WHAT IS REPENTANCE ?

Ash Wednesday.

What is Repentance?
 

When receiving the Ashes on Ash Wednesday the priest signs with

·         “Remember that you are dust and unto dust you will return’ or

·         Repent and believe the Good news.

As I received the ashes today at Mass, the priest said to me ‘Repent and Believe the Good news’.  As there quite a number of people including school children receiving the Ashes, I had some time to think and reflect.  I asked myself what really is Repentance.   I had some thoughts obviously, but later in the afternoon, I decided to delve deeper into the word and its implications for myself.  These are some thoughts which emerged from my reflection and research. 

What is Repentance.

 

There are a number of aspects to Repentance.

1.Repentance is to recognise our own wrong doing and humbly denying oneself to turn around and face the One we have wronged.  It is regretting our sins and acknowledging them before God through the Sacrament of Reconciliation.

2. Repentance is to rearrange our entire way of thinking, feeling and being in order to forsake that which is wrong.

3.Repentance means more than saying sorry.  It means to show transformation by returning to what is right and pure and returning to innocence. It means returning to our baptismal right as a son/daughter of God. We must have faith to want to return to God and know that God will see our move, however tiny it might be and be there to meet us where we are at.  Through the Sacrament, we will be restored.

4.Repentance means to return to the plan of God- that is, to live with Him, consult with Him, fellowship with Him and obeying Him, In other words we put God first in our lives and have a deep intimate relationship with Him.

 

5. Repentance involves showing remorse for what we have done and saying sorry but if we are to be sincere in that act of contrition, then we also need to commit to a new path in order to take the path of correct to receive true freedom.

 

During the Lenten season the church provides us with the opportunity to review our lives, our sinfulness, our need for God to be first place and encourages us to make that turn back to God and walk a new path of transformation. We have 40 days to be serious about our desire to change and walk the path of holiness.

Of course we can walk this path the whole year every day.  However Lent provides us with the opportunity to be focused on this transformation.

 

Will we choose to walk a new path, to claim again your inheritance of being a son/daughter of God and to Repent and believe the Good News.