Chapter 1 #

¹ Even though we covered many aspects of repentance in the previous book, there is still much more to explore. Therefore, we will continue this discussion so that it doesn’t feel like we’ve left the teachings only partially addressed.

² Repentance should be pursued not only with urgency but also with diligence. Otherwise, we risk resembling the situation in the Gospel, where the owner of a vineyard planted a fig tree and, finding no fruit on it, told the gardener, “Cut it down; why should it waste the soil?” The gardener then pleaded, “Give it one more year; I’ll dig around it and fertilize it. If it bears fruit, great; if not, then let it be cut down.”

³ Let us then enrich this field of ours, like diligent farmers who are not ashamed to nourish the soil with rich fertilizer and spread dark ashes over it, knowing that this will lead to a more abundant harvest.

⁴ The Apostle shows us how to “fertilize” our lives by saying, “I count all things as loss, that I may gain Christ.” Despite facing both praise and slander, he remained focused on pleasing Christ. He knew that Abraham, in his deep humility, found favor with God by confessing that he was merely dust and ashes. He also knew that Job, sitting among the ashes, regained everything he had lost. And he remembered David’s words, how God lifts the poor from the dust and raises the needy from the ash heap.

⁵ Let us not be ashamed to confess our sins to the Lord. While there is indeed a sense of shame in revealing our sins, that very shame works like a plow on our souls—clearing away the recurring weeds, cutting back the thorns, and bringing new life to the fruits we thought were lost. Follow the example of one who diligently tended his field in search of eternal reward: “When reviled, we bless; when persecuted, we endure; when slandered, we plead; we have become like the refuse of the world.” If you plow in this way, you will sow spiritual seeds. Plow to rid yourself of sin and to bear good fruit. He plowed to remove the last remnants of persecution from his heart. What greater encouragement could Christ offer us in our pursuit of perfection than to transform a persecutor into a teacher?

Chapter 2 #

¹ Refuted by the clear example and writings of the Apostle, the heretics still try to resist and claim that their views are supported by apostolic authority. They cite a passage from the Epistle to the Hebrews: “For it is impossible for those who were once enlightened, who have tasted the heavenly gift, shared in the Holy Spirit, and experienced the goodness of God’s word and the powers of the coming age, if they fall away, to be brought back to repentance, as they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting Him to public disgrace.”

² Could Paul contradict his own actions? He had forgiven sin through penance at Corinth, so how could he speak against his own decision? Since he wouldn’t undermine what he had already established, we must assume that his later teachings were different in nature but not opposed to what he had said before. Contradictory statements can’t support one another, whereas different statements often carry another meaning. Because Paul spoke of granting forgiveness through penance, he couldn’t remain silent about those who believed that baptism should be repeated. It was necessary, first and foremost, to ease our concerns by assuring us that even after baptism, sins could still be forgiven, so that people wouldn’t be misled by the false idea of repeated baptism, which might otherwise lead those who had lost hope in forgiveness astray. Secondly, it was important to clearly argue that baptism should not be repeated.

³ It’s clear that the writer was referring to baptism in the passage where it states that it is impossible to renew to repentance those who have fallen, since we are renewed through the waters of baptism, where we are born again. Paul himself affirms this: “For we are buried with Him through baptism into death, so that, just as Christ was raised from the dead through the glory of the Father, we too may walk in newness of life.” In another passage, he says, “Be renewed in the spirit of your mind, and put on the new self, created to be like God.” And elsewhere: “Your youth shall be renewed like the eagle,” which refers to the belief that the eagle, after death, is reborn from its ashes—just as we, dead in sin, are reborn to God and created anew through the Sacrament of Baptism. Thus, here as elsewhere, Paul teaches about one baptism. “One faith,” he says, “one baptism.”

⁴ It is also clear that in the act of baptism, the Son of God is crucified within us, for our flesh could not overcome sin unless it were crucified with Jesus Christ. Scripture tells us that “all of us who were baptized into Jesus Christ were baptized into His death.” Further, it says, “If we have been united with Him in a death like His, we shall certainly also be united with Him in a resurrection like His, knowing that our old self was crucified with Him.” To the Colossians, Paul writes, “Buried with Him in baptism, in which you were also raised with Him.” This was written to assure us that Christ is crucified within us, so that our sins may be cleansed through Him, and that He, who alone can forgive sins, might nail to His cross the record of our transgressions. In us, He triumphs over principalities and powers, as it is written: “He disarmed the rulers and authorities and made a public spectacle of them, triumphing over them in Himself.”

⁵ Therefore, the passage in the Epistle to the Hebrews, which states that it is impossible for those who have fallen to be “… to be brought back to repentance. To their loss they are crucifying the Son of God all over again and subjecting him to public disgrace”, should be understood as referring to baptism. In baptism, we crucify the Son of God within ourselves, so that the world may be crucified for us through Him. We triumph, in a sense, by taking on the likeness of His death, just as He put principalities and powers to shame on His cross and triumphed over them. In the same way, by sharing in His death, we also triumph over the powers whose yoke we have cast off. However, Christ was crucified once and died to sin once, which means there is only one baptism, not several.

⁶ But what about the passage that mentions the doctrine of baptisms? Since there were many baptisms or washings under the Law, he rightly criticizes those who abandon what is perfect and return to the basic teachings. He teaches us that all the washings under the Law have been abolished, and that there is now one baptism within the sacraments of the Church. He urges us to move beyond the basic teachings and strive for perfection. And he adds that we will do this if God allows, for no one can achieve perfection without God’s grace.

⁷ I might also say to anyone who thinks this passage speaks of repentance that what is impossible for humans is possible with God. God has the power to forgive our sins, even those we believe are unforgivable, whenever He wills. So, it is possible for God to give us what we believe is impossible to obtain. For example, it seemed impossible that water could wash away sin, just as Naaman the Syrian doubted that his leprosy could be cleansed by water. But God made the impossible possible, granting us such great grace. Similarly, it seemed impossible that sins could be forgiven through repentance, but Christ gave this authority to His apostles, which has been passed down to the priesthood. What was once impossible has become possible. However, through sound reasoning, he makes it clear that the repetition of the Sacrament of Baptism by anyone is not allowed.

