Penthos and Tears

This week Fr. Michael talks about penthos, the deep sorrow for sin, and the tears that can be related to that, using the writings of St. John Climacus as a jumping off point. He talks about sorrow for sins of the world and the different types of tears we can experience. References: Thirty Steps to Heaven by Vassilios Papavassiliou The Ladder of Divine Ascent by St. John Climacus The Boy, the Mole, the Fox, and the Horse by Charlie Mackesy Quote from St. John Climacus "In the domain of creation, as in that of compunction, there is that which moves itself and that which is moved by some other agent. When the soul grows tearful, weeps, and is filled with tenderness, and all this without having striven for it, let us run for the Lord has arrived uninvited and is holding out to us the sponge of loving sorrow, the cool waters of blessed sadness with which to wipe away the record of our sins. Guard these tears like the apple of your eye until they go away, for they have a power greater than anything that comes from our own efforts and our own meditation." Follow and Contact Us!

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Penthos and Tears is an episode from What God is Not by Father Michael O'Loughlin and Mother Natalia.

This episode is 60:54 long.

This episode was published on Apr 8, 2026.

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