Grant it, O Lord

I have no tears, no repentance, no compunction -- my God and Savior, grant these to me!
St. Andrew of Crete

What is that blessed day? It is the day of self-judgement. When that day dawns, the man who has condemned the whole world until then will at once come to regard himself as the greatest stain on the whole of God’s earth. He will be ashamed before God; he will be ashamed before every man and before everything that God has created on earth. And this shame will begin to burn him like fire. And he will then acknowledge and confess: 'Truly I am the greatest stain on God’s earth. Truly, are all other men not better than I am? …O Lord, Lord, have pity on me a sinner and rescue me from the mire of my sins, that I may so much as begin to resemble Your creation.' My brother, do not expect that blessed day of repentance to come of itself. Take firm hold on yourself the first day that it comes to meet you, and say: 'You are the blessed day on which I shall purchase life eternal!'
St Nikolai (Velimirovic)