TO REPENT is TO CHANGE. The essence of Lent: from death to the Resurrection through Repentance.

Summary

This video script delves into the concept of repentance within the Orthodox tradition, emphasizing its true essence as a profound change rather than mere emotions or physical acts. It contrasts the image of genuine repentance with the misguided focus on judging others' sins. The speaker uses powerful desert father stories to illustrate the idea of mourning over one's own spiritual failings, akin to grieving a lost loved one, and encourages viewers to seek transformation towards becoming the saint God intended, utilizing the tools of faith for genuine repentance and spiritual resurrection.

Takeaways

• 😢 Repentance is like weeping over the 'dead body' of our own potential saintliness, which we have lost due to sinfulness.
• 🌿 The beginning of the Great Lent is a time for Orthodox Christians to focus on the fruit of repentance, which is a crown we strive for.
• 📚 There are many stories from the Desert Fathers that illustrate the concept of true repentance, emphasizing the need for deep sorrow over personal sin.
• 🔍 Repentance is not about judging others but focusing on our own sins, much like a mother would prioritize her own child over another's.
• 💔 We should be consumed by the pain of our lost potential to be the saint God intended us to be, similar to the pain of losing a loved one.
• 🚫 Repentance is not about external activities like fasting or prayer, but rather a change in our hearts and actions towards God.
• 🧠 Intellect can aid in understanding repentance, but it is not a requirement; both simple and highly intelligent people can repent.
• 🌱 Repentance is a positive action of self-reflection, confession, and change, rather than an emotional state or physical activity.
• 🛑 It involves recognizing our mistakes, understanding our sins, and taking steps to correct our direction in life.
• 🕊 The purpose of religious practices like fasting and prayer is to support the process of repentance, making us more receptive to God's grace.
• 🌟 The ultimate goal of repentance is to resurrect the 'dead saint' within us, allowing us to become the person God created us to be.

Q & A

What is the main theme of the video script?

The main theme of the video script is repentance, focusing on the concept of true repentance as described in the teachings of the desert fathers and its significance in the spiritual journey.

What does the speaker suggest is the 'one fruit' and 'one crown' that believers are fighting for?

The speaker suggests that repentance is the 'one fruit' and 'one crown' that believers are striving for in their spiritual journey.

What is the story of the woman in the desert and how does it relate to repentance?

The story of the woman in the desert involves her crying over the dead body of her husband. The speaker uses this story as an analogy for true repentance, where one should cry over their own sinfulness and the 'death' of their inner saint.

What does the speaker say about the potential saint within us and its relation to repentance?

The speaker says that the potential saint within us is slowly dying because of our sinfulness, and that repentance involves acknowledging this and changing our ways to resurrect that potential.

What is the difference between judging others and repenting for oneself according to the script?

According to the script, judging others is like a woman crying over the dead child of another while ignoring her own dead child. In contrast, repentance is about focusing on one's own sins and changing, rather than focusing on the sins of others.

Why does the speaker emphasize that repentance is not an emotion?

The speaker emphasizes that repentance is not an emotion because it is a change in behavior and direction, not just a feeling or state of mind. Emotions can support repentance, but the core of repentance is the action of changing.

What is the role of intellect in the process of repentance as described in the script?

The role of intellect in repentance, as described in the script, is that it can serve as a tool to guide us through the process by reading the writings of the holy fathers and understanding their wisdom, but it does not determine one's ability to repent.

What are some of the tools or practices that the speaker mentions can help in the process of repentance?

The speaker mentions fasting, prayer, prostrations, night vigils, and almsgiving as tools or practices that can help in the process of repentance, but emphasizes that these are means to an end, not the end itself.

How does the speaker describe the purpose of an all-night vigil in the context of repentance?

The speaker describes the purpose of an all-night vigil as a time to be alone with God, to dwell deeper in the image of death, and to focus on repentance without distractions.

What is the significance of the story about Saint Sophroni of Essex mentioned in the script?

The significance of the story about Saint Sophroni of Essex is to illustrate that acting as if one has a quality, such as love, can lead to God granting that quality in abundance, which relates to the idea of repentance as a change in behavior leading to spiritual growth.

What is the final message the speaker conveys about repentance and the journey towards God?

The final message the speaker conveys is that repentance is about changing one's direction towards God, resurrecting the 'dead saint' within us, and supporting each other in this spiritual journey, ultimately leading to eternal life.

Outlines

00:00

😔 Reflections on True Repentance

This paragraph discusses the concept of repentance in the context of Orthodox Christianity, emphasizing its importance as a spiritual journey. The speaker uses the metaphor of a grieving woman to illustrate the depth of sorrow one should feel for their sins, comparing it to the loss of a loved one. The narrative encourages introspection and lamentation over one's own spiritual failings rather than focusing on the sins of others. The speaker also highlights the futility of judging others while neglecting one's own spiritual state, urging the listener to seek true repentance by acknowledging and mourning the 'death' of their inner saint.