Chapter 3 #

¹ The Apostle does not contradict the clear teaching of Christ, who illustrated the repentance of a sinner through the parable of a man who, after receiving his inheritance from his father, squandered it in reckless living. Later, when he was reduced to feeding on scraps, he longed for his father’s bread. Upon returning, he was welcomed back with a robe, a ring, shoes, and the killing of the calf—a symbol of the Lord’s Passion, through which we receive forgiveness.

² It is fittingly said that the one who went into a foreign country is like someone cut off from the sacred altar, for this means being separated from the heavenly Jerusalem, the citizenship, and the home of the saints. This is why the Apostle says, “Therefore, you are no longer strangers and foreigners, but fellow citizens with the saints and members of God’s household.”

³ And it is said that he squandered his resources. Rightly so, for anyone whose faith falters in producing good deeds ends up wasting it. Faith is the foundation of our hopes, the proof of what we cannot see. And faith is a valuable asset, the legacy of our hope.

⁴ It’s no surprise that he was starving, lacking the divine nourishment that drives him to say, “I will arise and go to my father and say, ‘Father, I have sinned against heaven and before you.’” Don’t you see how clearly this shows that we are urged to pray in order to receive the sacrament? And would you really want to remove the very thing that penance is meant to achieve? Take away a pilot’s hope of reaching the port, and he’ll drift aimlessly on the waves. Take the crown from an athlete, and he’ll falter and collapse on the track. Take from a fisherman the chance to catch his prize, and he’ll stop casting his nets. So how can someone who is spiritually hungry pray more earnestly to God if he has no hope of receiving heavenly nourishment?

⁵ “I have sinned,” he says, “against heaven and before you.” He admits to what is clearly a sin deserving death, so that you may not believe that anyone who sincerely repents is beyond forgiveness. For the one who has sinned against heaven has either sinned against the kingdom of heaven or against his own soul, which is a sin leading to death, and against God, to whom alone it is said, “Against You only have I sinned and done evil in Your sight.”

⁶ He is forgiven so quickly that, while he is still far off and on his way, his father meets him and kisses him—a symbol of sacred peace. The father then orders a robe to be brought out, which is the wedding garment that those without are excluded from the feast. He places a ring on his son’s hand, signifying a pledge of faith and the seal of the Holy Spirit. He also orders shoes to be brought out, as anyone preparing to celebrate the Lord’s Passover and feast on the Lamb should have their feet protected from spiritual dangers and the serpent’s bite. Finally, the father commands that the calf be slaughtered, for Christ, our Passover, has been sacrificed. Each time we receive the Lord’s Blood, we proclaim His death. Just as He was sacrificed once for all, whenever sins are forgiven, we receive the Sacrament of His Body so that through His Blood, our sins may be forgiven.

⁷ Therefore, it is clear from the Lord’s teaching that we are called to grant the grace of the heavenly sacrament again, even to those guilty of the most serious sins, if they openly confess and accept the penance appropriate to their sin.

Chapter 4 #

¹ But we have heard that you often raise an objection based on the scripture that says, “Every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men, but blasphemy against the Spirit shall not be forgiven. Whoever speaks a word against the Son of Man will be forgiven, but whoever speaks against the Holy Spirit will not be forgiven, neither in this world nor in the world to come.” By quoting this, your entire argument is undermined and nullified, for it is written that every sin and blasphemy shall be forgiven to men. So why do you not forgive them? Why do you bind with chains that you do not loosen? Why do you tie knots that you do not unfasten? Forgive the others, and deal with those who you believe are eternally bound by the Gospel’s authority for sinning against the Holy Spirit.

² Let’s take a closer look at those whom the Lord addresses, by revisiting the words that come right before the passage quoted, so we can better understand it: The Jews were saying, “This man casts out demons, not by God, but by Beelzebub, the prince of demons.” Jesus responded, “Every kingdom divided against itself will be ruined, and every city or household divided against itself cannot stand. If Satan drives out Satan, he is divided against himself, so how can his kingdom stand? But if I cast out demons by Beelzebub, by whose power do your own people drive them out?”

³ It’s clear that these words specifically refer to those who accused the Lord Jesus of casting out demons through Beelzebub. The Lord responded to them in this way because they belonged to Satan’s lineage—they compared the Savior of all to Satan and attributed Christ’s grace to the devil’s work. To make sure we understand that He was addressing this particular blasphemy, He added, “O generation of vipers, how can you speak good, being evil yourselves?” He then declared that those who speak in such a way will not receive forgiveness.

⁴ When Simon, who had been corrupted by his long practice of magic, thought he could buy the power to bestow the grace of Christ and the Holy Spirit, Peter said to him, “You have no share in this faith, because your heart is not right with God. Repent of this wickedness and pray to the Lord that He may forgive you for such a thought, for I see that you are trapped in sin and full of bitterness.” We see that Peter, by his apostolic authority, condemns those who blaspheme against the Holy Spirit through the vanity of magic, especially because Simon lacked a genuine faith. However, Peter did not exclude him from the possibility of forgiveness, as he called him to repentance.

⁵ The Lord responds to the blasphemy of the Pharisees by denying them the grace of His power, which is the forgiveness of sins, because they claimed that His divine power came from the devil. He makes it clear that those who divide the Church of God are acting with a satanic spirit. This applies not only to the Pharisees but also to heretics and schismatics of all times, to whom He denies forgiveness. Unlike other sins, which affect individuals, this sin targets the entire Church. Those who seek to destroy the grace of Christ do so by tearing apart the members of the Church, for whom the Lord Jesus suffered and to whom the Holy Spirit was given.

