The priest places the cross over the head of the confessing person, as the gift of absolution and forgiveness is obtained from the Blood of our Lord Jesus Christ, which is shed on the cross. The head is humbly bowed from the load of sin, and the cross over it works mysteriously to sanctify the confessing person in thought, body and soul by the indwelling of the Holy Spirit who is called by the priest to grant absolution and forgiveness to the repentant. Hence, reconciliation between God and the repentant is fulfilled, as our teacher St. Paul says: “Having made peace through the Blood of His Cross” (Colossians 1:20), “And now all things are of God, who has reconciled us to Himself through Jesus Christ, and has given us the ministry of reconciliation, that is, that God was in Christ reconciling the world to Himself, not imputing their trespasses to them, and has committed to us the word of reconciliation” (2 Corinthians 5:18,19).
When the priest places his hand on the confessing person’s head, holding their temples between his fingers, he denotes the compassionate fatherhood of God accepting the repentants, and it is also a symbol of the hand of God, the Pantocrator, who holds everyone in His hands, for He controls man’s movements and thoughts and is able to sanctify them and guide them towards the right direction, for their welfare and salvation : “Bringing every thought into captivity to the obedience of Christ” (2 Corinthians 10:5), and applying the words of St. Paul : “But we have the mind of Christ” (1 Corinthians 2:16), and so become the servants of God who, “shall see His face, and His name shall be on their foreheads” (Revelation 22:4). Hence, they have the name of God filling their thoughts and lives.
PRAYERS TO BE SAID BY THE CONFESSOR, IN ORDER TO RECEIVE ABSOLUTION
Psalm 50 : “Have mercy upon me, O God …”
The prayer of : “O God absolve, remit and forgive us our sins which we have done willingly and unwillingly and those which we committed knowingly and unknowingly, the hidden and the visible. O Lord forgive us for the sake of Your Holy Name that is called upon us, and according to Your Mercy and not to our sins.” Followed by, “O Lord I have sinned, absolve me”, or the tax-collector’s prayer: “God be merciful to me, a sinner”.
Then following the absolution, the ‘Lord’s Prayer’ is said.
PRAYERS OF THE PRIEST ON THE HEAD OF THE CONFESSOR
Thanksgiving Prayer: To thank God for the return and the repentance of the sinner.
Psalm 50: for repentance and humiliation
Litany of the Sick: for the sinner is in need of remedy
The Three Absolutions: What is noticeable is that the priest prays them in the plural form placing himself with the confessing sinner, asking absolution and forgiveness for both of them, with all the other blessings. In these absolutions are many meaningful and touching supplications, which deserve contemplation. The priest should pray them quietly but audibly, so that he and the confessing person may meditate on every word. It is worth mentioning also that these absolutions which are read on the head of the confessing person, are prayed in Church during the Matins and Vespers Prayers, and in other Church Rites, such as the Sacraments of Unction of Sick, Matrimony and others.
THE FIRST ABSOLUTION : PRAYER OF SUBMISSION TO THE SON
“Oh Lord who has given authority unto us to tread upon serpents and scorpions and upon all the power of the enemy, crush his heads beneath our feet speedily, and scatter before us his every design of weakness that is against us. For You are the King of us all, O Christ our God”.
Notes on the First Absolution:
God gave the authority to His pure Apostles saying: “Behold, I give you the authority to trample on serpents and scorpions and over all the power of the enemy, and nothing shall by any means hurt you” (Luke 10:19).
“Crush his heads beneath our feet speedily,” as the devil does not have only one head but many heads, denoting his plans and deceit, thoughts, and seduction which are various and destructive to those attracted to them.
“Scatter before us every design of weakness that is against us.” The Satanic designs are the evil thoughts which he tries to implant in us, we ask God to scatter them before us so we do not perish.
THE SECOND ABSOLUTION :
ALSO CALLED THE PRAYER OF SUBMISSION TO THE SON
“You, O Lord, who created the heavens, You descended and became man for our salvation. You are He who sits upon the Cherubim and the Seraphim, and beholds them who are lowly. You also now, our Master, are He unto whom we lift up the eyes of our hearts, the Lord who forgives our iniquities and saves our souls from corruption. We worship Your unutterable compassion, and we ask You to give us Your peace, for You have given all things unto us.
Acquire us unto Yourself, God our Savior, for we know none other but You; Your Holy Name we do utter. Turn us, God, into fearing You and desiring You. Be pleased that we abide in the enjoyment of Your good things, and those who have bowed their heads beneath Your hand, exalt them in their ways of life, and adorn them with virtues. And may we all be worthy of Your Kingdom in the heavens, through the goodwill of God, Your good Father…”.
Notes on the Second Absolution:
In this absolution the priest asks God,
To give us the peace we lost through committing sins, for sin destroys peace, as fire destroys hay. For thus says the Lord, “There is no peace for the wicked” (Isaiah 48:22).