05:00

🙏 Understanding Repentance Beyond External Practices

The speaker clarifies that repentance is not merely an emotional state or intellectual understanding, but a transformative change in one's life. They caution against confusing repentance with religious practices such as fasting or prayer, which are tools to facilitate but not the essence of repentance. The true nature of repentance is self-examination, recognizing one's sins, confessing them, and making a conscious effort to change. The speaker emphasizes that repentance is accessible to all, regardless of intelligence or education, and that it requires a willingness to make sacrifices for personal spiritual growth.

10:00

🕊️ The Role of Spiritual Practices in Fostering Repentance

This paragraph delves into the purpose of spiritual practices like fasting, prayer, and prostrations, explaining that they serve as physical manifestations of one's repentance. The speaker suggests that engaging in these practices can sometimes initiate the process of repentance, even when one initially lacks genuine remorse. They reference the story of Saint Sophroni, who advised acting as if one possesses love to receive it from God, as an example of how God rewards sincere efforts with spiritual growth. The paragraph concludes by emphasizing the importance of change as the core of repentance, with the ultimate goal of resurrecting the 'dead saint' within through Christ's transformative power.

15:01

🌟 The Resurrection of the Inner Saint Through Repentance

The final paragraph concludes the discourse on repentance by likening the spiritual journey to the resurrection of Christ, signifying the potential for the 'dead saint' within each individual to be reborn. The speaker calls for unity, mutual support, and shared prayer among believers as they navigate their spiritual paths. The paragraph serves as a reminder of the transformative power of repentance and the collective responsibility to help one another carry their crosses, echoing the teachings of Christ for eternal life.

Keywords

💡Repentance

Repentance is a central theme of the video, referring to the act of feeling deep remorse for one's sins and seeking to amend one's behavior. It is defined as the 'one fruit, the one crown we are fighting for' in the speaker's spiritual journey. The concept is illustrated through the parable of the woman mourning her husband, symbolizing the deep sorrow one should have for the loss of their spiritual potential.

💡Desert Fathers

The Desert Fathers were early Christian hermits, monks, and ascetics who lived in the deserts of Egypt and Palestine. They are mentioned in the script as sources of wisdom and teachings that have shaped the speaker's understanding of repentance, particularly through their sayings and stories.

💡Sinfulness

Sinfulness is the state of having or being marked by sin. In the context of the video, it is the condition that has led to the 'death' of the potential saint within each person. The speaker emphasizes the need to cry over one's sinfulness, akin to the woman crying over her husband's body, as a true expression of repentance.

💡Saint

A saint, in this context, represents the ideal state of spiritual purity and righteousness that each person is created to become. The term is used metaphorically to describe the 'dead body' or the lost potential within each individual due to sin, which one should mourn and seek to resurrect through repentance.

💡Lamentation

Lamentation is the act of expressing grief or sorrow, often through weeping or mourning. The speaker begins the video with a question about what 'first fruit' to offer to Christ in lamentation, setting a tone of deep sorrow for one's actions and the need for repentance.

💡Judging Others

Judging others is presented as a misdirected action in the video, where one focuses on the sins of others instead of one's own. The speaker uses the metaphor of a woman crying over another's dead child while ignoring her own to illustrate the folly of this behavior in contrast to true repentance.

💡Fasting

Fasting is a form of self-discipline and spiritual practice often associated with repentance. However, the speaker clarifies that fasting is not repentance itself but a tool to help express and facilitate it. The purpose of fasting is to become 'thin' in a spiritual sense, making one more receptive to divine influence.

💡Prostrations and Bowels

Prostrations and bowels refer to physical acts of worship, such as bowing or lying prostrate before God. In the video, these acts are described as tools to give physical manifestation to repentance, but they are not repentance itself. They are means to express humility and seek God's mercy.

💡Change

Change is the essence of repentance as described in the video. It is not an emotion or intellectual understanding but a transformation in one's behavior and direction in life. The speaker emphasizes that true repentance involves recognizing one's sins and actively working to correct them.

💡Resurrection

Resurrection in the video is used metaphorically to represent the spiritual rebirth or revival of the 'dead saint' within each person. It is the ultimate goal of repentance, where one's potential for sainthood, compromised by sin, is restored through Christ's power.

💡Intellect

Intellect is mentioned in the context of its role in the process of repentance. While it can be a tool for understanding spiritual teachings and guiding one's actions, the speaker emphasizes that being intelligent or well-read does not guarantee true repentance. It is the willingness to change and act on that change that truly matters.

