I have been sharing thoughts about St. John’s fifth step on the Ladder of Divine Ascent, which is Repentance. St. John wrote: Repentance is the daughter of hope and the refusal to despair.

Repentance is not mere contrition, not a life of endless regret for every wrong we commit or for our every real imperfection. Rather, it is a war against the passions.

When we are occupied with our own faults, we do not concern ourselves with the faults of others. He who weeps for himself will not be wrapped up in the grief, reproach or lapse of someone else. When we are penitent, anger disappears and all the silly things we spend so much time worrying about suddenly seem small and insignificant, because our only concern now is our salvation. At the same time, whatever external afflictions have vexed us appear now not unjust, but warranted. St. John writes: A sign of true repentance is the admission that all our troubles and more besides, whether visible or not, were richly deserved.

Repentance truly liberates us. It brings us back to what really matters. All the stresses and strains of life, all the little annoyances, all the unfairness we experience disappear in repentance, setting us free and giving us peace.

Thus repentance is not passive but active. It kindles diligence and courage and it is the fruit of hope. For repentance has no purpose if we do not have hope that God will accept us no matter what evil we have done, no matter how many times we fall.

And let us not forget that repentance ends not in guilt, but in thankfulness. We praise and thank the Lord always, because we never forget His love: A proof of our having been delivered from our failings is the unceasing acknowledgement of our indebtedness.