Clergy Reflection: Wednesday Of The Fifth Week

Wednesday of the Fifth Week

Therefore bear fruits worthy of repentance. Matt. 3:8 It is no secret that one of the greatest obstacles to the growth of Christianity today is the life of most Christians. True repentance, a true change of our hearts, and a true acknowledgment of our sinful- ness, is absolutely necessary for spiritual growth but woefully lacking today. You cannot expect forgive- ness without repentance. You cannot expect to become righteous unless you are on the Way that the Lord asks us to follow. We are a people that have been “sacramentalized but not evangel- ized.” In other words, we have made the sacra- ments, especially Holy Communion, the end-all and be-all of the Christian life without knowing what the Good News says about another Mystery in the Church: Holy Confession. While some today do not even realize this exists in the Orthodox Church, the Church herself calls it mandatory and fundamen- tal. Repentance is something that results from our clear vision of Christ’s life, our true understanding of how we are to live His life through ours. If there is any true desire to improve yourself this Great Lent, go to Confession and receive His grace.

Fr. Christopher Stamas