The right penance (chap.NR)

"[1] All of them said: “Yes, truly most wise Lord and Master. Thus the true and perfect penance is and remains the only real cure for the soul (sacramentum), and all the rest is nothing and has no value for life. This we all can see now well and very clear. But what do You, o Lord and Master, think about the strict penance in sack and ashes? Are the sack and ashes necessary for a strict penance?”
[2] I said: “These are quite as unnecessary as it was unnecessary from your side to ask Me about this, since I have already told you clearly wherein the true and for Me valuable penance of a sinner consists. What kind of sanctification can a sack and ashes offer man for his soul? A sack and ashes were instituted by the elders as symbolic images under which the right penance has to be understood, because the sack stands for the outer humility and the ashes for the true inner humility of the soul. But only the carrying of a sack and the strewing of ashes on the head has given man quite as less sanctification as fasting and castigating. Like a soldier who creeps away in a safe hole out of fright and fear for the enemy instead of courageously accepting the fight against him, will most probably not be crowned with a crown of victory.
[3] For this reason: away with sack and ashes, away with castigating and fasting, and away with the sacrificing of goats, and away with all the other temple sacrifices for the forgiveness of sins, for those do not have the least of value for life for Me. However, instead of this, one should display a firm and inflexible will for a true inner improvement of life, as well as a living love for God and fellowman, and the full faith in God and His incarnation in Me, for only this sanctifies man and makes the soul strong, giving him to live entirely in My Spirit that prevails in him.
[4] Remain with this, and teach it also to all other nations, then you will save Me from sending the threatened judgment over all the heathens in later times. However, you should not shudder and tremble before the people, but with a good and courageous will you should proclaim to them openly the full godly seriousness of the truth. And even if you should not be able to oppose effectively and successfully all the heathens in a short time, the pure truth will very well be able to do that in future times. Because the great judgment over the kingdom of the lie that I have announced, consists in the victory of the truth. And that will not be a different truth than what I am proclaiming to you now.

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