Cease Quote by Symeon the New Theologian
“When your soul is pricked by compunction and gradually changed, it becomes a fountain flowing with rivers of tears and compunction. If any one of you ever happens to communicate with tears, whether you weep before the Liturgy or in the course of the Divine Liturgy, or at the very time that you receive the Divine Gifts, and does not desire to do this for the rest of his days and nights, it will avail him nothing to have wept merely once. It is not this alone that at once purifies us and makes us worthy; it is daily compunction that does not cease until death.”
About This Quote
Source Homily: Divine Liturgy, Eastern Orthodox tradition, 10th‑11th c.
Continuous repentance purifies the soul; fleeting sorrow without ongoing remorse yields no lasting transformation.
In simple terms: Only ongoing remorse cleanses.
Key Takeaway
Cultivate daily humility and repentance.
Themes
spirituality
repentance
humility
Mood
reflective
somber
Type
spiritual
ethical
When to use this quote
- personal prayer
- confession
- spiritual direction
Key Concepts
theology
psychology
Questions to Reflect On
- How can you embed ongoing repentance in daily life?
- What habits sustain humility?
A Different Perspective
One-time tears without lasting change are ineffective.