⁶ Finally, to make it clear that He is speaking about those who disrupt the unity of the Church, we find it written: “Whoever is not with Me is against Me, and whoever does not gather with Me scatters.” To emphasize that He is referring to these individuals, He immediately adds: “Therefore I tell you, every sin and blasphemy will be forgiven, but blasphemy against the Spirit will not be forgiven.” When He says, “Therefore I tell you,” isn’t it obvious that He intends for us to take these words more seriously than the others? He then appropriately adds: “A good tree produces good fruit, but a bad tree produces bad fruit,” because an evil group cannot produce good outcomes. The tree represents the community, and the fruits of the good tree are the members of the Church.

⁷ So, return to the Church, those of you who have wrongfully separated yourselves. For He promises forgiveness to all who turn back, as it is written: “Whoever calls on the Name of the Lord shall be saved.” Even the Jewish people, who accused the Lord Jesus of having a demon and casting out demons through Beelzebub, and who crucified Him, were invited by Peter’s preaching to be baptized, so they could be freed from the guilt of such a great sin.

⁸ But is it any surprise that you deny salvation to others when you reject it for yourselves, even though those who seek repentance from you lose nothing? I believe that even Judas, through God’s boundless mercy, might not have been excluded from forgiveness if he had confessed his sorrow not to the Jews, but to Christ. Judas said, “I have sinned by betraying innocent blood.” Their response was: “What is that to us? You deal with it.” Isn’t this the same response you give when someone guilty of a lesser sin confesses to you? What do you say but, “What is that to us? You deal with it”? Judas’s despair led him to the noose, but the punishment is even more severe when the sin is smaller and the response is the same.

⁹ But if they do not repent, then at least you should, for you have stumbled many times and fallen from the heights of innocence and faith. We have a gracious Lord who desires to forgive all and who called out to you through the prophet, saying: “I, even I, am the one who blots out transgressions and will not remember them. But you, remember, and let us reason together.”

Chapter 5 #

¹ The Novatians raise a question based on the words of the Apostle Peter. They argue that because he said “may”, this might suggest that repentance does not guarantee forgiveness. However, they should consider whom Peter was addressing: Simon, who did not truly believe but was instead scheming. Similarly, when someone told the Lord, “Lord, I will follow You wherever You go,” Jesus responded, “Foxes have holes,” because He knew the man’s sincerity was not complete. If the Lord denied someone the chance to follow Him because He saw they weren’t sincere, even though they hadn’t been baptized, is it surprising that the Apostle did not absolve someone who, after baptism, was guilty of deceit and still bound by sin?

² Let this be my response to them. As for myself, I assert that Peter did not doubt, and I don’t believe such an important issue can be dismissed based on the questionable interpretation of a single word. If they claim that Peter had doubts, then did God also doubt when He spoke to the prophet Jeremiah? God said, “Stand in the court of the Lord’s house and speak to all of Judah, to those who come to worship in the Lord’s house, delivering every word I have commanded you. Do not withhold a single word; for they may listen and be converted.” Would they then suggest that God, too, was uncertain of what would happen?

³ However, the word does not imply ignorance, but rather follows the common custom of holy Scripture to maintain simplicity in expression. For example, the Lord also says to Ezekiel: “Son of man, I will send you to the house of Israel, to those who have angered Me, both they and their fathers, up until this day. You shall say to them, ‘Thus says the Lord,’ in the hope that they may listen and be afraid.” Did God not already know whether or not they would repent? Therefore, this expression is not necessarily a sign of doubt.

⁴ Finally, the scholars of this world, who base their entire reputation on language and expressions, do not always use the Latin word forte (meaning “may”) or its Greek equivalent τάχα (tacha) to express doubt. For instance, they point out that their earliest poet used the words: …ἦ ῾ τάχα χήρη …ἔσομαι, Which is: “I shall soon be a widow,” followed by: … τάχα γάρ σε κατακνέουσιν ᾿Αχαιοὶ πάντες εφορμηθέντες. “He had no doubt that when everyone joins in the attack, one might indeed be laid low be all”.

⁵ Let’s use examples from our own context rather than from others. In the Gospel, you find that the Son Himself says about the Father (after the Father had sent His servants to the vineyard and they were killed), “I will send My beloved Son; maybe they will respect Him.” In another instance, the Son says about Himself, “You do not know Me or My Father; for if you knew Me, you may also know My Father.”

⁶ If Peter used the same words that God used without any harm to God’s knowledge, why shouldn’t we assume that Peter used them without any harm to his own faith? After all, he couldn’t have doubted the gift of Christ, who had given him the power to forgive sins—especially since Peter had a responsibility not to leave any room for the deceit of heretics. These heretics aim to strip people of hope so they can more easily push their belief in the need to repeat baptism on those who are in despair.

⁷ The apostles, following Christ’s instructions about baptism, preached repentance, promised forgiveness, and pardoned guilt, just as David taught when he said: “Blessed are those whose transgressions are forgiven, and whose sins are covered. Blessed is the one to whom the Lord does not count sin.” David calls both people blessed—the one whose sins are forgiven through baptism and the one whose sins are covered by good deeds. For those who repent, it is not enough to wash away their sins with tears; they must also cover and hide their past transgressions with better actions so that their sin is not counted against them.

⁸ Let’s then redeem our mistakes through our future actions and cleanse ourselves with tears, so that the Lord our God may hear us when we cry out, just as He heard Ephraim weeping. As it’s written: “I have surely heard Ephraim weeping.” God even repeats Ephraim’s very words: “You disciplined me, and I was disciplined, like an untrained calf.” A calf frolics and wanders away from its stall, just as Ephraim was untrained, wandering far from the Lord’s guidance. Ephraim had abandoned the Lord’s ways, followed Jeroboam, and worshipped idols—a future downfall of the Jewish people symbolized through Aaron. In repentance, Ephraim says: “Turn me back, and I will return, for You are the Lord my God. Surely, at the end of my exile, I repented; after learning the truth, I mourned over the days of confusion and submitted myself to You, for I had received shame and recognized You.”

