“A man who conceals his sins will not prosper, but whoever confesses and renounces them will find mercy” (Proverbs 28:13).

We Armenians are rightly proud of our rich sacramental life. We baptize our children into Christ, we bless our marriages with crowns, we gather around the holy altar for the life-giving Body and Blood of our Lord. And yet, there is one sacrament that has been quietly left in the shadows, neglected and misunderstood. That sacrament is Repentance—Ապաշխարութիւն.

It is, in many ways, the underdog of the sacraments: overlooked, underestimated, but carrying within it a spiritual power that can change the entire course of a Christian’s life.
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Repentance as a Lifelong Journey

Repentance is not simply an emergency exit when life goes wrong. It is the ongoing heartbeat of Christian life. St. John Chrysostom reminds us: “Repentance is a medicine that destroys sin; a gift from heaven, a power that transforms everything.”

Through individual confession, spoken humbly before a priest, we do not humiliate ourselves—we liberate ourselves. Sin thrives in silence and secrecy; confession exposes it to the light of Christ, where it loses its grip on our soul. Every confession is a return to the grace of Baptism, a personal resurrection, a reminder that God is always waiting for us like the father of the prodigal son (Luke 15).
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The Call to Examine Ourselves

But repentance does not begin in the church; it begins in the heart. St. Paul exhorts us: “Examine yourselves, to see whether you are in the faith. Test yourselves” (2 Corinthians 13:5).

Before we can confess honestly, we must first dare to be honest with ourselves. Too often, we excuse our sins, compare ourselves to others, or convince ourselves we are “not so bad.” But true repentance requires courage: the courage to look into the mirror of our soul and see what we have been avoiding.
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Practical Steps to Discover Our Sins

How do we uncover what is hidden in our hearts? Here are some time-tested practices:
1. Prayerful Silence – Set aside time to pray before God with Psalm 139: “Search me, O God, and know my heart… see if there is any wicked way in me.” Let God’s Spirit bring to light what you try to forget.
2. Examine the Commandments and the Beatitudes – Ask yourself honestly: Have I loved God with all my heart? Have I honored my parents? Have I lied, gossiped, or spoken harshly? Have I been greedy or envious? Christ’s Sermon on the Mount is a mirror for the soul.
3. Reflect on Relationships – Sin is not only against God but also against our neighbor. Whom have I hurt with my words or actions? Whom have I failed to love, forgive, or serve?
4. Daily Review – At the end of each day, take a few moments to recall your thoughts, words, and deeds. Small sins add up when left unchecked.

Repentance is not a vague feeling of guilt—it is a clear-eyed confession of specific sins, followed by a desire to turn away from them.
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The Strength of the Underdog

The Church Fathers never treated Repentance as optional. St. Basil the Great wrote: “Confession of evil works is the beginning of good works.” And our own Divine Liturgy reminds us, before we approach Holy Communion, that we must come “with faith, hope, and repentance.” Without this sacrament, our spiritual life becomes shallow, our Eucharist becomes routine, and our conscience becomes dull.

Repentance is the bridge that carries us back to God each time we stray. It is the sacrament that teaches us humility, honesty, and the freedom of being forgiven.
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A Direct Call to You

Beloved in Christ, let us not leave this sacrament to gather dust like an unused tool in the workshop of our souls. Let us not approach it once in a lifetime, but regularly, as part of our ongoing pilgrimage to the Kingdom. Each confession is a cleansing of the heart, a renewal of our courage, a victory of light over darkness.

The “underdog” deserves to take its rightful place in our spiritual lives—not beneath the other sacraments, but alongside them, nourishing and restoring us.

Christ Himself tells us: “There will be more joy in heaven over one sinner who repents than over ninety-nine righteous persons who need no repentance” (Luke 15:7).
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A Prayer of Repentance

Let us take the words of St. Nersess Shnorhali as our own:

“I confess with faith and adore you, Father, Son, and Holy Spirit.
I have sinned against heaven and before you.
Receive me, O merciful Lord, as you received the prodigal son,
and clothe me again with the garment of grace.”
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Take the Step Today

The joy of heaven is not far away—it begins the moment you open your heart in confession. Dear faithful, do not delay. Examine yourself, be honest with God, and come forward in humility.

Seek out your priest. Make your confession. Taste again the sweetness of forgiveness.

The door of Repentance is open. Step through it, and live.

by Vahe Sargsyan