Repentance is a central aspect of the Eastern Orthodox spiritual tradition, and the Philokalia offers deep insights into its practice. This ancient text emphasizes the need for a deep and sincere turning away from sin and a turning towards God. It’s not just a matter of regretting past actions but a call to make a radical change in one’s life and behavior.
Through the practice of repentance, believers can experience a deep and abiding sense of forgiveness and liberation from sin. In this blog, we will explore the teachings of the Philokalia on this essential spiritual practice.
The Philokalia emphasizes that true repentance involves recognizing one’s own sinfulness and a deep sense of contrition. St. Mark the Ascetic says, “Repentance is the starting point of spiritual rebirth, the foundation on which the grace-filled structure of virtue is built.” This means that repentance is not merely an act of confession or saying sorry, but it constitutes a deep acknowledgment that we have sinned and fallen short of God’s glory.
The first step towards repentance, therefore, is humility, an honest recognition of our limitations as humans. The Philokalia also teaches that repentance involves self-examination, the process of looking within oneself to confront our thoughts, attitudes, and motivations. Through self-examination, we can identify the areas where we are falling short and take steps to rectify our behavior.
St. Hesychios the Priest says, “In order to repent, it is necessary first to examine oneself attentively, so as to perceive in oneself the nature and extent of one’s faults.” This requires cultivating virtues such as patience, perseverance, and self-control, which help us to resist temptation and overcome our sinful tendencies.
The Philokalia also emphasizes that repentance is a lifelong process that requires ongoing effort and perseverance. We cannot simply confess our sins once and then go back to our old ways. Instead, we must strive every day to live a life that is pleasing to God. St. John Cassian says, “Difficult indeed is the work of penitence, and so it must be, since to be good is difficult.”
The practice of repentance requires discipline, consistency, and dedication to the spiritual life. Through the practice of repentance, the Philokalia teaches that we can experience a deep and abiding sense of forgiveness and liberation from sin. St. Isaac of Syria says, “Repentance is the daughter of hope and the refusal of despair.”
We do not need to despair in the face of our sins since God’s mercy is always available to us. Through repentance, we can come to a deeper understanding of God’s love and forgiveness, which can transform our hearts and minds.
In conclusion, the Philokalia offers deep insights into the practice of repentance, which is a central aspect of the Eastern Orthodox spiritual tradition.
Repentance is not just a matter of regretting past actions but of making a radical change in one’s life and behavior. It involves humility, self-examination, and the cultivation of virtues such as patience, perseverance, and self-control. Through the practice of repentance, believers can experience a deep and abiding sense of forgiveness and liberation from sin. As we strive to live a life pleasing to God, let us keep the teachings of the Philokalia on repentance always in mind.
