Today we are going to hear John the Baptist’s words, friend of the Groom, the one who introduces the coming of the Savior. We need to remember the meaning of the word "repentance” in order to comment John the Baptist’s words".
How do we estimate our life in the sight of God, our spiritual estate, our relationship with people surrounding us? If we consider, that everything is alright with us, «not worse than others», that we are satisfied with what we have, we don’t need anything more, and God too. Then there is no repentance in us, even its beginning. Repentance begins when we become conscious, that not everything is alright, that all our efforts do not allow us to reach the real worthy life a person deserves, that we need God, His saving grace. This is the first movement to repentance – aversion to ourselves, as we are, disagreement with self-existence. The second step for repentance is talking to God, recognizing the necessity of His presence, bringing to Him our inconsistency and expecting our purification, healing and full life from Him.
But there is also a third component for repentance: the fruit, that John reminds us. Senselessly will be our expectation of changes if we do not show our readiness to change. We don’t show this by "mood", by word, but by action. We should start to live justly, as if we have already all received from God, - then He will receive freedom to give us strengths for the fulfillment of this goodness, making our deeds be in accordance with our inner meaning - love. This will be the saving grace by which God answers to our repentance.
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