Strength From Bearing Shame In Confession - Fr. Zacharias Zachariou

Orthodox Wisdom

On occasion, I depart from my standard approach and record texts by those still alive in this world. Generally, I stick to texts from those who finished their race and are widely embraced as being victorious in Christ. This text from Fr. Zacharias, the disciple of St. Sophrony of Essex, is truly life-changing and worthy of your heart’s attention. As it has been said, “many confess, few repent.” Fr. Zacharias inspires us to confess more genuinely, bearing our shame, and teaches us how to make a confession that attracts the grace of God and brings greater power to live the life in Christ. The original title of this talk is "The Awakening of the Heart through Bearing Shame in the Sacrament of Confession". The video title is shortened due to YouTube and Spotify character limitations. Also, a Q&A immediately following this talk is included in the book. I did not record it in order to encourage listeners to buy the book and support the monastery in Essex, England. -BUY "The Hidden Man of the Heart (1 Peter: 3:4): The Cultivation of the Heart in Orthodox Christian Anthropology" https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/the-hidden-man-of-the-heart-BUY the first book in this series of four, "Christ, Our Way and Our Life: A Presentation of the Theology of Archimandrite Sophrony"https://essexmonastery.com/bookshop/christ-our-way-and-our-life -FIND an Orthodox parish and monastery near you: https://orthodoxyinamerica.org/ _______ Fr. Zacharias teaches: When the believer becomes aware of his iniquity, he no longer does anything to conceal it, but he will confess his iniquity to the Lord against himself (cf. Ps. 32:5 Lxx). And the Lord forgives the ungodliness of his heart and renews him with the grace of eternal salvation in return for the shame he bears in the act of repentance. The deeper the shame with which he reveals his sins in the sacrament of confession, the greater the power and grace he receives for his regeneration. The presence of shame in the mystery of confession is not only healthy and normal, but also confirms that repentance is offered from the heart — that it is voluntary and deeply humble. Whoever truly repents and confesses his transgressions takes full responsibility for them, without justifying himself as Adam did in Paradise. He does not blame God or his neighbour. Instead, he endures the shame of his sins with humility and courage.

The Gospel account of Zacchaeus' encounter with Jesus throws a great deal of light on our subject (Luke 19:1-10). This notable and influential man, a tax-collector of ill-gotten wealth, Was overcome by the desire to see who Jesus was. But his desire Was frustrated by the density of the crowd for he was of small stature. Zacchaeus, however, was so eager that he thought nothing of becoming a laughing-stock to the crowd. Because he was willing to accept whatever shame might come his way, he took courage, and climbed up into a sycamore tree so that he would be able to see Jesus. The Lord drew near, and He noticed Zacchaeus. Then He called him down from the tree so that He could meet him. He even gave him the honour of visiting his house and staying with him. And the result of this visit was truly marvellous: Zacchaeus who had despised his standing with the crowd was put right. All his former iniquities were made good, and his debts were restored fourfold in righteousness. Christ our God and Saviour declared: 'Salvation is come to this house.' _______ Orthodox Wisdom is dedicated to sharing the writings and lives of the Saints of the Orthodox Church. Glory to Jesus Christ!