dermdoc said:
10andBOUNCE said:
Mark 1:14-15
Now after John was arrested, Jesus came into Galilee, proclaiming the gospel of God, and saying, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel."
The gospel is of no use to you if you do not repent nor have the need to be saved. They are just logically connected.
Sola Fide!
Agree. Curious as to what you think repentance means.
And from my reading, Jesus is talking about the Kingdom of God being here. Now. Not a post mortem destination .
In my opinion, by repent, he means change your mind to focus on God and receive abundant life.
Metanoia is the Greek word for repentance and it means a change of mind and heart.
And then you can experience the Kingdom of God now.
Using Hallows App's AI which now has a copy function that I requested multiple times. You are spot on Doc.
### Catholic Teaching on "Repent" in Mark 1:14-15
In Mark 1:14-15, Jesus proclaims, "The time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God is at hand; repent, and believe in the gospel," initiating his public ministry after John the Baptist's imprisonment.[^11] [^15] Catholic doctrine interprets "repent" (Greek metanoeite) as a profound call to metanoiaa radical reorientation of the whole person toward God, involving a change in mind, heart, and actions. This is not mere remorse but a grace-enabled conversion that marks the entry into God's kingdom, pairing repentance with faith in the Gospel.[^13] [^14] It echoes John the Baptist's preaching (Mt 3:2) and becomes central to Christian life, demanding an ongoing turning from sin to divine mercy.[^12] [^18]
### Biblical and Patristic Context
Early Church Fathers, as compiled in St. Thomas Aquinas's Catena Aurea, emphasize that Jesus begins preaching repentance precisely when the Law (foreshadowed by John) yields to the Gospel. Pseudo-Chrysostom notes Christ preaches after temptation and John's arrest to avoid dividing followers and to confirm John's witness, urging preparation for heavenly rewards through repentance.[^11] Theophylact links it to the kingdom as a "conversation according to the Gospel," likening it to righteousness, peace, and joy in the Holy Spirit (Rom 14:17).[^11] Bede stresses renouncing "dead works" alongside faith, as belief without amendment is fruitless.[^11]
This aligns with parallel passages like Matthew 4:17, where Chrysostom observes Jesus mercifully starts with gentle calls to repentance rather than judgment, targeting the will to correct it through hope in eternal goods.[^17]
### Doctrinal Definition from the Catechism
The Catechism of the Catholic Church (CCC) defines repentance as interior conversion: a "radical reorientation of our whole life, a return to God with all our heart, an end of sin, [and] a turning away from evil, with repugnence toward the evil actions we have committed."[^3] It includes:
- Sorrow and compunction (animi cruciatus and compunctio cordis), nourished by hope in God's mercy.[^3]
- Firm purpose of amendment: abhorrence of past sins and resolve "not to sin any more in the future."[^4]
- Perfect vs. imperfect contrition: Arising from love of God (perfect) or fear of punishment/other motives (imperfect), but always faith-inspired.[^8]
Jesus' call in Mark 1:15 is foundational: Baptism initiates this first conversion, but it continues lifelong as "the kingdom of God is at hand."[^15] The Ukrainian Catholic Catechism echoes this: repentance is "liberating and life-creating," a "continuous path toward personal healing," looking forward to Christ rather than backward in despair.[^2]
### Repentance as Grace and Virtue
Popes clarify metanoia as divine gift, not human effort alone. Pope Benedict XVI stresses: "Repentance is a grace... the capacity to be penitent is a gift," enabling recognition of sin and transformation.[^14] Pope John Paul II calls it an "ongoing commitment" to change thinking and acting.[^13] St. Thomas Aquinas, drawing from Peter Lombard, defines penance as a virtue "by which we bewail and hate, with purpose of amendment, the evils we have committed," distinguishing interior sorrow from the sacrament.[^7] Early witness Lactantius (ca. 311) portrays it as God's "medicine" for frailty: retracing steps, reforming life, and avoiding past snares.[^10]
Post-baptismal repentance differs, requiring sacramental confession, absolution, and satisfaction (fasting, alms, prayer) for temporal punishment, per the Council of Trent.[^1] Without true contrition and amendment, sins remain unforgiven.[^6]
### What Should We Do? Practical Application
Catholic teaching urges immediate, concrete response to Jesus' command:
1. Examine conscience diligently: Identify sins through prayerful reflection.[^6]
2. Stir contrition: Foster sorrowperfect through love of God, imperfect through fearfocusing on Christ's mercy as in the Prodigal Son.[^5]
3. Confess sacramentally: For mortal sins, seek priestly absolution with full disclosure; even desire suffices if impossible.[^1] [^6]
4. Perform satisfaction: Fast, give alms, pray, and do "devout exercises" to repair harm.[^1]
5. Amend life ongoingly: Live as "new creation," pursuing ascesis, avoiding occasions of sin, and growing in virtue.[^2] [^9] Pray liturgically: "Open to me the doors of repentance, O Giver of life."[^9]
This is essential for salvation: "Without repentance, there can be neither salvation nor new life."[^5] In daily life, respond to God's kingdom by turning from worldly attachments (as Jesus did post-temptation) toward Gospel livingjustice, mercy, faith.[^11]
In summary, "repent" demands heartfelt metanoia as graced conversion: sorrow, amendment, sacramental action, and lifelong renewal, uniting us to Christ's kingdom through faith.
---
[^1] The Sources of Catholic Dogma (Enchiridion Symbolorum), (Heinrich Joseph Dominicus Denzinger), 1543
[^2] Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ Our Pascha, (Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), 783
[^3] Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church), 1431
[^4] Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church), 1490
[^5] Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ Our Pascha, (Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), 780
[^6] Recent Proposals for the Pastoral Care of the Divorced and Remarried: A Theological Assessment, (John Corbett, OP, Andrew Hofer, OP, et al.), page18
[^7] St. Thomas Aquinas and the Virtuousness of Penance: On the Importance of Aristotle for Catholic Theology, (Jörgen Vijgen), page9
[^8] Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church), 1492
[^9] Catechism of the Ukrainian Catholic Church: Christ Our Pascha, (Synod of the Ukrainian Greek Catholic Church), 782
[^10] The Divine Institutes, (Lucius Caecilius Firmianus (Lactantius)), Book VI. Chapter 24
[^11] Catena Aurea on Mark, (Thomas Aquinas), 6
[^12] The Sacrament of Reconciliation: A Theological and Pastoral Reflection for the Ministers of the Sacrament, (Canadian Conference of Catholic Bishops), 8
[^13] General Audience of 15 September 1999, (Pope John Paul II), 2
[^14] 15 April 2010: Eucharistic Concelebration with the members of the Pontifical Biblical Commission, (Pope Benedict XVI)
[^15] Catechism of the Catholic Church, (Catechism of the Catholic Church), 1427
[^16] Le Plerinage de Lourdes, (Pope Pius XII), 36
[^17] Catena Aurea on Matthew, (Thomas Aquinas), 6
[^18] Instruction for Applying the Liturgical Prescriptions of the Code of Canons of the Eastern Churches, (Congregation for the Eastern Churches), 86
