• Another little fox—self-righteousness—entered into Job. Job’s problem was that he was a blameless, upright man, and he knew himself to be blameless and upright. For this reason he fell into self-righteousness. He was, as the Bible says, “righteous in his own eyes” (Job 32.1). God kept purifying him through temptation until he said: “I have uttered what I did not understand, things too wonderful for me, which I did not know” (Job 42.3). It is very easy for a small weak point to drag us to many problems.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • Previously, David’s life was different. He was pursued by Saul, escaping from one desert to the other. He lived in caves, fought by himself, and slept on the ground; he did not sin at that time. Later, however, he lived in luxury, in palaces with servants, attendants and slaves. He sent the army to fight, while he stayed in his house on his bed. He stood on the roof and looked at the people. He lacked the desire to be with his fighting army.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • Millions of people who are in hell wish for a few moments of life, which you have—just a few moments in which to repent—but cannot find them. They have lost the chance, and the door has been closed. How about you, my brother? You have all of this life, why do you not think about repentance, and grab the chance? As the apostle said: “Walk circumspectly….redeeming the time, because the days are evil” (Ephesians 5.16).

    Know that the postponement of repentance is one of the works of the devil, who does not want repentance. He knows that keeping you from repentance in a direct way is something your conscience will not accept. Therefore, he will never say to you, “Do not repent,” and yet every time your heart moves toward God, he will say to you, “That’s okay, but not now. We have many chances before us.” He then keeps leading you in a series of never-ending postponements until your life ends.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • The strong heart finds a hundred ways for the thing it wishes to do. The fathers said, “Virtue asks you to desire only it, and nothing else.” It is enough for you to desire. You will find that grace will open every door which closes before you. The Holy Spirit of God will strengthen you, and the spirits of the angels and the saints will surround you. Therefore do not let obstacles be an excuse, but think correctly about how to overcome them.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • But as for you, if grace visits you, do not be content merely with being convinced. For what benefit do you receive from being convinced your way is sinful, unless you overcome and change this way in practice? Do not let the visitation of grace work in your mind alone, or in your heart only; it must work in your will also, so that you will arise and act accordingly.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • It is important, then, that your spiritual senses be trained to recognize God’s voice calling you to return to Him. Therefore you must correlate whatever you go through—whether disease, troubles, or problems—with your relationship with God. Make all of them an occasion to strengthen your fellowship with Him, to deepen your prayers and increase your love for God.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • Grace may visit you through sickness; this would be God’s voice to you. Saint Oghris had a disease that led him not only to repentance, but to monasticism also.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • All of these punishments on earth are different from the eternal punishment. The eternal punishment is eliminated by repentance, but the earthly punishment remains intact. So the mother who does not bring up her son properly repents and her sins are forgiven, but her son remains as a bitterness of heart to her on earth. The student who does not study and fails can repent and the Lord will forgive him for his negligence, but this does not bring back a year of his life lost on earth in vain. The person for whom since causes disease can be forgiven his sin by repentance, but the disease remains with him as an earthly punishment as a natural result of sin.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • You may ask, “Is it possible for me to live the rest of my life away from sin, even though my heart loves it? If I were to repent of it, I would return to it.” The error in despair is that the devil makes us think that we will live in repentance with the same heart that loves sin. On the contrary, the Lord will give you a new heart (Ezekiel 36.26). He will remove from you the love of sin, and you will not think about returning to it. On the contrary, God will make you hate sin in your repentance and be disgusted by it. Your present feelings will change.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity

  • Repentance is a complete change in a person’s life, not a temporary emotion. It is a real and fundamental change felt by the person, as well as by everyone that deals with him. His thoughts change, as well as his principles and values, his outlook on life and his manner of speech, his habits and dealings with people, and most importantly, his dealings with God. The person also changes from within, with a heart refusing the once-beloved sins. The love of God enters his heart and he becomes spiritually revived, in a state of spiritual ecstasy.

    —H.H. Pope Shenouda III, The Life of Repentance and Purity