Why is repentance so
central to a Christian way of life? It is because the aim of Christian life is
to be perfected in virtue through God’s grace so we can return to Paradise with
eternal life in His kingdom. Repentance is the path to perfection. We need to
remember that there will a Judgment that must be faced. Saint Symeon points out
what Paul writes, “We must appear before the judgment seat of Christ, so
that each one may receive good or evil, according to what he has done in the
body (2Cor 5:10).”
Saint
Symeon says,
Let
us repent with all our heart and castaway not only our evil deeds, but also the
wicked and unclean thoughts of our hearts and obliterate them in accordance
with that which is written: ‘Rend your hearts and not your garments (Joel
2:13).’ Tell me: what use is it if we distribute all our goods to the poor, but
fail to make a break with evil and to hate sin? What [use is it] if, while we
do not actively commit bodily sin, we mentally engage in shameful and unclean
thoughts and invisibly commit sin and are governed controlled by restrain
passions of the soul?
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