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Do I really want to repent? –Fr. Jordi Rivero v Repentance does not come naturally. Ø  Without grace we do not see how incapable we are of knowing God and ourselves.   Ø  If we do not see we cannot repent.  v Jesus asked His disciples, “who do people say that I am?”. Ø  But not even the disciples knew.  Ø  Finally Peter says, “You are the Christ, the Son of the living God.” Mt 16,16. Ø  But immediately, Peter reverted to his human thinking and objected when the Lord said He must go to Jerusalem, suffer and die.  §  Peter recognizes that Jesus is divine, but then argues with Him! Ø  Jesus then tells him: “Get behind me, Satan! You are a hindrance[https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Matthew+16&version=RSVCE#fen-RSVCE-27870i (i)] to me; for you are not on the side of God but of men.” v At the Last Judgement many who called themselves Christians will be condemned. Ø   Mt 7:22  On that day many will say to me, ‘Lord, Lord, did we not prophesy in your name, and cast out demons in your name, and do many mighty works in your name?’ And then will I declare to them, ‘I never knew you; depart from me, you evildoers.’ Ø  Mt 25, 44  They also will answer, ‘Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty or a stranger or needing clothes or sick or in prison, and did not help you?’ Ø   They knew God, they performed activities in His name but they were not of one heart with God. They had come to their own interpretations. v Today among practicing Catholics.  Ø  How many interpretations of what is right and wrong!  Relativism. Ø  What good is my opinion if it is a lie that keeps me from repenting and turning to God? v To repent and turn to God we need:  Ø  1-knowledge of who God is. §  God wants to show Himself to us.  §  The problem is that we think we already know Him. §  We have our opinions set.  Ø  2-knowledge of who we are and our true condition.   §  Only Christ can reveal to us our identity.  §  Until He does, we have a very distorted understanding of ourselves.  §  But He cannot reveal it to us unless we are willing to accept a truth that will shatter our false identity.  §  The love of Christ must pierce our fears and self-justifications. §  Allow JESUS to bring our sin to the light. §  The more we do, the more that Christ can heal.  v  Repentance is not complete until we choose to change. Ø  This can only be done with the power of the Cross Ø  This means to choose to enter battle as ONE with Christ.  Ø  Christ conquered by persevering in love and obedience through suffering. Ø  No other way.  v Our tendency is to avoid the battle and instead of repenting and allowing God to change us, we justify ourselves with exterior practices of the law.  v Paul writes: Phi 2,12 “continue to work out your salvation with fear and trembling” Ø  He knows the magnitude of the battle.  Ø  He understood the price paid for His salvation: CROSS.  §  Ponder the Cross.  §  The Cross reveals the gravity of sin AND the love of Christ.  §  Do I believe that my fallen condition is such that Jesus had to die for me? v We are in a battle Ø  Satan uses the world and the flesh against us Ø  World.  Repeats the lies until they are seen as truth. ...