Hymn: My Brush Is Wet (1)
His Holiness Pope Shenouda III begins with a short introduction linking the center’s name to hymnody and communal worship, then moves to a poem/chant expressing heartfelt repentance and deep remorse.
The spiritual content
The text presents the cry of a penitent who weeps over his sins (“I wetted my bed with bitter tears”) and vows a new covenant with God and asks to be established in God’s love like a rock. There is an affirmation that the heart “will not return again” meaning a real decision to turn away from sin and cling to God.
The experience of struggle and return
The speaker displays repeated inner struggles: sins returning many times, internal breaking, sorrow and pain and strong spiritual warfare. But he also mentions repeated repentance and returning to God through covenant and penance.
Prayer and asking for help
Forms of pleading recur: “Have mercy on me… I know my weakness… help me, O Lord” and the confession that strength is not from oneself but from above, asking God to grant him steadfastness so he will not return to sin anymore.
The pedagogical and ecclesial dimension
The chant is directed to a church audience; its language is simple and repetitive to elicit communal participation and ease memorization, and it is used to prepare hearts for repentance and reliance on God’s grace.
The emotional and human side
The text does not hide the weakness and betrayals of the human soul, and embraces brokenness as a step toward hope; the speaker weeps and cries out asking God’s mercy, which reflects a Coptic Orthodox understanding of repentance as a continuous spiritual journey.
Summary of the message
The main message: confessing sin and weakness, making a new covenant with God, and relying on His power and the steadfastness of His love to prevent returning. The call is practical and real: not merely words, but a decision and a plea for divine help.
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