Clean Monday...getting into Great Lent

For Eastern Catholic and Orthodox Christians, today is "Clean Monday," the first day of the Great Fast. In many of these churches, the faithful will gather tonight for the service of Compline with the singing of a portion of the "Penitential Canon," also known as the "Great Canon of St. Andrew of Crete." The First Ode of the Great Canon uses as a springboard the text of the Canticle of Moses contained in Exodus 15: 1-19. The singing of the Great Canon in the First Week of the Great Fast, is intended to invoke compunction in the penitent heart.

(Irmos) A Helper and Protector has become salvation to me.

This is my God; I will glorify Him.

God of my fathers, I will exalt Him;

for in glory has He been glorified!

Refrain

Glory to You, our God, glory to You! (or the refrain changes to "Have mercy on me, O God, have mercy on me!" when sung at Compline in the first of the Fast)

Where shall I begin to lament the deeds of my wretched life?

What first-fruits shall I offer, O Christ, for my present lamentation?

But in your compassion, grant me release from my sins.

Glory to You...

Come, wretched soul,

with your flesh confess to the Creator of All.

In future, refrain from your former brutishness

and offer to God tears in repentance.

Glory to You...

Having rivaled the first-made Adam in my transgressions,

I realize that I am stripped naked of God

and of the everlasting kingdom of bliss through my sins.

Glory to You...

Alas, wretched soul!

Why are you like the first Eve?

For you have wickedly looked and been bitterly wounded,

and you have touched the tree

and rashly tasted the forbidden fruit.  (cf Gen. 3:6)

Glory to You...

The place of bodily Eve has been taken

by the Eve of my mind,

in the shape of a passionate thought in the flesh,

showing me sweet things

yet ever making me taste bitter things.

Glory to You...

Adam was rightly exiled from Eden

for not keeping Your one commandment.

O Savior, what shall I suffer,

who am always rejecting Your living words? (cf. Gen. 3:26/Acts 7:38)

Glory to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit!

Trinity adored in Unity,

take from me the heavy yoke of sin,

and in Your compassion,

grant me tears of compunction.

Now and ever and forever. Amen.

O Theotokos,

hope and intercessor of those who sing to you,

take from me the heavy yoke of sin,

and as you are our pure Lady,

accept me that repents.

(KATAVASIA)  A Helper and a Protector is He unto salvation.

He is my God, and I glorify Him;

God of my fathers, and I magnify Him,

for He is greatly glorified.