Not only did I learn from Fr. John Scratch’s life, as Bishop Seraphim challenged us to live a life of repentance as Fr. John did, but my priest’s words have stayed with me—if you wonder why someone has not grown, it is because they have not repented.
I read a book entitled Return, published by a small Greek press… in English produced in Pennsylvania (a state otherwise, in my life, known as orthodox-central; just look at this map: http://orthodoxyinamerica.org./sr/geo_gate.php). This book (sorry I do not remember the subtitle, though I remember it is written by an archimandrite) really floored me; it was like something in me shifted and I understood the call to live a life of repentance in a new way.
Now I am rethinking what this means for how I have lived, and what I think the meaning/purpose of life is…
I'm just learning about this too.
ReplyDelete...That healing comes from the gift of repentance; confession.
So confession is the opposite of punishment. It's liberty, new life.
why oh wHY!? do we hold onto our pain and mucky sin so long!?
yeah...
ReplyDeleteso wonderful when we can let it go and be healed through confession...