⁹ We see how to repent—both in words and actions. The days of sin are described as days of confusion because there is confusion when Christ is denied.

¹⁰ Let us then submit ourselves to God and not be slaves to sin. When we reflect on our past mistakes, let us feel the shame as though we were facing a deep disgrace, rather than boasting about them as if they were achievements. Some take pride in overcoming modesty or suppressing a sense of justice, but our repentance should be different. Let us, who once did not know God, now proclaim Him to others, so that the Lord, moved by our sincere repentance, may say to us: “Ephraim has always been a dear son, a beloved child. Since My words are about him, I will surely remember him. Therefore, I have hurried to be near him; I will surely have mercy on him, says the Lord”.

¹¹ And the mercy that the Lord promises, He also reveals when He says further: “I have quenched every thirsty soul and satisfied every hungry soul. Therefore, I awoke and looked around, and My sleep was sweet to Me.” We see that the Lord offers His sacraments even to those who have sinned. So, let us all turn back to the Lord.

Chapter 6 #

¹ If they are not converted, at least you should repent, since you have stumbled many times and fallen from the high place of innocence and faith. We have a gracious Lord who desires to forgive everyone. He called out to you through the prophet, saying: “I, even I, am the one who wipes out your transgressions, and I will not remember them. But you remember, so that we may reason together.” He says, “I will not remember,” meaning that He does not recall the sins He has forgiven, which are essentially forgotten, but you should remember them. He won’t remember them because of His grace, but you should remember them for the sake of correction. Remember, so you know that the sin is forgiven—do not boast as if you were innocent, so as not to worsen the sin. Instead, you will be justified; confess your sin. For a humble confession of sins loosens the bonds of transgression.

² You see what God asks of you: to remember the grace you have received and not to boast as if you had earned it on your own. Notice how fully He promises forgiveness, urging you to confess. Be careful not to resist God’s commands, or you may fall into the same error as the Jews, to whom the Lord Jesus said, “We played music for you, but you didn’t dance; we mourned, but you didn’t weep.”

³ The words may seem ordinary, but the meaning is far from ordinary. So, one must be careful not to be misled by a simplistic interpretation of this saying and mistakenly think that it endorses the reckless movements of wild dances or the madness of the stage, which are filled with temptations, especially for the young. Instead, the kind of dancing that is praised is the kind David performed before the ark of God. Anything done for the sake of faith is appropriate, and we should never be ashamed of any act of service that is aimed at worshiping and honoring Christ.

⁴ Dancing, often associated with pleasure and luxury, isn’t the focus here. Instead, it’s about a spiritual form of movement—a way of energizing the body and keeping it from being lazy or stuck in routine. Paul danced spiritually when he pushed himself forward, forgetting the past and striving towards the goal of Christ. Similarly, when you approach baptism, you are encouraged to lift your hands and move your feet swiftly toward eternal things. This kind of dancing accompanies faith and is a partner to grace.

⁵ This, then, is the mystery. We played music for you, singing the truth of the New Testament, but you didn’t dance—you didn’t lift your souls to embrace spiritual grace. We mourned, but you didn’t weep—you didn’t repent. This is why the Jewish people were forsaken, because they refused to repent and rejected grace. Repentance was brought by John, and grace by Christ. Christ, as the Lord, offers grace, while repentance is introduced by His servant. The Church holds on to both so that it can receive grace without abandoning repentance, for grace is a gift from the One who bestows it, and repentance is the remedy for the sinner.

⁶ Jeremiah understood that repentance is a powerful remedy. In his Lamentations, he emphasizes this by portraying Jerusalem as a city in deep sorrow and repentance. He writes, “She wept bitterly during the night, with tears streaming down her cheeks, and there was no one to comfort her among all who loved her. The roads to Zion mourn.” He continues, “Because of these things, I weep; my eyes are filled with tears, for the one who used to comfort me is now far away.” Jeremiah saw the absence of comfort as the most painful part of his suffering. So how can you take away that very comfort by denying repentance the hope of forgiveness?

⁷ But let those who repent understand how they should approach it—with what zeal, with what sincerity, with what intention of mind, with what deep emotional turmoil, and with what true change of heart. As it is written: “See, O Lord, that I am in distress; my heart is in anguish, and my soul is troubled within me because of my weeping.”

⁸ Here, you see (repentance): the soul’s intent, the mind’s faithfulness, and the body’s state: “The elders of the daughters of Zion sat on the ground; they put dust on their heads, they wore sackcloth, the leaders bowed their heads to the ground, the virgins of Jerusalem fainted with weeping. My eyes grew dim, my stomach churned, and my honor was cast to the ground.”

⁹ Similarly, the people of Nineveh mourned and were spared from the destruction of their city. Such is the power of repentance that it almost seems as if God changes His plans because of it. Your escape is within your own hands; the Lord desires to be sought after, He wants people to place their hope in Him, and He wishes for supplication to be made to Him. You, as a human, want to be asked for forgiveness—do you think God will pardon you without you asking Him?

¹⁰ The Lord Himself wept over Jerusalem, so that even though it would not weep for itself, it might receive forgiveness through His tears. He desires that we should weep to find deliverance, as the Gospel says: “Daughters of Jerusalem, do not weep for Me, but weep for yourselves.”

¹¹ David wept and, through divine mercy, secured the salvation of those who were perishing. When offered three choices, he chose the one where he could most rely on God’s mercy. Why should you be ashamed to weep for your sins when God Himself commanded the prophets to weep for the people?

