👉🏽👉🏽👉🏽How Do We #Repent?
Beloved children of the one Holy Church, let us consider the true nature of repentance, that great mystery by which man is reconciled to his Creator. The path to repentance is not one of mere words or fleeting remorse but a profound turning of the heart toward God, a movement of the soul that seeks not only forgiveness but transformation. Let us, then, study the way of repentance, that we may not only seek mercy but be made new in Christ.
The Essence of True Repentance
The first step in our journey is to understand that repentance must arise not from fear of punishment but from love for God. A repentance born of fear is like a fire that flares up briefly and is extinguished, but a repentance rooted in love is a flame that continues to burn, consuming all impurity. The prodigal son did not return because he feared hunger alone, but because he remembered the goodness of his father. Likewise, we must remember the boundless mercy of our Lord and return to Him in sincerity.
To receive God’s grace of forgiveness, we must enter into a state of genuine spiritual awakening. Repentance is not a transaction, where we confess and then return to our old ways. No! It is a change of being, a resurrection of the soul from death to life.
The Steps of True Repentance
1. Honesty Before God and Ourselves
He who does not know himself cannot truly repent. We must stand before our own conscience without bias or self-justification. The Lord Himself declared, “He who loves his life will lose it.” (John 12:25). This means that if we cling to our sinful ways, excusing them, or loving the darkness more than the light, we will lose our very souls. True repentance requires brutal honesty, for only in truth can we be set free.
2. Forsaking Sin and Its Causes
Repentance is not simply regretting our sins but turning away from them with a firm resolve. A man who repents with his lips but continues to dwell in the places of sin has not yet truly repented. We must cut off not only the sin itself but its roots and causes. Let us ask ourselves: What leads us to sin? Is it bad company, idleness, or certain desires? Whatever it may be, let us cast it far from us, lest it ensnare us again.
3. Examining Our Conscience Carefully
The wise man does not build his house without first inspecting the ground. Likewise, we must examine our hearts and carefully discern where we have fallen. Sins are not only those committed in action but also in thought and emotion. Anger, pride, envy—these, too, are sins that corrupt the soul. Repentance requires humility, a willingness to look deeply within and acknowledge every fault without excuse.
4. Truthfulness in Repentance
One cannot deceive the Holy Spirit. He who lies to the Father of repentance deceives not man, but God. Let us remember Ananias, who, by lying to the Apostle Peter, was struck down. “Ananias, why has Satan filled your heart to lie to the Holy Spirit?” (Acts 5:3). If we are not truthful in our confession, then our repentance is nothing but an empty performance, and we remain bound in sin.
5. Hiding Nothing, Confessing All
The prophet Jeremiah teaches us: “Pour out your heart like water before the Lord.” (Lamentations 2:19). What does this mean? It means that we must reveal everything before God and His priest, holding back nothing. Water, when poured out, leaves no trace behind; so must our confession be complete, leaving no secret corners of sin within us. If we hide our sins, they fester like a wound that is left untreated. But if we expose them, the priest, by the grace of God, can apply the necessary healing to our soul.
The Attitude of a True Penitent
A repentant heart does not seek to justify itself.
A repentant heart does not blame others for its sins.
A repentant heart does not wallow in excessive sorrow or despair but trusts in the mercy of God.
Repentance is not self-condemnation; it is self-awareness. It is not despair but hope. It is not merely confessing sin but resolving never to return to it.
Continues 👇🏽