Repentance and Confession

Repentance is man’s return to God. It is a change-of-heart in the nous from the darkness of sin to the light of Christ. The beginning of this journey is “the awareness of our errors, which is a great opportunity for us to attract divine mercy. This is why the Prophet David says to God: Have mercy upon me,…For I am conscious of my iniquity (Ps. 50: 1, 3).” We acknowledge that we are responsible for our condition, and we humbly seek God’s mercy.

The repentant soul sheds heartfelt tears and offers fervent supplication to the benevolent Christ: Bow yourself down to the groaning of me heart. Subsequently, man experiences the magnitude of divine forbearance and, justifiably, wonder and awe arise in his soul: Who can search out the multitude of my sins and the depths of our judgements, my Saviour, saviour of souls?

This booklet speaks about repentance, the healing of the wounds of sin, and about holy Confession, the Sacrament through which man’s repentance is accomplished. Particular emphasis is placed on preparation for the Sacrament as well as on the fruits of repentance that accompany it.

It is the writer’s humble prayer that the words of the God-bearing Fathers will help us all experience the miracle of repentance so that we may saviour, from this day forward, the resurrection of our soul and the new life in Christ. — Prologue