What is the relationship between metanoias and repentance?

While repentance begins with the person coming back to himself like the prodigal son (Luke 15:17), it should not stop at that stage, for the believer must then rise up and return to his Father, only to find his heavenly Father running towards him, falling on his neck and bringing him back into His house, where He prepares a generous banquet in his honor (Luke 15:22–23). Then, the sorrow of the sinner will melt away, and his soul will rejoice before his Father’s love for him. Metanoias, therefore, are not limited to kneeling down and touching the ground with the forehead; the believer may also beat his chest (Luke 18:13) so that His heavenly Savior might cause His kingdom to abide within it; or stretch out his hands and lift them up, looking up to heaven, proclaiming his longing to see his heavenly Father and enjoy fellowship in eternal glory.

315 See sections 889–890 above.

316 See A Monk of the Baramous Monastery (H. G. Bishop Macarius), An Introduction to Metanoias in Spiritual Direction (Arabic), fourth printing (2002): p. 42.

What is said of repentance and the practice of metanoias may also be experienced in all kinds of worship of God, as the Church Fathers said as their hearts ascended “from glory to glory” (2 Cor. 3:18). We see this practically in the experience of the sinful woman who washed the Savior’s feet with her tears and dried them with the hair of her head, and immediately she heard Him praising her and saying to the pharisee, “Her sins which are many are forgiven because she loved much” (Luke 7:47). This biblical mindset was experienced by many Church Fathers and Mothers who practiced metanoias often, with joy and gladness, without weariness or boredom. They sang to themselves with St. Paul, saying, “our citizenship is in heaven” (Phil. 3:20).

St. Isaac the Syrian says that whenever a person is enlightened in prayer, he will feel more keenly the need for the practice of metanoias and its importance, and perseverance in this practice becomes sweeter. Whenever he raises up his head, an overflow of fervor draws his heart to bow down, for in so doing, he will feel a strong assistance, and his joy and delight will multiply.³¹⁷

In the Paradise of the Fathers we read: “A brother said: ‘What should I do Father? I am weak and the passions overcome me and I have no power to resist the thoughts.’ The elder said to him: ‘If they throw these thoughts on you, do not respond to them but flee to God with prayer or prostrations and say: O God have mercy on me and cast these thoughts away from me with Your great power for I am too weak to resist them.’ The brother said to him: ‘When I stand up to pray, I do not feel any reverence as I do not understand the words.’ The elder said to him: ‘I heard Abba Moses (or Abba Poemen) say that just like a magician does not know the significance of the words he utters but the snake understands and comes out, so is it with us, even if we did not understand what we say, the demons understand and depart away from us.’”

Abba Isaiah teaches beginners saying, “If you happen to sin, do not be ashamed and resort to lies, but perform a metanoia, confess your iniquity, and ask for forgiveness and you will be forgiven.” And, “If someone says a harsh word to you, do not let your heart be sorrowful or arrogant, but humbly perform a metanoia and do not blame him in your heart and do not be angry with him. If someone accuses you of something you have not done, do not be afraid but again humble yourself, perform a metanoia and say: ‘Forgive me, I will not do this again.’”