My beloved spiritual children in Christ Our Only True God and Our Only True Savior,
CHRIST IS IN OUR MIDST! HE WAS, IS, AND EVER SHALL BE. Ο ΧΡΙΣΤΟΣ ΕΝ ΤΩ ΜΕΣΩ ΗΜΩΝ! ΚΑΙ ΗΝ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΙ ΚΑΙ ΕΣΤΑΙ.
ARE SINS COMMITTED AFTER BAPTISM FORGIVEN?
By Saint John Damascene, from "The Precious Pearl: Lives of Saints Barlaam and Ioasaph," Institute for Byzantine and Modern Greek Studies, Belmont, MA (1997), pp. 137-143.
Ioasaph said to the elder (geronda), "Well then, as the strictness of these doctrines demands such chaste conversation, if after baptism I chance to fall in one or two of these commandments, shall I therefore utterly miss the goal and shall all my hope be in vain?"
Barlaam answered, "Deem not so, God, the Logos/Word, made man for the salvation of our race, aware of the exceeding frailty and misery of our nature, has not even here suffered our sickness to be without remedy. But, like a skillful leech, he has mixed for our unsteady and sin-loving heart the potion of repentance, prescribing this for the remission of sins. For after that we have received the knowledge of the truth, and have been sanctified by water and the spirit, and cleansed without effort from all sin and all defilement, if we should cleanse to fall into any transgression, there is, it is true, no second regeneration made within us by the spirit through baptism in the water of the font, and wholly recreating us (that gift is given once for all): but by means of painful repentance, hot tears, toils, and sweats, there is a purifying and pardoning of our offenses through the tender mercy of our God. For the fount of tears is also called baptism, according to the grace of the Master; but it needs labor and time; and many have it saved after many a fall; because there is no sin too great for the clemency of God, if we are quick to repent and purge the shame of our offense, and death does not overtake us and we do not depart from this life still defiled; for in the grave there is not confession or repentance. But as long as we are among the living, while the foundation of our Orthodox Faith continues un-shattered, even if somewhat of the outer roof-work or inner building be disabled, it is allowed to renew by repentance the part rotted by sins. It is impossible to count the multitude of the mercies of God, or measure the greatness of His compassion: whereas sins and offenses of whatever kind are subject to measure and may be numbered. So, our offenses, being subject to measure and number, cannot overcome the immeasurable compassion and innumerable mercies of God.
Therefore we are commanded not to despair for our trespasses but to acknowledge the goodness of God and condemn the sins whereof forgiveness is offered us by reason of the loving-kindness of Christ who for our sins shed His precious blood. In many places of Holy Scripture, we are taught the power of repentance, and especially by the precepts and Parable of our Lord Jesus Christ. For it says, "From that time Jesus began to preach and to say, 'Repent, for the Kingdom of heaven is at hand." Moreover, He set before us, in a Parable, a certain son that had received his father's substance and taken his journey into a far country and there spent all in riotous living. Then, when there arose a famine in that land, he went and joined himself to one of the citizens of that land of iniquity, who sent him into his fields to feed swine, thus does he designate the most coarse and loathsome sin. When, after much labor, he had come to the utmost misery, and might not even fill his belly with the husks that the swine did eat, at last, he came to perceive his shameful plight, and, bemoaning himself, said, "How many hired servants of my father have bread enough and to spare and I perish with hunger! I will arise and go to my father, and will say to him, 'Father I have sinned against heaven and before you and I am no more worthy to be called your son: make me as one of your hired servants." And he arose and came to his father. But, when he was yet a great way off, his father saw him and had compassion and ran and embraced him and kissed him tenderly, and restoring him to his former rank, made a feast of joy because his son was found again and killed the fatted calf. Lo, this Parable, that Jesus spoke to us, concerns such as turn again from sin and fall at His feet in repentance.
"Again, he represents a certain good shepherd that had a hundred sheep, and when one was lost left the ninety-nine and went forth to seek that which had gone astray until he found it: and he laid it on his shoulders and folded it with those that had not gone astray and called together his friends and neighbors to a banquet because it was found. Likewise, says the Savior, "Joy shall be in heaven over one sinner that repents more than over ninety-nine just persons which need no repentance."
"And, in sooth, even the chief of the disciples Peter, the Rock of the Faith, in the very reason of the Savior's Passion, failing for a little while in his stewardship, that he might understand the worthlessness and misery of human frailty, fell under the guilt of denial. Then he straightway remembered the Lord's words and went out and wept bitterly, and with those hot tears made good his defeat and transferred the victory to his own side. Like a skillful man of war, though fallen, he was not undone nor did he despair, but, springing to his feet, he brought up as a reserve bitter tears from the agony of his soul; and straight away when the enemy saw that sight, like a man whose eyes are scorched with a fierce flame, he leaped off and fled afar, howling horribly. So the chief became chief again, as he had before been chosen teacher of the whole world, being now become its pattern of penitence. And after His Holy Resurrection made good this three-fold denial with three-fold question, "Peter, do you love me?" The Apostle answering, "Yes, Lord, you know that I love you."
"So from all these and many other examples beyond count we learn the virtue of tears and repentance. Only the manner of it must be noted--it must arise from a heart that abominates sin and weeps, as says the Prophet David, "I am weary of my groaning: every night will I wash my bed and water my couch with my tears." Again the cleansing of sins will be wrought by the Blood of Christ, in the greatness of His compassion and the multitude of the mercies of that God Who says, "Though your sins be as scarlet, I will make them white as snow," and so forth. (Source: Orthodox Heritage)
(To be continued)
Please note: I pray all of you understand how very significant the act of sincere repentance is and how our heavenly Father bestows up us His great gift of forgiveness. The Mystery (Sacrament) of Repentance/Confession is called "Second Baptism" because through it we receive from our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ remission of sins and the healing of our soul. Why would not an Orthodox Christian seek to be forgiven, restored and healed? All of us sin and therefore all of us need to be constantly cleansed and purified by the grace of the Holy Spirit our God.
There is a specific preparation for the Sacrament of Repentance/Confession, just as it is, for the participation of Holy Communion.
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"Glory Be To GOD For All Things!--Saint John Chrysostom
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With sincere agape in His Holy Diakonia (Ministry),
The sinner and unworthy servant of God
+Father George