Repentance Leads to Passion

This Season of Lent which was started on Ash Wednesday with imposition of ashes on our foreheads marking ourselves with the Sign of the Cross, with the immortal words reminded us that ‘we are dust and to dust we shall return one day.’ That powerful reminder of the mortality of our lives was accompanied with an invitation to repent and to turn to the Gospel.

- Rev. (Dr.) Fr. Victor SILVA

Throughout the season of Lent, the church invites us to repent for our sins. Repentance is not just feeling sorry and seeking forgiveness but more to return to God and believe in the gospel preaching and to make a sincere effort in turning away from sins and wrong doing. Repentance should be accompanied by a commitment to change which involves a constant effort to amend one’s behavior. It is a conversion and to transformation; complete change of heart and mind embrace the Gospel values of the kingdom of God.

All these notions and sentiments are summarized and presented in that penitential prayer we say - Act of Contrition - when we in particular, receive the sacrament of reconciliation — sacrament of confession. Let us repent from our hearts for our sins as we recite the Act of Contrition. O my God, I am heartily sorry for having offended thee, and I detest all my sins because of thy punishments, but most of all because they offend thee, my God who art all good and deserving of all my love. I firmly resolve, with the help of thy grace, to sin no more and to avoid the near occasions of sinAmen.

The holy scriptures emphasize repentance as a necessary step towards spiritual renewal and reconciliation with God. The verse from the Acts of the Apostles says :(Acts of the Apostles 3:19)

‘Repent, then and turn to God, so that he will forgive your sins. If you do.’ and John 1: 8-9 ‘If we say that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves and there is no truth in us. But if we confess our sins to God; He will keep his promise and do what is right. He will forgive us our sins and purify us from all our wrong doings.’ These above two verses emphasize the transformative power of repentance, offering a promise of divine forgiveness and restoration. Jesus is quite clear and straight forward in his message regarding repentance. In St. Luke 13:3 He says, ‘No indeed ! And I tell you that if you do not turn from your sins, you will all die as they did.’