Church Bulletin - February 25th, 2001

The Last Supper from the iconostasis of
St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church of San Jose, CA

REPENTANCE: BEING MADE ONE WITH GOD

With the celebration of Vespers on the evening of Cheesefare Sunday, Orthodox Christians will enter into the penitential period of the Great Fast. This sacred time is ushered in with the moving "Ceremony of Mutual Forgiveness" that takes place at the conclusion of Vespers tonight. During this ancient ritual, everyone present is asked to seek publicly the forgiveness of their Spiritual Father and the members of their parish family. This is done to set the proper spiritual tone for Lent. As we have been reminded by Christ in the Gospel lesson from Sunday (Feb. 25), how can we expect our Heavenly Father to forgive us if we are unwilling to forgive others?

It must be noted, however, that seeking forgiveness is only the FIRST STEP in true REPENTANCE, which is our ultimate Lenten goal. Repentance goes far beyond saying: "I'm sorry, Lord, please forgive me," no matter how sincere that prayerful plea may be. The Greek word for repentance is "metanoia," which literally means "a changed mind." If we are truly repentant, every aspect of our being must be changed. Our heart . . . our attitude . . . the direction of our life . . . all of these things must be different before we can experience he fruits of repentance.

As we begin our lengthy Lenten journey, may we strive to become closer to our Savior by undergoing the changes necessary for making ourselves more Christ-like in our actions. The words of St. John Chrysostom beautifully describe the simple thought that must guide us in this spiritual quest: "We will only find repentance when we no longer continue to do the same sinful things."

St. Nicholas Greek Orthodox Church
1260 Davis Street, San Jose, California 95126