continued 👇🏾
Let us then begin our movement
toward reconciliation not with fanfare, but with prayer. Prayer is the breath of the soul, the ladder between earth and heaven. Prayer is the place where the weak find strength and the sinner finds the Father's embrace. Yet let our prayers not be mechanical or shallow, but full of tears, full of longing. As it is written, “Fasting is the mother of prayer, the sister of repentance, the source of tears, and the ancient foundation of all good deeds.”
Indeed, fasting and prayer must go together. Fasting humbles the flesh; prayer strengthens the spirit. Together, they till the soil of the heart, making it ready for the divine seed. For how can one say he desires God yet never speaks to Him? Or how can one hope to be sanctified, yet feeds constantly the appetites of the flesh? No, my beloved, if we truly desire God, we must cut away all that clings to the old man and embrace the means He has given for our renewal.
And with prayer, let us also guard our speech and our ears. As the wise Basil of Caesarea teaches, “Be slow and foolish to idle talk; but be wise, for salvation is given through the knowledge of the Holy Scriptures.” Do not be quick to speak but swift to listen, especially to the Word of God. As the Apostle James exhorts, “Let every man be swift to hear, slow to speak, slow to wrath” (James 1:19). In silence and humility, the Lord speaks. In stillness, the Spirit descends.
So then, brethren, what does God want from us? Not the sacrifice of bulls, but the heart that trembles at His word. Not the will of pride, but the will that hungers for grace. Not lip service faith, but living faith that moves mountains and kneels in the dust. Let us begin this holy work today now not with fear, but with trust. For He who calls us is faithful, and His mercy has no measure.
May the name of the Holy God be praised forever and ever in every tongue that He has created, today and always.
May the blessings of God's mother, the virgin, and the cross be upon us.
Amen.
© John's Repentance
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