Unbelievably Beautiful Hymn: Open the Door of Repentance, O Lifegiver

As we wrote last week, Russian faith will regularly publish beautiful church music during this crisis to our readers keep the light of inner peace glowing in this time of global panic.

This poetic and beautiful hymn, called "Open the Doors of Repentance to me, Oh Lifegiver" is only sung in Orthodox churches during Great Lent. The words are simple and moving: 

So while many of us must stay home and cannot pray communally in church, this spiritual music can help us bring more prayer into our own homes.

Open to me the doors of repentance, o Lifegiver;
For my spirit rises early to pray towards Thy holy Temple,
bearing the temple of my body all defiled
But in Thy compassion, deliver me purify me by the lovingkindness of Thy mercy.

Lead me on the paths of salvation, o Mother of God,
for I have profaned my soul with shameful sins,
and have wasted my life in laziness.
But, by your intercessions, deliver me from all impurity.

Have mercy on me, o God, according to Thy great goodness, and according to the multitude of Thy compassions, blot out my transgressions.
When I think of the many evil things I have done, wretch that I am, I tremble at the fearful day of judgment. But trusting in thy lovingkindness, like David I cry to Thee:

Have mercy on me, o God, according to Thy great mercy.

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If you liked this, Listen to last week's stunning quartet