Every Friday, I want to pause and reflect on repentance.
Now, you might be wondering: Why repentance? Isn’t that kind of negative?
I get it. None of us like focusing on where we’ve fallen short. But here’s the truth: repentance isn’t about staying stuck in guilt. It’s about discovering freedom.
🌱 What Repentance Really Means
Repentance is the turning of our hearts away from sin and back toward God. The Catholic Catechism puts it beautifully: it’s “a radical reorientation of our whole life, a return to God with all our heart” (CCC 1431).
In the beginning of faith, repentance often feels heavy. Maybe we go to God out of fear of punishment or shame for our failures. But as we grow in faith—and more importantly, as we experience His deep and personal love for us—repentance starts to feel different.
It becomes less about guilt, and more about freedom. We start to want to throw off whatever keeps us from loving God and loving others well. Repentance becomes a gift of being able to take responsibility, not a burden of “restricting our freedom” to do whatever we want (even if it hurts others).
🏃♀️ Repentance Is Training in Love
Think of an athlete training for the Olympics. She commits to a daily routine, sacrifices certain comforts, and accepts the hard—but valuable—insights of her coach. Why? Because she wants to run her race well.
Repentance is like that coaching for the soul. It’s God’s way of showing us how to sharpen our love, realign our steps, and live more fully in His ways. If we want to grow as disciples of Jesus, in holiness, we’ll need to welcome this training.
The Bible defines love not just as emotion, but as willing the good of others. It’s working toward and genuinely wanting good for someone. Sin is what happens when we fall short of that love. And contrition—that sorrow we feel when we realize we missed an opportunity to love well—is actually a gift of the Holy Spirit.
💡 A Small Example
This week I had a reminder of my own need to grow. I scheduled too much into my morning and ended up arriving late at a friend’s house. She has a newborn and was exhausted, and because I was rushed, our visit felt cut short and distracted.
I left realizing: I had missed a chance to bring peace and encouragement to her home.
But instead of focusing on the negative, I took it as a moment of grace. I said sorry, and I asked God to help me plan my time better. Repentance isn’t wallowing—it’s learning, turning, and growing in love.
🌸 Repentance in Everyday Life
When you think about it, opportunities for repentance are woven into daily life:
- Choosing patience instead of snapping in irritation.
- Letting go of envy and celebrating someone else’s success.
- Saying no to consumerism (wanting more than you need) and yes to contentment.
- Remembering that how we treat those who frustrate us or inconvenience us also reveals our love.
Repentance is God’s gentle nudge: “Here’s a better way to love.”
🙏 A Prayer for Today
Take a moment right now to reflect on the past few days. Is there a moment that left you sad, or aware you could have loved better? Bring it to God.
Lord God, reveal to us by Your Holy Spirit where we fall short of love. And by Your grace, give us hearts willing to repent. Teach us to grow, that we may love You and others well. Amen.
✨ Friend, repentance isn’t something to fear. It’s God’s invitation to freedom, growth, and deeper love.
Veritable with Emma 
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