Penance And Prayer

Ἡ καλλίστη μετάγνωσις, καὶ σύντονος δέησις καὶ παράκλησις εὐδιάζει τὸν σεσηπότα ταῖς πράξεσιν ἄνθρωπον· δέχεται γὰρ καὶ δέησιν ῥυπαρὰν ὁ φιλανθρωπότατς Δεσπότης Χριστὸς ἐκ στόματος ῥυπαροῦ ἐν ταπεινώσει προσφερομένην πολλῇ. Καὶ πειθέτω σε ὁ φράζων λῃστής· Μνήσθητί μου, Κύριε Ἰησοῦ, ὅταν ἔλθῃς ἐν τῇ βασιλείᾳ σου, παραυτίκα ἀκούσας· Σήμερον μετ' ἐμου ἔσῃ ἐν τῷ παραδείσῳ. Ἅγιος Νειλος, Βιβλιον Πρῶτον, Ἐπιστολὴ ΡϟΖ' Τρυφωνι Ἀρχιτεκτονι Source: Migne PG 79 155-157

Most beautiful is penance and continual prayer and invocation, offering up a fair odour from the rotten works of men. For the most loving Lord Christ receives even soiled prayers from sordid mouths, if in great humility they are offered. May the thief crying out persuade you: 'Remember me, Lord Jesus, when you come into your kingdom.' He who immediately heard, 'Today you will be with me in paradise.' 1 Saint Nilus of Sinai, Book 1, Letter 199, To Trypho the Architect 1 Lk 23.42-43