¹² And finally, Ezekiel was told to mourn for Jerusalem. He took a book, on the first page of which was written: Lamentation, sorrow, and woe—two things sad and one joyful, for those who grieve the most now will be saved in the future. For the heart of the wise is in the place of sorrow, while the heart of fools is in the place of celebration. And the Lord Himself said: Blessed are you who weep now, for you will laugh later.

Chapter 7 #

¹ Let us, then, mourn for a while so that we may rejoice forever. Let us fear the Lord, confess our sins, correct our waywardness, and amend our faults, so that it may not be said of us: “Woe is me, my soul, for the godly have vanished from the earth, and there is no one left to set things right”.

² Why do you hesitate to confess your sins to our good Lord? He says, “Bring them forward, so that you may be justified.” The rewards of justification are offered to those who are still guilty of sin, for the one who voluntarily confesses is justified. After all, the righteous person is the first to accuse themselves when they begin to speak. The Lord knows everything, but He waits for your words—not to punish, but to forgive. He doesn’t want the devil to triumph over you or to accuse you when you hide your sins. Get ahead of your accuser: if you accuse yourself, you won’t fear any accuser; if you admit your wrongs, even if you were dead, you shall live.

³ When Christ comes to your grave, if He finds Martha, the woman known for her good deeds, and Mary, who attentively listened to the Word of God—representing the holy Church that chose the better path—mourning for you, He will be moved with compassion. At the time of your death, when He sees the tears of many, He will ask: “Where have you laid him?"—meaning, in what state of sin is he? In which category of penitents does he belong? I want to see him, for whom you are grieving, so that his own tears may touch My heart. I will look to see if he has already died to the sin for which forgiveness is sought.

⁴ The people will say to Him, “Come and see.” What does “Come” mean? It means, “Let the forgiveness of sins come, let life return to the departed, let the resurrection of the dead take place, and let Your kingdom come to this sinner as well.”

⁵ He will come and command that the stone, which the sinner’s fall has placed on their shoulders, be removed. Though He could have removed the stone with a mere word—since even inanimate nature obeys Christ’s command—He chose not to. He could have silently moved the stone from the tomb, just as at His Passion, when many tombs were opened as the stones were suddenly moved. Instead, He instructed people to remove the stone. This was done so that the unbelieving might see and believe, witnessing the dead rise again. Symbolically, this act shows that He gives us the power to lift the burden of sins, the heavy weight upon the guilty. It is our role to remove these burdens, but it is His role to raise the dead, to bring forth from the tombs those who have been set free from their chains.

⁶ So, the Lord Jesus, witnessing the heavy burden of the sinner, weeps, for He does not allow the Church to weep alone. He is filled with compassion for His beloved and says to the one who is dead, “Come forth,” meaning, “You who lie in the darkness of your conscience and the filth of your sins, as if in a prison of guilt, come out, confess your sins so that you may be justified. For it is through confession with the mouth that salvation is achieved.”

⁷ If you have confessed at Christ’s call, the bars will be broken, and every chain will be loosed, no matter how grievous the stench of your bodily corruption may be. Even though he had been dead for four days and his flesh reeked in the tomb, the One whose flesh never saw decay was in the grave for three days, for He knew no evils of the flesh, which is made of the four elements. However terrible the stench of a dead body might be, it is completely overcome as soon as the sacred ointment releases its fragrance. The dead are raised, and the command is given to free the hands of the one who was in sin; the covering is removed from his face, which had hidden the truth of the grace he received. But since he has received forgiveness, the command is given to uncover his face, to reveal his features. For the one whose sin is forgiven has nothing to be ashamed of.

⁸ But in the presence of such grace given by the Lord, of such a miracle of divine generosity, when all should have rejoiced, the wicked were stirred up and convened a council against Christ, even plotting to kill Lazarus as well. Do you not see that you are the heirs of those whose hardness of heart you share? For you too are angered and gather in opposition to the Church because you witness the dead being brought back to life within it, raised again through the forgiveness of their sins. And thus, driven by envy, you seek to kill once more those who have been brought back to life.

⁹ But Jesus does not take back His blessings; instead, He increases them by generously adding more. Eagerly, He returns to the one He brought back to life, and, rejoicing in the gift of restored life, He joins the feast prepared by His Church, where the one who was dead is now found among those sitting with Christ.

¹⁰ Then all who look upon him with a pure and unclouded mind, free from envy—just like the children of the Church—are filled with wonder. They marvel, as I said, at how someone who was lying in the tomb just yesterday is now sitting with the Lord Jesus.

¹¹ Mary herself anoints the feet of the Lord Jesus. Perhaps she does this to honor His feet because someone who was among the lowliest has been saved from death. We are all part of the body of Christ, but some members may be considered more honorable. The Apostle was the mouth of Christ, for he said, “You seek a proof of Christ who speaks in me.” The prophets, through whom He foretold future events, were also His mouth. I only wish that I might be found worthy to be His foot, so that Mary might pour her precious ointment on me, anoint me, and wipe away my sin.

¹² What we read about Lazarus should be understood as true for every sinner who is converted. Even though they may have been corrupted by sin, they are cleansed by the precious ointment of faith. Such is the power of faith that, where there was once the stench of death, the entire house is now filled with a pleasing fragrance.

¹³ The Corinthian church was in a bad state when it was reported that there was sexual immorality among them—something even the Gentiles wouldn’t tolerate. The situation was dire, as a little sin had corrupted the whole community. However, things began to change when it was said, “If you forgive anyone, I also forgive them. And what I have forgiven, I have done so for your sake in the presence of Christ.” Once the sinner was forgiven, there was great joy, and the entire community was filled with the sweet aroma of grace. This is why the Apostle, knowing that he had spread the fragrance of apostolic forgiveness, says, “We are the pleasing aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved.”

