38. Необходимая решимость говеющего посвятить себя Богу рассматривается как сознательное обновление обетов, данных за нас при крещении

And I'll add more. After reading everything that you have to do, don’t think: “Wow, what a passion! Where can I do all this!” Even if it were so, there is no point in resting your feet, because this matter is of the first importance. But there is nothing difficult or enormous here. It's simple. Start little by little and you will have time to do everything properly. But if you don’t have time to do everything as you would like, do it as best you can. The Lord is not picky about little things. He values ​​diligence and intention. He will accept your effort to reconsider and rebuild yourself as something that has already been accomplished, just don’t give up on it, but keep in mind to continue and continue until you reach the end. The main thing, that is, the decisive intention to devote yourself entirely to the Lord, you must certainly arouse, strengthen and establish in yourself once and for all. This is an urgent condition for receiving the grace given in the sacraments of Repentance and Holy Communion. I will remind you of the matter of arranging our salvation, and you will see what is most important that now stands behind you. We have sinned against our first parents. The goodness of God took pity on us and arranged for our salvation in the Lord Jesus Christ, the Son of God, who became incarnate for the sake of us, men, and ours for the sake of salvation. He accomplished this salvation by His death on the cross and resurrection and the sending of the Holy Spirit. Those who believe in Him, approaching Him with repentance, for the sake of His death receive remission of sins and for the sake of determination to follow Him and His teaching in life, they accept the grace of the Holy Spirit in the sacraments. All this is accomplished in Baptism and Confirmation. The one who receives grace begins a new life, born of the Holy Spirit. We received this new birth in infancy. Our parents and successors testified to the faith for us. They also vouched for the fact that we would live according to the commandments of the Lord. For this reason, in the initial sacraments, everything was given to us as if we ourselves had consciously expressed faith and made vows, but, obviously, with the condition that when we grow up and come to self-knowledge, we ourselves would voluntarily take upon ourselves the obligations that, at baptism, were pronounced for us by others. When someone does this, then the grace of God, which had hitherto acted alone and in secret, begins to act together with freedom and often makes itself felt tangibly and clearly helps in arranging their salvation for the person who makes such a decision. For the most part, this is done during fasting. And this is what you should be willing to do. Before, you fasted and did everything that is usually done at this time. But now you are going to do it more thoroughly, with consciousness of the matter. Based on this, I explain to you what now stands behind you: it is necessary that you yourself pronounce those vows that were given for you by others. Then others for you renounced Satan and all his works, and all his ministry (secular life), and now you yourself will renounce all this. Then they assured you that you would be united with Christ and would serve and worship Him - now you yourself will say this with all your soul and with all your heart. Enter into this with conviction and accept the corresponding resolutions. The Lord be your helper, and the Mother of God, and your guardian angel! May the grace of the All-Holy Spirit overshadow you in the sacraments of confession and Holy Communion, which you approach with such good disposition and decision. You might be interested in: