The Great and Miraculous Power of Repentance

Published by Orthodox Kypseli

The greatest miracle is this; A proud man to become humble. An unrighteous to become righteous… A man of vice to become a man of virtue. This transformation is of course achieved through the great and miraculous power of repentance. This short book contains a collection of the sayings of the Holy Fathers with an emphasis on sayings and examples relating to salvation which springs from the repentant way of life.

Examples include such Fathers as St John Chrysostom who says, “The one who repents does not repeat things for which he has repented for”, St Isaac the Syrian who affirms that, “Whoever considers his sins to be small, falls into worse ones”, and St John of the Ladder who says, “Our pride makes us forget our sins because their remembrance leads to humility”. But the book also contains many inspiring examples of repentance found in the lives of the Saints.

One such story relates how Saint Martin, a merciful man who was always giving alms to the poor, would occasionally have some crippled and half-paralysed beggars flee from him. This was because they knew the Saint also performed miracles and that he might cure them. If they were cured, they would not be able to beg for alms in the future and would have to work hard like everyone else. “How many of us imitate them and avoid going to Confession or studying God’s word for fear that our eyes might open and we shall be obliged to lose our lifestyle and so miss our pleasures!”

This book is an easy read and yet stimulating. It is highly recommended especially in preparation for Holy Confession. “When man confesses his sins, his soul is cleansed and becomes radiant like a diamond. Without confession there is no repentance, and without repentance man cannot be saved” (Hermit Joseph the Athonite).

Source: Lychnos April 2018 / May 2018