Highlights

Repentance is the beginning of the Great Lent for Orthodox Christians, symbolized by the one fruit and crown they fight for.

A story from the Desert Fathers illustrates true repentance through a woman mourning her husband's death, paralleling the mourning for our own sinfulness.

The great saint teaches that we should cry over our lost potential as saints, just as the woman cries for her husband.

Repentance involves being consumed by the pain of losing the saint within us, similar to the woman's grief over her husband.

When truly repentant, one cannot judge or condemn others, as the focus is solely on one's own sins.

Another Desert Fathers' story contrasts judging others' sins with mourning one's own, like a woman crying over another's dead child while ignoring her own.

Judging others' sins is likened to neglecting one's own spiritual death while mourning others'.

Repentance is not about emotions, intellectual understanding, or physical activities, but about change.

Emotions, while helpful, are not the essence of repentance, which is a positive action of changing direction towards God.

Intellectual ability does not determine one's success in repentance; it is the willingness to change that matters.

Repentance is not a bodily thing and should not be confused with fasting or physical acts of piety.

Fasting, prayer, and prostrations are tools to aid repentance but are not repentance itself.

Saint Sophroni told someone to act as if they have love, and God will grant them love beyond their expectations.

Repentance involves looking at oneself, understanding one's mistakes, and then acting to change.

All tools provided by God and the Church become useful when used for the purpose of changing and repenting.

The purpose of repentance is to resurrect the 'dead saint' within us, which has been compromised by sinfulness.

Christ's resurrection symbolizes the potential for the 'dead saint' in us to be resurrected through repentance and change.

The journey of repentance is a communal one, involving learning, praying, supporting, and carrying each other's crosses.

Transcripts

[Music]

