The Lifelong Call to Repent and Do Penance

Fr. Matthew Tomeny reminds us of one of the most urgent and essential truths Christ ever proclaimed: “If you do not repent, you will all perish” (Luke 13:3). The very first word of Jesus’ public ministry was repent—metanoia in Greek—meaning a complete change of mind and heart. True repentance is not a one-time act but a lifelong transformation. It is the continual turning of the soul toward God, the daily dying to self so that Christ may live in us.

Too often, repentance is misunderstood as a mere feeling of sorrow or a single conversion moment. But the Catholic faith teaches that it is a way of life. The Church, following Christ’s command, calls us not only to interior repentance but to do penance. As Pope John XXIII wrote in Paenitentiam Agere, true penance is both interior and exterior—a conversion of heart expressed through prayer, sacrifice, confession, and works of mercy.

Pope Pius XI once said that “prayer and penance are the two potent inspirations sent to us by God to bring back to Him our wayward human race.” Penance restores what sin destroys; it realigns the soul with divine love. It begins in the Sacrament of Penance, where Christ, through His priest, extends the same blessing hand shown in the Divine Mercy Image—the hand that forgives, absolves, and heals. But it continues through our daily choices: when we accept suffering patiently, offer sacrifices, resist sin, and unite our will to God’s.

There are four dimensions of penance:

1. The Sacrament of Penance — confession itself, where mercy is poured out.

2. The satisfaction of penance — performing the act given in confession.

3. Acts of penance — voluntary sacrifices and self-denial.

4. The virtue of penance — a habitual disposition to detest sin and return to God.

Living these four dimensions unites us to Christ Crucified and forms in us the heart of a true disciple. As St. Paul says, “I chastise my body and bring it into subjection” (1 Corinthians 9:27). Our acts of penance train the soul in humility and strengthen the will to love.

Even the Divine Mercy Image reveals this mystery. St. Faustina, guided by Christ, ensured every detail carried meaning. Look closely at the original painting: the faint purple tint around Jesus’ golden halo symbolizes both royalty and penance. Christ is the King of Mercy, reigning from the throne of His Cross, and the color of His halo calls us to live the life of continual repentance and purification through the Sacrament of Penance.

If we embrace this transformation—this ongoing metanoia—Christ promises us an eternal crown. As Fr. Matthew says, “Jesus desires to share His royal majesty with us. But if we want it, we must repent and do penance.” May the Blessed Virgin Mary help us live with contrite hearts, united to the Most Sacred Heart of Jesus, that we may one day reign with Him in everlasting glory.

Learn more about God’s mercy in the Sacraments in Understanding the Sacraments by Fr. Chris Alar at ShopMercy.org, and discover more reflections like this on DivineMercyPlus.org.

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