¹⁴ When this fragrant ointment is poured out, everyone rejoices—except Judas. In the same way, today, it is the sinner who speaks against it, the traitor who criticizes it. But Christ Himself rebukes such a person, for they do not understand the remedy offered through His death, nor do they grasp the significance of His burial. The Lord suffered and died to redeem us from death, and the profound value of His death is evident—it is enough to absolve the sinner and restore them to grace. So, when the forgiven sinner is welcomed back, people marvel at him sitting at the table with Christ and praise God, saying, “Let us celebrate, for he was dead and is alive again, was lost and is found.” But those lacking faith might object, asking, “Why does He eat with tax collectors and sinners?” To this, Christ responds, “Those who are well have no need of a doctor, but those who are sick do.”

Chapter 8 #

¹ So, show your wound to the Physician so that He can heal it. Even if you don’t reveal it, He already knows it but waits for you to speak up. Wash away your scars with tears, just as the woman in the Gospel did. She wiped away the stench of her sin by washing Jesus’ feet with her tears, cleansing herself of her fault in the process.

² I wish, Lord Jesus, that You would allow me to wash away the stains Your feet have picked up as You walk with me. How I long to cleanse the dirt I’ve caused on Your path through my actions! But where can I find the living water to wash Your feet? If I don’t have water, I have my tears, and as I wash Your feet with them, I hope to cleanse myself too. How is it that You can say to me, “His many sins are forgiven because he loved much”? I confess that I owe much more, and much more has been forgiven me, having been called to the priesthood from the chaos and stress of the law courts and the fears of public life. I am afraid that I might seem ungrateful if I, who have been forgiven so much, do not love enough.

³ But not everyone can match the example of that woman, who was rightly esteemed even above Simon, the one hosting the Lord’s feast. She showed us all how to seek forgiveness by kissing the feet of Christ, washing them with her tears, wiping them with her hair, and anointing them with ointment.

⁴ A kiss is a symbol of love, which is why the Lord Jesus says, “Let her kiss Me with the kisses of her mouth.” The mention of hair signifies that you should set aside all worldly vanity, humbly seek forgiveness, and fall to the ground in tears, pleading for mercy. The ointment represents the fragrance of a virtuous life. Even David, a king, said, “Every night I will wash my bed; I will drench my couch with tears.” Because of this humility, he received the great honor that the Virgin, who would bear Christ, would come from his lineage. This is why the woman in the Gospel is also praised.

⁵ Even if we cannot match her example, the Lord Jesus knows how to support the weak. When there’s no one to prepare the feast, bring the ointment, or provide a spring of living water, He Himself comes to the tomb.

⁶ If only You would come to my tomb, Lord Jesus, and wash me with Your tears, since my hardened eyes can’t produce the tears needed to cleanse my sins. If You weep for me, I will be saved; if I am worthy of Your tears, they will wash away the stench of all my offenses. If I am worthy of even a small tear from You, You will call me out from the grave of this body and say, “Come forth,” so that my thoughts won’t be confined by the limits of this body but will reach out to You, Christ, and dwell in the light. Then I will no longer focus on deeds of darkness but on works of light. For when someone dwells on their sins, they try to trap themselves within their own mind.

⁷ Call me forth, then, Your servant. Though I am bound by the chains of my sins, with my feet fastened and my hands tied, and though I am buried in dead thoughts and actions, at Your command I shall rise free, and I will be found among those seated at Your feast, with Your house filled with precious fragrance. If You have chosen to redeem someone, You will surely preserve them. For it will be said, “Look, he was not raised in the embrace of the Church, nor trained from childhood, but was snatched from the seat of judgment, rescued from the vanities of this world, and now he is accustomed to the choir’s songs instead of the crier’s shouts. He continues in the priesthood, not by his own strength, but by the grace of Christ, and sits among the guests at the heavenly table.”

⁸ Preserve, O Lord, the work You have begun, and guard the gift You have given, even to one who hesitated to accept it. I knew that I was not worthy to be called a bishop because I had been devoted to worldly things, but by Your grace, I am what I am. I am indeed the least of all bishops and the lowest in merit; yet, since I have undertaken some labor for Your holy Church, watch over this fruit, and do not let the one whom You called to the priesthood when he was lost, be lost now that he is a priest. First, grant me the deep compassion to mourn sincerely with those who sin, for this is a great virtue. As it is written: “Do not rejoice over the children of Judah in the day of their destruction, and do not speak proudly in the day of their trouble.” Grant that whenever I become aware of the sins of another who has fallen, I may suffer with them, not rebuking them with pride, but mourning and weeping, so that by weeping for another, I may also mourn for myself, saying, “Tamar has been more righteous than I.”

⁹ Perhaps a young woman may have been led astray, deceived, and swept away by circumstances that often lead to sin. After all, we who are older also fall into sin. Within us, too, the desires of the flesh often conflict with the intentions of our minds, making us prisoners of sin, leading us to act against our better judgment. Her youth provides some excuse, but I have none, for she is still learning, while we should know better. In this case, Tamar has shown herself to be more righteous than I.

¹⁰ When we criticize someone else’s greed, we should reflect on whether we ourselves have ever acted out of greed. If we have, since greed is the root of all evil and works within us like a serpent hidden beneath the ground, let each of us admit: Tamar has been more righteous than I.

¹¹ If we have been deeply upset with someone, we should remember that a layperson may act hastily over a minor issue, while a bishop is expected to show more restraint. Let us reflect on this and say, “The one being corrected for a quick temper is more righteous than I.” By acknowledging this, we protect ourselves from hearing the Lord Jesus or one of His disciples say to us: “You notice the speck in your brother’s eye, but fail to see the log in your own eye. You hypocrite, first remove the log from your own eye, and then you will see clearly to remove the speck from your brother’s eye.”

¹² Let’s not be afraid to admit that our own fault may be more serious than the fault of the person we feel we need to correct. This is what Judah did when he reprimanded Tamar. He remembered his own wrongdoing and said, “Tamar is more righteous than I am.” This statement holds a profound lesson and moral teaching: Judah’s offense wasn’t counted against him because he confessed his guilt before others could accuse him.

