Have a Blessed Day
Pray for my weakness
Fr. Antonious Abba Moses
CONFESSION AND REPENTANCE
By H.H Pope Shenouda III
The sacrament of confession in the church is the sacrament of repentance. And without repentance, confession would not be a confession...Repentance is an utter conviction from the heart that you have sinned. Repentance is to judge and convict yourself...Thus confession, is just an admittance of your own...condemnation... Then it is not the phrase, "I have sinned." or reciting your sins.
The true confession starts in the heart, with one rejecting his own deeds and despising his behavior. The one who condemns himself accepts any punishment that befalls him either from God or people, considering that he deserves it ...
To grumble about the punishment proves that there has been no repentance...
Repentance also includes trying your best to remedy the consequences resulting from sin... and restitute any injustice that occurred to others. Therefore, Zacchaeus, in his repentance, stood and said to the Lord, "... and if I have taken anything from anyone by false accusation, I restore fourfold." (Luke 19:8) As for you, restore at least the same amount. Repentance without restoration is not sufficient...
Repentance needs a humble heart. The one who persists in his pride and dignity would not be able to repent. The one who always defends himself and justifies his deeds and words is not a repentant person. His pride stops him from repentance.
The priest is supposed to say to the confessor, "May God absolve you," when he sees that the person has repented. The absolution is not to be said to the unrepentant.
When one hears the phrase, "may God absolve you", it refers to the sins that this person has repented from... The confessor who is absolutely sure that he has sinned, and his conscience is harshly rebuking him, could change his behavior and repent. On the other hand, the one who justifies himself could easily continue in his sins, as he does not feel their weight and they do not internally disturb him. How could one repent while he is not convinced that he is wrong!!
The first step is one's conviction that he has sinned. Therefore, confession is the second step, not the starting point. There is a big difference between a true confession and another
without conviction.
Today’s Synaxarium: 17 Amshir 1728
- Martyrdom of St.Mina the Monk
Today we will read chapter 59 from the book of Psalm at 10:00 PM, May God bless.
+ سنكسار اليوم: 17 أمشير 1728
· استشهاد القديس انبا مينا الراهب
آية اليوم: مياه كثيرة لا تستطيع ان تطفئ المحبة و السيول لا تغمرها ان اعطى الانسان كل ثروة بيته بدل المحبة تحتقر احتقارا ( نش 8 : 7)
حكمة اليوم : التوبة هى استبدال شهوة بشهوة اى بعد ان كنت تشتهى العالم و الجسد و الخطية اصبحت كل شهواتك روحية مركزة فى الله و الحياة معة و ثق ان الخطية لا تستطيع ان تدخل قلبا يحب الله البابا شنودة الثالث
0 التعليقات:
إرسال تعليق