shall i begin to weep for the actions of

my wretched life

what first fruit shall i offer all

christ in this my lamentation

hello my dear ones i want to

talk to you a bit today about repentance

because

as we advance through the great land

for us the orthodox it is the very

beginning of great land

repentance is the one fruit

the one crown we are fighting for

and there there are so many beautiful

stories that feed my understanding of

repentance but there's one in particular

from the desert fathers about one of the

great saints of the desert

walking along with uh some of his

disciples

walking through the desert of egypt and

all of a sudden coming

upon this woman who is

collapsed over the dead body of her

husband

they are burying her husband and and

she's completely

completely consumed by her

pain by the the suffering of her loss

and she

cries her heart out embracing

the dead body of her husband and the

great saint

whose name to my shame i cannot remember

but i'll look it up when i go back to

the monastery and i'll include it

somewhere in the video

the great saint tells his disciples that

this is the image of true repentance

we should cry over our own sinfulness we

should cry over

the dead body the corpse of our

of our saint of the saint in us the same

way

that this old woman was crying over

the body of her husband we should be

consumed with the pain

of having lost the saint in us that

potential

saint that god created us to become we

should be consumed by that pain

to to the extent to which that woman was

consumed by the pain of having lost

her life long companion

nothing else should exist we shouldn't

be able to see

anything else we shouldn't be able to to

hear anything else to perceive

the rights or the wrongs of our brothers

or sisters

to be envious would be utterly foreign

to our mind because how can one be

envious when one doesn't see

anything anymore to judge and condemn

would be

just illogical to to our state of being

because how can someone judge or condemn

something that one doesn't even see

doesn't even notice

the saint in us is slowly dying

because of our sinfulness and crying

over the body of this saint

is the perfect image of what repentance

is like instead what we do

is something else and there's another

story in the same collection of the

sayings of the desert fathers

there's a story about

another monk who

tries to describe to his brothers

what it is like to judge others

instead of judging oneself and the image

he uses

is almost the same age image he says

that

to judge someone else's sins

instead of judging your own foreigners

is like a dead woman

crying over the dead husband or the dead

daughter or son of another woman

while her own dead son or daughter

lies in its corner abandoned and

forgotten

can you imagine this scene two women

losing let's say their sons both their

sons

are dying and one of the woman

just cries over the corpse of a son

while the other one

abandons her own son and goes to cry

over the dead son of the other woman

completely ignoring her own dead son

this is what judging the sin of others

looks like in comparison to what

repentance looks like

we should cry over our own dead

son we should cry over our own dead

saint the the failure

of us in becoming the saint whom god

created us to become

and instead of doing that we cry over

the body of someone else's son or

someone else's husband

we cry for the potential loss of someone

else's

potential saint

repentance is simple

my dear ones we mistake repentance with

the tools god has given us in order to

help us repent and in order to express

our repentance

we confuse repentance with fasting we

confuse

repentance with an intellectual sort of

game

we confuse repentance frequently with uh

emotional states

but repentance is not an emotion

repentance is not an intellectual

ability to understand things

and repentance is not even a physical

thing a physical activity you can do

repentance is change

repentance is simply looking at yourself

looking at that corpse the the dead body

of the saint whom god created you to

become

and asking yourself how

did i get here where

did i get things wrong what is my

sin what is the process of my fullness

understanding that owning up to that in

confession

and then changing repentance

is change repentance is not an emotional

trick

of course emotions serve us

emotions feed our prayers emotions

feed our tears emotions feed our

humility in relation to everyone else

around us

but repentance is not an emotion

repentance is a positive

action the action of changing

correcting your direction changing

direction

so that you go once again so that you

advance once again towards god

repentance is not an emotion it is not

an intellectual ability

simple people as well as highly

intelligent people can

fail in their repentance or can succeed

in their repentance equally easy

of course our intellect can serve us

of course our intellect and serve us to

read for example

the writings of the holy fathers and to

to allow those writings and their wisdom

to

guide us in the process of repentance

but being smart

or not being smart being well read

or not being read at all makes no

difference

ultimately on whether or not you are

going to implement repentance

to implement change

i know some of the simplest people

in the monasteries in moldavia and they

are some of the most

repentant truly repentant persons i've

met

and i have met in my life some of the

most intelligent

well-educated people in the universities

um i've i've studied and

and i've seen very little very little

sign of repentance in them the intellect

can

serve us or not but it is nothing but a

tool

in order to acquire repentance

ultimately

whether you've read one book in your

lifetime or you've got

a library that equals that of a pharaoh

the question remains the same are

you willing to implement the sacrifices

required

in order to change

and ultimately and i want to stress this

particularly for the orthodox

repentance is not a bodily thing

don't confuse repentance with fasting

don't confuse repentance with

prostrations and bowels and

night vigils and everything else that we

do

these things are immensely helpful

don't get me wrong and you know i've

i've spoken to you

before they are immensely helpful

but again they are just tools the point

of an all-night vigil is to act in you

everything we talked about when we

talked about night vigils

is for you to be alone with god is for

you to

to dwell deeper in that image of death

which is night and so on and so forth

the purpose of

fasting is that you become a thin

person not thin in the sense of losing

weight but

thin in the celtic meaning like a thin

place you can also become

a thin being you become semi-transparent

to another world because when you fight

against your own instincts

your instinct to to nourish yourself the

instinct to

uh sleep and rest at night and so on

then you you return a bit

onto that state in which adam and eve

were created and existed before the fall

and the purpose of prayer the purpose of

prostrations and bowels

the purpose there is that we give a

physical manifestation

a visual manifestation to our repentance

and sometimes sometimes we begin with no

repentance at all

because we just don't have anything in

us to offer god

but because we try because we offer god

this

nothing of ours

god in his immeasurable mercy and love

repays us by by bestowing upon us

the gift of true repentance

there's um there's a story somewhere

concerning

saint sophonia of essex someone asked

him

i do not have love what do i do

in order to have love in my heart and

sensofroni told

that person act as if you have

love and god seeing your humility

and seeing your effort and seeing your

willingness to put yourself on the cross

god will grant you love beyond

your expectations beyond your greatest

wildest hopes

repentance my brother and my sister

is change we need to look at

ourselves we need to look at this dead

saint hidden within each one of us

and ask ourselves what have i

done that the saint in me has died

how did i get here how did i collapse

into this state

in which i'm right now and then once you

understand

where the mistake is where the scene is

once you see

the root of the problem then you need to

act

by changing

and then everything all the tools put at

our disposal by god and by the church

become useful the fasting

has purpose all of a sudden the prayer

the vigils the bows the prostrations the

almsgiving

everything excuse me everything all of a

sudden

has meaning there's a purpose there

to repent is to change

so that the dead saint in us can be

resurrected

it's not for nothing that at the end of

this 40 days of

fasting and of struggle we seeing

christ is risen from the dead

from this dead saint in me

whom i have killed the potential of me

becoming a saint

whom i have compromised through my

sinfulness

but christ is risen from the dead

trampling down death by death and upon

those

in the tombs bestowing life

the dead in us this

dead potential in us the corpse of the

saint god created us to become

will be resurrected by christ

if we act and if

we repent by changing

may god bless you my brother and my

sister

and may we travel together through this

land

learning from each other praying for

each other

supporting and and carrying each other's

crosses when

one of us falls along the way

this is what christ has taught us to do

in order to be given eternal life

be blessed be blessed

be blessed

[Music]

flesh to the amen of all make confession

to him and abstain henceforth from thy

past brutishness

and offer to god tears of repentance

[Music]

formed man and i have found myself

stripped naked of god of eternal kingdom

and its joy

because of my sins

on me o god have mercy on me