¹³ Let’s not take pleasure in anyone’s sin, but instead, let’s grieve over it. As it is written: “Do not rejoice over me, my enemy, because I have fallen; I will rise again. Even if I sit in darkness, the Lord will be my light. I will endure the Lord’s anger, for I have sinned against Him, until He defends my cause and brings me into the light, where I will see His righteousness. My enemy will see it too and will be ashamed, the one who mocked me by saying, ‘Where is the Lord your God’? My eyes will see her downfall, and she will be trampled like mud in the streets.” But this should not be taken lightly, for anyone who rejoices in another’s fall is actually celebrating the devil’s victory. Instead, we should mourn when we hear of the loss of someone for whom Christ died, for He values even the smallest things at the time of harvest.

¹⁴ Oh, that He does not discard this straw at His harvest—the empty stalks of my efforts—but instead gathers it in. As someone once said, “Woe is me, for I have become like one who gathers straw at harvest, and like one who collects leftover grapes after the vintage.” May He find at least the firstfruits of His grace in me, even if He does not approve of the later fruit.

Chapter 9 #

¹ So, it’s important for us to believe both that sinners must repent and that forgiveness should be given when they do, but we should understand that forgiveness is granted through faith, not as something owed. Earning forgiveness is different from demanding it as a right. Faith seeks forgiveness as part of a promise, while presumption comes off more like a demand than a request. First, fulfill what you owe, so you can be in a position to ask for what you’ve been hoping for. Approach with the attitude of an honest debtor, so you don’t incur new debts, but rather pay off what’s due with the strength of your faith.

² Anyone who owes a debt to God has more support in paying it off than someone who owes a debt to another person. When dealing with people, money is required to repay money, which isn’t always available to the debtor. But God asks for the love of our hearts, something we always have within our control. No one who owes God is truly poor, unless they choose to make themselves poor. Even if they have nothing material to give, they still have the means to repay. Prayer, fasting, and tears are the resources of a sincere debtor, and these are far more valuable than offering money without faith.

³ Ananias was poor, even after selling his land and bringing the money to the apostles, because he couldn’t use it to pay his debt to God; instead, he only deepened his guilt. On the other hand, the widow who gave her two small coins into the treasury was truly rich. As Christ said, “This poor widow has given more than all the others.” This shows that God doesn’t seek money but faith.

⁴ I don’t deny that sins can be reduced by generous gifts to the poor, but only if those gifts are made with genuine faith. After all, what good would it do to give away everything you own if it’s not done with love?

⁵ Some people pursue the appearance of generosity purely out of pride. They want to earn the admiration of others by seeming selfless, but in doing so, they focus on rewards in this life and neglect those in the next. Having already received recognition here, they have nothing left to hope for in the next.

⁶ Others, driven by impulsive excitement rather than careful thought, give their possessions to the Church but later believe they can reclaim them. These people miss out on both rewards—the initial gift was made without proper consideration, and trying to take it back is a sacrilege.

⁷ Some regret having given their property to the poor. But those who are doing penance should not regret this, as it would mean regretting their own repentance. Many people seek penance out of fear of future punishment, aware of their sins, but after receiving it, they hesitate due to fear of public scrutiny. These individuals appear to seek repentance for their wrongdoings, yet apply it to their good deeds instead.

⁸ Some people seek forgiveness primarily to quickly regain their place in the community. They aren’t as focused on freeing themselves from guilt as they are on forcing the priest to forgive them. Instead of truly clearing their own conscience, they shift the responsibility onto the priest. However, the priest is instructed: “Do not give what is holy to the dogs or throw your pearls before swine,” meaning that those who are tainted by sin should not be allowed to take part in the holy Communion.

⁹ As a result, you may see some people dressing in different, flashy clothes when they should be weeping and mourning for having defiled the robe of sanctification and grace. There are women who adorn themselves with pearls and heavy jewelry, but it would be better for them to bow to Christ than to gold. They should be grieving for themselves because they have lost the true pearl from heaven.

¹⁰ There are also those who believe that avoiding the heavenly sacraments is a form of repentance. These people are too harsh on themselves, imposing a punishment but refusing the remedy. They should be mourning over this self-imposed penalty because it deprives them of heavenly grace.

¹¹ Some people mistakenly believe that they have permission to sin because they can always repent later. However, repentance is meant to be a remedy, not an excuse to sin. Just as a healing ointment is needed because of a wound, the wound is not desired just to use the ointment. The hope of future repentance is weak, as every moment is uncertain, and hope does not last forever.

Chapter 10 #

¹ How can anyone tolerate that you feel embarrassed to ask God for help, when you have no shame in asking a fellow human? That you’re ashamed to approach the One who knows you completely, yet you’re not ashamed to confess your sins to someone who doesn’t even know you? Do you hesitate to pray in the presence of others, when, to gain favor from a person, you would visit many people, pleading with them to intervene on your behalf? You might even fall at someone’s feet, kiss them, and bring your innocent children along to plead for your forgiveness. And yet, you refuse to do the same in the Church to ask God for help, to seek the support of the holy congregation. There’s no reason for shame here, except in failing to confess, since we are all sinners, and the most admirable among us is the one who is the most humble; the most righteous is the one who sees himself as the least.

² Let the Church, our Mother, weep for you and cleanse your guilt with her tears. Let Christ see your sorrow and say, “Blessed are you who mourn, for you shall find joy.” He is pleased when many intercede on behalf of one. In the Gospel, He was moved by the widow’s tears, raising her son because many were weeping for her. He responded quickly to Peter’s plea when He brought Dorcas back to life, because the poor were grieving her loss. He also forgave Peter immediately, for Peter wept with deep remorse. If you weep with sincere sorrow, Christ will see you, and your guilt will be forgiven. The pain of true repentance erases the pleasure found in wickedness and sin. By mourning our past sins, we close the door to future ones, and through the condemnation of our guilt, we cultivate a renewed innocence.

