Metanoia: The Path to Theosis

There is no end to one’s spiritual struggle in this life. This is the nature of the earthly spiritual path. The more we examine our lives, the more clearly we see into the depth of our soul and the closer we come to God.

Hieromonk Damascene teaches:

“As long as we remain in the condition of metanoia, ever deeper levels of our corruption will be revealed to us, and we will be continually purified and re-created by the wordless Word in our hearts.”

A lesson well taught by our spiritual mothers and fathers is that the key to spiritual growth is a constant yearning to be more like Christ. To do this we must continually seek forgiveness and absolution for our transgressions. This is called metanoia: a fundamental shift of mind, changing our life to be like Christ’s, calling on God to forgive us, and then likewise unconditionally granting grace to others.

According to the teaching of St. Nicephorus:

“Watchfulness is the sign of true repentance (metanoia)…. It is the unreserved assurance that our sins are forgiven.”

Continuous metanoia is a lifelong process and is the path to theosis. To practice continual metanoia, one must embrace watchfulness: a state of inner vigilance, attention, and sobriety.

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