upon me with my many sins.
24
Glorified Lord,
receive the prayers of your servant
and grant my supplications for the good
through the intercession of the holy Mother of God,
and John the Baptist,
and the first martyr St. Stephen,
and St. Gregory our Illuminator,
and the holy apostles and prophets,
holy fathers and martyrs and holy patriarchs,
and the hermits and nuns,
and all your saints,
in heaven and on earth,
and glory and bowed adoration to you,
O indivisible holy Trinity,
unto the ages of ages.
Amen.
