Why are tears of repentance often called a “second baptism”?

The Church Fathers often spoke about the greatness of baptism, but they feared lest the believers rely on their baptism and on being children of God, and therefore lose their feeling of need for tears of repentance. Therefore, they explained that the tears of repentance are a second baptism for continuous daily renewal, “forgetting those things which are behind and reaching forward to those things which are ahead,” that we may “come to the measure of the stature of the fullness of Christ” (Eph. 4:13). This wondrous baptism can be described as follows:

• a. The spring of its water is weeping, which overflows from the depths of the believer through the work of the divine grace.

• b. Its water is pure and cleanses sins through the precious blood and is offered by one’s holy will.

• c. It is practiced daily, through the grace of God, and so it fixes what was corrupted numerous times.

• d. A hidden baptism, the repentant believer feels as if a scorpion bit him, so he hastens to repent before the mighty Physician.

St. Jacob of Sarug says, “Bathe O defiled soul who was dirtied with sin, in this pure water of weeping and be cleansed … You will not receive a second baptism for the tears of the sinner replace it every day. Good will is present every day to kill sin with repentance. The eyes of the sinner are every day a baptism and at any time, he can open them, bathe, and purify himself.”