When we do religious acts, we are lukewarm, because we have no compunction for our sinfulness. This small article, has only one theme, Metanoia, because we cannot recall it often enough. Our spiritual ancestors sought and received the gift of tears. We never even think of such a thing. Women who should be examples of repentance to their families, think far more about how they look, never seeking to show repentance for their evil gossip and idle words, their vainglory, their love of ease and especially their self-will.
Men are concerned also with how they look and how they smell.
We have all gone so far astray that our spiritual fathers fear to correct us, lest we break with the Church completely. Orthodox now usually confess and communicate like papists, as if we received indulgences and were excused from works of repentance. Every sin, every bad example scandalizes someone else, especially the young, and at judgment they will accuse us. Today few bishops or priests know or care anything about canons or tradition, not even Apostolic Canons and Apostolic Tradition, especially in America, and people who follow such clergy will get what they deserve. God forbid that we should imagine, like some fantastic Protestant cults, that to repent once is enough, since as long as man lives he sins.