Fr. Simon talked about repentance, but not in the “feel bad and say sorry” way we usually think of it. Instead, he looked at the Greek word metanoia, which means “a new understanding”, and showed how real repentance is about seeing things as God sees them.
1️⃣ Repentance is about a mind shift, not just willpower.
Fr. Simon shared a personal story about how he quit smoking cigars overnight (and not because he’s a willpower champ). He saw cigars for what they really were: a slow, painful death he was PAYING for, and the desire just vanished. 🤢➡️❌
2️⃣ Knowledge precedes action (unless you’re really stubborn).
He compared sin to ignoring a “Road Closed” sign because you want the road to be open. 🚧 But no matter how much you wish otherwise, reality doesn’t change. Adam and Eve learned this the hard way when they decided their truth was better than God’s truth. Bad call. 🍎🐍
3️⃣ Stop arguing with God. You won’t win.
Every sin is basically saying, “God, I know you said this will hurt me, but I think you’re wrong.” God says adultery will destroy you? Nah, I got this. God says stealing will ruin you? Relax, God, it’s just a little embezzlement. But sin is literally arguing with God, and He’s never wrong.
4️⃣ You can’t just “stop sinning”: you need a counterattack.
Fr. Simon explained that vice is a habit, so you can’t just stop it. You have to replace it with a habit of virtue. Examples:
-Addicted to drinking? Go to AA.
-Not praying enough? Schedule daily prayer.
-Struggling with purity? Pray the Hail Mary; it drives the devil nuts!
5️⃣ Delay sin like you delay chores.
This was gold: If you can procrastinate anything, why not procrastinate sin? Next time temptation comes knocking, just say, “Eh, maybe later.” The more you delay sin, the weaker it gets. Genius.
🔥 The Repentance Cheat Sheet 🔥
✅ Let God show you truth (even when you don’t like it).
✅ Stop arguing with God. Seriously, it’s embarrassing.
✅ Replace bad habits with good ones. Virtue is like muscle memory.
✅ Use the Hail Mary as a weapon. The devil hates it, so pray it more.
✅ Delay sin like it’s laundry day. Eventually, you just won’t care to do it anymore.
Repentance is about seeing sin clearly and choosing something better. So, let’s stop white knuckling our way through and instead ask: “Lord, teach me your ways.” 🙏
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