The way to peace

The way to acquire peace is as follows: forget entirely your fall and the sin and give yourself over to the thought of God’s great and ineffable goodness and the fact that He is willing and desires to forgive every sin, however serious, inviting sinners in a variety of ways to come to their senses and be joined to Him in this life and, by His Grace, to be glorified and be eternally blessed in the next.

And when, with these and other thoughts and deliberations, you have calmed your mind, then you can return to your fall, doing what I said above.

When the time comes for confession (which I urge you to attend very frequently) remember all your sins and, with new pain and sorrow over the sadness of God and with the firm intention not to sadden Him any more, expose them all to your spiritual father and perform the rule he gives you willingly.

» Saint Nicodemus the Hagiorite