To instill within us the fear of God, as, “The fear of the Lord is the beginning of wisdom,” (Proverbs 1), and when one’s heart is filled with the fear of God, one becomes enlightened, as Abba Anthony said: “As light entering a dark house casts out its darkness, so if the fear of God entered into a human heart, it casts out ignorance (by which he falls into sin).”
To cause us to desire the Lord, and taste those things which are spiritual and divine, rather than partake of those things which cause us to sin and thus result in death. For this reason, the priest asks God to return this desire to the hearts of those confessing, so that together with King Solomon, they may declare : “Lead me away! We will run after You” (Songs 1:4).
The priests asks God to exalt the repentant who is bowing in contriteness beneath the hand of God (which is symbolized by the hand of the priest placed on the head of the confessing person), and adorn them with virtues, after having saved them from sin, so they may glorify God and become worthy of Eternal Life and the Kingdom of God, which is prepared for those who struggle diligently in order to perfect their holiness.
THE THIRD ABSOLUTION
“Master, Lord Jesus Christ the only begotten Son and Logos of God the Father, Who has broken every bond of our sins through His saving, life-giving sufferings, who breathed into the face of His holy disciples and saintly Apostles, and said to them, “Receive the holy Spirit. Whose sins you will remit, they are remitted to them, and those which you will retain, they shall be retained”. You also now, our Master, through Your holy apostles, have given grace to those who for a time labored in priesthood in Your Holy Church, to forgive sin upon the earth and to bind and to loose every bond of inquiry. Now, also, we ask and entreat Your goodness, O Lover of Mankind, for Your servants my fathers, and my brethren and my weakness, those who bow their heads before Your Holy Glory. Dispense unto us Your mercy, and loose every bond of our sins, and if we have committed any sin against You, knowingly or unknowingly or through anguish of heart, or in deed, or in word, or from faint-heartedness, You O Master, who knows the weakness of men, as a good and loving God, grant us the forgiveness of our sins (the priest signs the confessing person, then says…) Bless us, purify us, absolve us (and absolve your servant …). Fill us with Your fear, and straighten us unto Your holy, good will, for You are our God, and all glory, honor and dominion and adoration are due unto You.”
Notes on the Third Absolution:
By reciting this absolution and making the signs of the cross mentioned, the Holy Spirit comes upon the confessing person, and grants them the forgiveness of sins which were confessed to the Holy Spirit in the presence of the priest.
This absolution asks forgiveness for many types of sin : “If we have committed any sins against You, knowingly or unknowingly, or through anguish of heart (fear), or in deed, or in word, or from faint-heartedness (feeling of inferiority, despair or desperation).”
Now He asks God to grant him the necessary remedies : “Bless us, purify us, make us absolved, straighten us unto Your Holy, good will”. When the sinner is granted these divine remedies, he is healed from sins and walks in holiness which leads to eternal life.
After the absolutions, the priest says the blessing, and concludes with the Lord’s Prayer, which is also said by the confessing person.
The priest breathes into the face of the confessing person three times asking the Holy Trinity to absolve and forgive them.
The confessing person prostrates, touching the ground with his forehead, then stands and kisses the priest’s Cross and hand saying: “Father absolve me”, and the priest answers: “May God absolve you”. Then they leave confession, rejoicing for repentance, exalted by the praises of angels and saints, for, “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine just persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7). One feels a great burden released from one’s heart after confession, the burden of sin and now a person is justified and feels victorious, and renews their hope for gaining entry into the eternal life together with the multitudes of repentants, who have been redeemed and saved.
NOTES:
The prostration (metania) done at the end of the absolution, is a sign of humility and remorse, repentance for sins, and an intention to struggle to change one’s thinking and behavior for the better. Metania is Greek in origin, meaning ‘repentance’ and ‘to change one’s mind’.
After kneeling, the repentant kisses the Cross and the priest’s hand, for through the priest we are granted forgiveness and reconciliation with God, by the power of the Divine Blood shed on the Cross for our salvation. And from the priest’s hand we receive the sacraments :
The priest baptizes us by his hands, and we are granted the Divine citizenship and rebirth.
The priest anoints the baptized by the Myron oil, through which the Holy Spirit comes and abides in us, and we become temples of the Holy Spirit.
The priest holds the Cross in his right hand and prays the absolution so the Holy Spirit comes upon us and grants us the Absolution and forgiveness of sins that were confessed.
The priest holds the Holy Communion in his hands, carries it and distributes it to the believers, in order for them to have Christ abiding in them, and so gain eternal life. For this reason, we kiss the priest’s hand.
When the confessing person asks for the absolution saying, “Absolve me father”, the priest answers, “May God absolve you”, for it is God who grants the absolution, and is the source of absolution and forgiveness.
After confession and having received the absolution, the confessing person receives the Holy Communion as soon as possible, so that they may be empowered by grace to grow in virtues and gain strength in their spiritual struggle.