The priest then takes the cross from the deacon and recites the three absolutions; two of them are prayed in silence while facing the East, and the third is said audibly while facing the congregation (West). While the priest is saying the third absolution, the congregation bow their heads, asking for absolution and forgiveness. These three absolutions are the same prayers that our spiritual father prays on us after confession.
The First Absolution:
This prayer is called a Prayer of Submission to the Son, as stated below with its Biblical references: “
O Lord, Who has given authority unto us to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy...”, as Christ gave to His disciples when He told them,
“Behold I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall hurt you” (Luke10:19). “
...Crush its heads beneath our feet speedily...”, as the Apostle prayed on behalf of the Romans (16:20) when he said,
“And the God of peace will crush Satan under your feet shortly.” “
May You destroy all his evil thoughts that are against us...”, as such evil thoughts, vicious fights and deceptive sights are planted in our minds by the devil in an attempt to occupy our thoughts. The priest prays to the Lord that He disperse these away from himself, and from us all, saying, “...For You are our King....”
The Second Absolution:
This is also a Prayer of Submission to the Son: “
For You O Lord who descended from the heavens...”, as the Lord of Glory said about Himself,
"For I have come down from heaven not to do My will but the will of Him who sent Me” (John 6:38). “
..You became man...”, as the Apostle stated,
“But He made Himself of no reputation, taking the form of a servant and coming in the likeness of men, He humbled Himself and became obedient unto death, even death on a cross” (Phil.2:7-8 ). “
To save mankind...”, as the Bible says,
“This is a faithful saying and worthy of all acceptance, that Christ Jesus came into this world to save sinners, of whom I am chief” (1Tim.1:15). “
You are He who sits upon the Cherubim and the Seraphim, beholding those who are lowly...”, as mentioned in First Chronicles(13:6), which says,
“To bring up from the ark of God the Lord Who dwells between the Cherubim”,
and also, Isaiah the Prophet (6:1-2) says,
“I saw the Lord sitting on a throne, high and lifted up, and the train of His robe filled the temple. Above it stood Seraphim; each one had six wings: with two he covered his face, with two he covered his feet, and with two he flew”. “
Now also our Master, we lift up the eyes of our hearts to You, Who forgives sins and saves our souls from corruption...”, as stated in the Book of Psalms (102:3-5) which says,
“Hear my prayer, O Lord...for my days are consumed like smoke, and my bones are burnt like a hearth. My heart is strickened and withered like grass, so that I forget to eat my bread. Because of the sound of my groaning my bones cling to my skin.” “
We worship Your unutterable compassion, and ask You to give us Your peace, as You have given all things unto us...”, which repeats Isaiah’s prayer,
“Lord, You will establish peace for us, for You have also done all our works in us” (Is.26:12). “
Acquire us unto Yourself, God and Saviour, for we know none other than You, for Your Holy Name we do utter...”
The church is the bride of Christ which He acquired with His blood, and so the elders of the church are advised to, “take heed to yourselves and to all the flock among which the Holy Spirit has made you overseers, to shepherd the church of God which He purchased with His own Blood” (Acts 20:28).
Paul the Apostle says,
“But you are a chosen generation, a royal priesthood, a holy nation, His own special people, that you may proclaim the praises of Him Who called you out of darkness into His marvellous light” (1Pet.2:9)
. If the Lord acquires us with His Blood, we are His own, we love Him, and are faithful to Him, as we say in the Litany of Safety, “We do not know anyone other than You, we say Your Holy Name.”“
So fill us, O Lord, with Your fear, for our only desire is for You. Rejoice that we abide in Your goodness, and those who revere You, exalt them in their ways of life and adorn them with virtues. And may we all be worthy of Your Heavenly Kingdom, through the goodwill of our Gracious Father, with Whom You are blessed together with the Holy Spirit....”
Through this absolution the priest is therefore asking the Lord to grant us His peace which we have lost because of our sins, for sin destroys peace, as seen in the quote,
“There is no peace, says the Lord, for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22).
The priest also prays that we are filled with God’s fear, for the fear of God is very important in one’s spiritual life. It may be noted that when the priest asks for peace, he says,
“Give us Your peace”, but when he asks for fear, he says,
“Fill us with Your fear.”
St. Antonious, father of all monks, said, “The crown of wisdom is the fear of God. Just as light disperses darkness and illuminates a dark house, so does the fear of God when it enters a man’s heart. It drives ignorance away and brings every virtue and wisdom.” The priest is also praying to direct us towards a desire for God. Our taste for spirituality changes because of sin, just as good food tastes different in a sick person’s mouth. As a result of sin, our yearning to God becomes tepid. The priest therefore asks the Lord to give us back our longing for Him, as in the saying, “Draw me after you, let us make haste” (Song of Songs 1:4), lest we be drawn to sin and die.
The Third Absolution:
The priest prays this absolution while facing the West and bowing his head:“
O Lord Jesus Christ the Only Begotten Son...”, as the Lord Jesus said about Himself, “He is the Only Begotten Son in the Bosom of the Father” (John 1:18).“
...And the Word of God, the Logos...”, as St. John saw Him,
“clothed with a robe dipped in blood, and His Name is called the Word of God” (Revelation 19:14).“
...Who rid us from the bondage of sin through His death on the cross. You breathed into the face of Your holy and honoured disciples and saintly Apostles saying, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. Whose sins you will remit, they are remitted to them, and those which you will retain, they shall be retained’...”, as mentioned in John (20:21-23), which says,
“Then Jesus said to them again, ‘Peace to you! As the Father has sent Me, I also send you’. And when He said this, He breathed on them , and said to them, ‘Receive the Holy Spirit. If you forgive the sins of any, they are forgiven them. If you retain the sins of any, they are retained.” “
Now also, O our Master, through Your holy Apostles, as You gave grace to those who laboured in the priesthood in Your holy church to forgive sins upon the earth, and to bind and to loose every bond of iniquity, we also ask and entreat Your goodness, O lover of mankind, to remember Your servants...(Here the priest makes the sign of the cross on the congregation twice, saying,)...my fathers and brethren...(then on himself, saying,)...and my weakness. Those who bow their heads before Your Holy glory, grant unto us Your mercy and loose every bond of our sins. If we have committed any sin against You, whether knowingly or unknowingly or through anguish of heart, O Master Who knows the weakness of men, grant us the forgiveness of our sins, You great and merciful God.”
The priest makes a sign of the cross on Himself, on the deacons, and then on the congregation saying, “Bless us,
purify us, absolve us and absolve all Your people. Fill us with Your fear and help us to live according to Your Holy good will, for You are our God to Whom be glory, honor and dominion, now and forevermore, Amen.”
In this absolution we gain forgiveness for the sins for which we have actually repented. We should note that this absolution covers all sins; those which we know about, and those we do not, whether a sin by word of mouth, or by deed.
As each person here is bowing in reverence they should pray silently a secret prayer, such as, “I ask You Lord to forgive my sins, because You are not pleased with the death of a sinner, but to return and live. Forgive my sins, O Lord, and whiten my clothes in the Blood of Your Beloved Son, Who became a sacrifice for my sins. Let me be a partner to those who repented, grant me tears to weep for my iniquities, grant me grace to abide in my repentance, and never go back to sin.” They should also silently pray Psalm 50, which begins, “Be merciful to me O Lord according to the multitude of Your tender mercies...”, ending with The Lord’s Prayer. At the end of the absolution, the congregation proceeds towards the priest to kiss the cross, the Bible, and the priest’s hand.