The Life of Repentance and Purity

Repentance, my brethren, is not only for those beginning their life with God, but is for everyone, even the saints. It is part of our daily prayers. Every person needs repentance, no matter how great his position or his spiritual level. We are all in need of repentance, in need of it everyday, since we sin everyday. For there is no person without sin, even if his life was one day on earth. With repentance, we prepare our hearts for the dwelling of God, and with purity, we will see God (Matt 5:8). Repentance is the beginning of the path towards God, it is a friend along the path till the end.

Repentance was therefore one of the fundamental topics, on which I lectured frequently since the beginning of my work as a Bishop of Christian Education approximately twenty years ago. I delivered many lectures on repentance in St. Mark's Hall in the Monastery of Anba Rewais, in the youth meetings and in university groups. Also, I presented other concentrated lectures at the Angel Church in Damanhour, at St. George's Church in Al-Mahala Al-Kobra and in other cities, especially between the years 1965 and 1969.

After all, do you think I had collected all of what was said about repentance? This is undoubtedly not the case. The topic of repentance is huge and has many branches, it mingles with many other topics from the spiritual life, it mingles with contemplations on the psalms and the sections of the Agbia, the book of Revelation, the book of the Song of Solomon, Romans 12, the characters of the Bible and into the lectures on salvation.

It remains to say that the topic of repentance and purity is open.... It is a whole life....


Pope Shenouda III