About this episode

The episode discusses the significance of forgiveness as a precursor to Lent and its role in true repentance.

The Church does not begin Great Lent with a productivity plan, a diet, or a heroic list. She begins Lent with a doorway... forgiveness . In this Forgiveness Sunday episode of the Orthodox Health Podcast , Dr. Michael Christian & John sit back down with Fr. John Wehling to unpack why forgiveness isn’t sentimental, why it isn’t the same as reconciliation or access, & how the Rite of Forgiveness trains the heart for real repentance. Fr. John ties Forgiveness Sunday to the Expulsion of Adam from Paradise , the first commandment as fasting, & the deeper reality: if we won’t forgive, our hearts won’t be able to repent... & Lent won’t “work” the way the Church intends. Takeaways: Lent begins with reconciliation: before you pick up the fast, put down the grudge. Forgiveness ≠ reconciliation: forgiveness is not the same thing as trust, access, or pretending the wound was imaginary. Forgiveness as “loosing”: forgiveness separates the person from the sin as far as it’s within our power. Don’t feed the memory of injury: treat it like a tempting thought (don’t rehearse it; redirect it into prayer). Repentance is a miracle: despair paralyzes, but repentance is already grace at…

People in this episode

Host: Dr. Michael Kuhn

Guest: Fr. John Wehling

Topics covered

• forgiveness
• Lent
• repentance
• Christianity
• spirituality

Keywords

• forgiveness
• Lent
• repentance
• Christianity
• Rite of Forgiveness
• spiritual growth
• healing

Mentioned in this episode

Organizations: Orthodox Health Podcast

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