It’s not enough to say “I repent” in a broad, general sense. When you remember the minor things, they help you do the major work of repentance right. If you think: “I hurt others easily with my tongue, I overindulge myself and ignore the others. Deep down, I secretly wish for the others to get harmed too easily”. One thing here, another thing there, you seri- ously realize you are being mean, prideful and so on!
When you have repentance and hope in the mercy of God, you see your sin more clearly. And the more profusely you confess it, the more you’re for- given, cleansed and redeemed.
We have the duty to live our life. And we should live it right. We are not allowed to shorten the days of our life. God granted us this life to live it accord- ing to His will, for as long as He wants, in order for us to live eternally with Him.
Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos (†)
From the book: Archimandrite Symeon Kragiopoulos, “SPIRITUAL MESSAGES” Panorama Thessaloniki, 2017
