Continuous Metanoia
Taken (with minor adaptations) from ‘Christ the Eternal Tao’ by Hieromonk Damascene
Continuous Metanoia
Even after being washed clean in water mingled with Spirit in holy baptism, we still carry within ourselves the inclination and habit to return to our former condition.
If we do not preserve, guard and cultivate the seed of Grace given to us, we will be deprived of its vivifying power.
Then, as Christ warned us, we will be worse off than we were before.
In order to preserve the Grace and not return to our former delusions, we must continuously, day by day, minute by minute, unite ourselves with the Way in metanoia (repentance)
Metanoia- realigning ourselves to the Way, calling on Him, yearning to be cleansed in spirit, being forgiven by Him, and then forgiving everyone and everything- this is the very essence and foundation of the life of His followers.
But metanoia is more than just an act. It is first and foremost a state or condition.
As long as we remain in the condition of metanoia, ever deeper levels of our corruption will be revealed to us, and we will be continuity purified and re-created by the wordless Word in our hearts.
The end of this is total illumination. As Archimandrite Sophrony explains: “Whoever tries to follow Christ ‘wherever He goes’ (Rev 14:4) will inevitably be rent again and again- at every rise from a lesser to a wider cognition, from a small measure of love to a greater.”
In our faced-past society based on instant gratification, people want spirituality instantly.
Caught in a morass of refined sensuality, they seek spirituality in a sensual way.
Hypnotised in their false identities, they seek spirituality which only gets them deeper into hypnosis- now with ab spiritual veneer.
They expect to be comforted in their filth. They cannot go deeper, because they will do anything except face their filth.
For us to advance in the spiritual life, we must realise that we are among these people, that we too have been conditioned to seek instant gratification.
Facing this is the first step in rising above our environment.
We must understand that, contrary top what our conditioning leads us to expect, inward purification is a lifelong process.
Continuous metanoia is the only way. “A miracle -“ says Fr Sophrony, “the more I ‘see’ God, the more ardent does my repentance become, since I the more clearly recognise my unworthiness in His sight.”