³ Let nothing distract you from repentance, for in this you share a bond with the saints. If only you could imitate the deep sorrow for sin that the saints displayed. David, as it were, “ate ashes for bread, and mingled his drink with weeping”. Now, he rejoices all the more because he wept so deeply: “My eyes flowed with rivers of water,” he said.

⁴ John wept bitterly, and, as he tells us, the mysteries of Christ were revealed to him. But the woman who, instead of weeping for her sins, rejoiced and dressed herself in purple and scarlet, adorning herself with gold and precious stones, now suffers the torment of eternal sorrow.

⁵ Those who believe they can repeatedly do penance are rightly criticized, for they act carelessly toward Christ. If they truly repented, they wouldn’t think penance could be repeated, because just as there is only one baptism, there is only one true course of penance in terms of outward practice. While we must repent for our daily faults, these are for lighter sins, whereas true penance is reserved for more serious ones.

⁶ I have found it easier to encounter those who have kept their innocence than those who have truly repented. Does anyone believe it is true repentance when they still seek after worldly honors, indulge in wine, and maintain even their marital relations? The world must be renounced; sleep must be less than what nature demands, broken by groans, interrupted by sighs, and put aside for prayers. Life must be lived in such a way that we die to our usual habits. A person must deny themselves and undergo a complete transformation, like the fable of a young man who left his home because of his love for a harlot. After conquering his love, he returned, and when he met his former lover and did not speak to her, she, surprised and thinking he hadn’t recognized her, said, “It is I.” But he replied, “I am not the same person I once was.”

⁷ The Lord rightly said, “If anyone wants to follow Me, let them deny themselves, take up their cross, and follow Me.” For those who are dead and buried with Christ should no longer live by the standards of this world. Do not touch or engage with things that lead to corruption, for the very practices of this life can corrupt one’s integrity.

Chapter 11 #

¹ Penitence is indeed good, and if there were no room for it, people might delay the cleansing grace of baptism until old age. It’s reasonable to say that it’s better to have a garment that needs mending than to have none at all. However, while something that is mended once can be restored, something that is constantly being repaired will eventually be ruined.

² The Lord has given a clear warning to those who delay repentance when He says, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is near.” We do not know when the thief will come, nor do we know if our soul might be required of us tonight. God expelled Adam from Paradise immediately after his sin—there was no delay. The fallen were instantly separated from their pleasures so they might repent. And God clothed them with garments of skins, not of silk.

³ And what reason is there for delaying? Is it so you can continue to sin? If so, then because God is good, you choose to be evil and “show contempt for the riches of his kindness, forbearance and patience”. . But the Lord’s goodness should lead you to repentance instead. This is why the holy David calls out to everyone: “Come, let us worship and bow down before Him, and grieve before the Lord who made us.” But for a sinner who dies without repenting, there is nothing left but deep sorrow and tears. You hear the anguished cry: “O my son Absalom! My son Absalom!” For one who is completely lost, mourning brings no comfort.

⁴ But for those who, as exiles and outcasts from their ancestral homes—given to them by the holy law of Moses—find themselves caught up in the errors of the world, you hear him say: “By the waters of Babylon, we sat down and wept when we remembered Zion.” He expresses the sorrow of those who have fallen and shows that those living in this ever-changing, temporary world should repent, following the example of those who, as a consequence of their sins, were led into a miserable captivity.

⁵ But nothing causes such deep sorrow as when someone, trapped in the captivity of sin, remembers the heights from which they have fallen because they turned to worldly and carnal desires, instead of guiding their mind toward the beautiful paths of knowing God.

⁶ So you find Adam trying to hide, even though he knew God was present, and wanting to remain hidden when God called out to him with that voice that pierced his soul: “Adam, where are you?” In other words, “Why are you hiding? Why are you concealing yourself? Why are you avoiding the One you once longed to see?” A guilty conscience is so heavy that it punishes itself without needing a judge, seeking cover but remaining exposed before God.

⁷ No one who is in a state of sin should claim the right to use the sacraments, because it is written: “You have sinned, so be silent.” As David says in the Psalm recently quoted: “We hung our harps upon the willows in the midst of it”; and again: “How can we sing the Lord’s song in a foreign land?” If the flesh battles against the mind and does not follow the Spirit’s guidance, it is like a foreign land—unsubdued and unable to bear the fruits of love, patience, and peace. It’s better to remain silent when you can’t perform acts of repentance, lest those very acts lead to further need for repentance. If repentance is begun but not completed properly, it fails to achieve its intended purpose and prevents the opportunity for future repentance.

⁸ When the flesh resists, the soul must stay focused on God, and even if there are no immediate results, faith should not falter. If we are tempted by the desires of the flesh or attacked by the forces of the enemy, the soul should remain submissive to God. We face the greatest struggles when the flesh gives in. There are those who heavily burden the suffering soul, trying to strip it of all protection, which is captured by the words: “Tear it down, tear it down, to its very foundations.”

⁹ David, showing compassion, says: “O wretched daughter of Babylon.” She is wretched indeed, having become the daughter of Babylon after ceasing to be the daughter of Jerusalem. Yet, he still seeks healing for her and declares: “Blessed is he who takes your little ones and dashes them against the rock.” This means to destroy all corrupt and impure thoughts by turning to Christ, who through His fear and rebuke will break down all irrational impulses. For instance, if someone is overcome by adulterous love, Christ will extinguish that fire, allowing the person to renounce sinful desires and deny themselves in order to gain Christ.

¹⁰ We’ve learned that we need to make amends, especially now that the allure of luxury and sin is fading. When we’re struggling with sin, we should demonstrate our reverence for God by avoiding wrongdoing instead of indulging in it. Just as Moses was instructed to remove his shoes to draw closer to God, we should also free ourselves from the constraints of the physical world and cleanse our souls from earthly attachments.