I would continue sharing thoughts of St. John Climacus’ fifth step on his Ladder of Divine Ascent: Repentance. He describes repentance as a critical awareness and a sure watch over oneself. He writes: We ought to be on our guard, in case our conscience has stopped troubling us, not so much because of it being clear but because of its being immersed in sin. It is   important to examine ourselves. Lack of guilt could be the result of adjusting to sin and passively accepting our condition. Time for quiet reflection before prayer can help us to recognize where we are going wrong – not only in what we have done, but in what we have failed to do.

There is another positive aspect of repentance, which is this: repentance does not mean giving up our passions, but mastering them. The passions are absolutely essential to spiritual life. Without passion, we simply do nothing. Sloth, or despondency, is perhaps the only passion that cannot be turned to good, being not so much a passion as the absence of passion. But generally speaking, the passions, if properly directed, can make us saints. It is very important to remember that the saints did not give up anger, but directed it toward sin rather than their fellow man. Their hatred was turned on their own transgressions. Their envy was transformed into a burning desire to imitate the saints.

Repentance is not only penitence and contrition, but movement toward goodness, wholeness,   forgiveness and joy. It is not negative, but positive. It looks not down into hell, but up into heaven. Its fruits are hope, diligence, peace, joy and self-control. It is a renewal of our baptism, a baptism of tears that washes away our sins and purifies the soul, giving us a clean slate and a fresh start.