“Are you a sinner? Do not become discouraged, and come to Church to
put forward repentance. Have you sinned? Then tell God, ‘I have sinned.’
What manner of toil is this, what prescribed course of life, what
affliction? What manner of difficulty is it to make one statement, ‘I
have sinned’? Perhaps if you do not call yourself a sinner, you do not
have the devil as an accuser? Anticipate this and snatch the honor away
from him, because it is his purpose to accuse. Therefore, why do you not
prevent him, and why do you not tell your sin and wipe it out, since
you know that you have such an accuser who cannot remain silent? Have
you sinned? Come to Church. Tell God, ‘I have sinned.’ I do not demand
anything else of you than this. Holy Scripture states, ‘Be the first one
to tell of your transgressions, so you may be justified.’ Admit the sin
to annul it. This requires neither labor nor a circuit of words, nor
monetary expenditure, nor anything else whatsoever such as these. Say
one word, think carefully about the sin and say, ‘I have sinned.'”
+ St. John Chrysostom, On Repentance and Almsgiving, Homily 2
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