Joel 2:12Meaning & Commentary from the Church Fathers

Those who embark on this path will undoubtedly be rewarded with rightful prosperity and peace. Just as total idleness and indulgence in pleasures can lead to grief and punishment, so too can acts of devotion and penitential efforts bring about an abundance of blessings. Therefore, it is wise to mourn over one’s sins and to humble oneself before God, for as Paul states, “sorrow, which is for God, makes repentance for salvation unrepentant” (2 Cor. 7:10). Similarly, Christ assures those who mourn: “for they shall be comforted” (Matt. 5:4), and Wise Solomon remarks: “it is better to go to the house of mourning than to go to the house of feasting” (Ecclesiastes 7:3).

It is essential to recognize the tremendous power of fasting; it pleases the Lord, mitigates His anger, and averts punishment. Through our self-humbling, we effectively pacify God’s wrath, which may seem fierce and tumultuous against us, and we can restrain the hand of the one who brings about our afflictions. If it is true that acknowledging our sins justifies us by God's grace, how can we doubt that laboring in ascesis and embracing self-discipline will bring us forgiveness? Thus, He encourages us not to merely grieve outwardly by tearing our garments but to open our stubborn hearts to Him, for the fear of God must penetrate these hard places. Accordingly, Paul writes to the Corinthians: “We do not dwell within us, but you are comforted in your wombs: the same retribution, as I say to the children, will spread among you” (2 Corinthians 6:12-13). It is necessary, therefore, to expand the heart before God and to open the mind to receive that which is truly needed. Thus, presenting a façade of sorrow through external displays will be of no benefit to anyone who thinks such actions suffice; rather, opening the heart and entrusting our thoughts to God will yield much fruit—leading to salvation. He assures those who pray that they will achieve their desires, for the Lord of all is merciful and kind, and “repent of evil”; should He choose to bring hardship upon sinners, He is quick to show mercy after a brief period, as He is inclined to favor. This, I believe, embodies the essence of “repenting of evils.” In countering the despair of those who have lost hope for salvation, the prophet proclaims, “Who knows whether he will repent and leave behind him a blessing,” implying that He grants blessings to those who return to Him, so that they may again offer libations and sacrifices in joy and gratitude.

After doing this, return to the Lord your God, from whom you have distanced yourself through your past transgressions. Do not lose hope in forgiveness, for even great sins can be erased by His great mercy. The Lord is good and merciful, and He desires the repentance of sinners more than their demise. He is patient and does not mirror the haste of humanity but waits long for our return. He may have relented from His threats, and when we repent, He, too, lessens His severity against us. The 'evil' referenced here does not denote mere wrongdoing, but rather suffering, as highlighted by the words ‘Sufficient for every day is his sorrow’ and ‘Should calamity occur in a city, the Lord has not caused it’ (Amos 3:6). Given that the Lord is consistently good and merciful, His willingness to forgive is immense, which compels my call for your conversion. I urge you to understand the unfathomable goodness of God, as expressed by David, who implores, "Have mercy on me, O God, according to Your great love; according to Your abundant compassion blot out my transgressions" (Psalm 51:1). Yet, since we are unable to fully comprehend the depths of God's wisdom and knowledge, my words are more a supplication than a certainty, asking, Who knows if He will not turn and forgive? The term 'who' conveys a sense of uncertainty, suggesting both the extraordinary and the challenging. The offerings we make to the Lord our God are meant as acts of gratitude following the blessings and forgiveness extended to us.

I responded, “Lord, I am now filled with the commandments of the Lord, for Your presence is with me; I know that You will vanquish all the might of the enemy, and together we will triumph; I trust that, with God's assistance, I will adhere to the commandments You have imparted.” He replied, “You will keep them if your heart remains pure before the Lord; all will retain them who cleanse their hearts from the emptiness of worldly desires and live in communion with God.”

This practice prepares us to receive forgiveness in the age to come and to enter into eternal gladness. Each individual must reflect on his sins, weep, and perform acts of compassion, so that with God's assistance, he may avoid these transgressions while he lives. Just as no one has lived without minor sins, it is essential that we also strive to live free from major offenses, relying on the strength of God.

When one indulges in wicked acts, engages in trivial chatter, or harbors base and lowly desires, she perceives this subtle corruption; thus, her nobility is tarnished, her virtue is compromised, and she withdraws from one's presence. If the coarse and reckless joy of the world occupies her space, it leads to even greater despair. As a consequence of the offense against divine joy, heaven administers a curse that touches all earthly sources of happiness. “The grapes have withered away, and the figs have withered away: the thorns, and the phoenix, and the apple-trees, and all the trees of Poland have withered away: for they have shamed the joy of the sons of men.” We are reminded that we are, indeed, sons of God in Christ! Let us not disgrace the splendor of celestial joy through impurity and indulgence in carnal desires, “that God may give” us “joy in our hearts” greater than that enjoyed by those whose harvests of “wheat, wine, and oil increased” (Psalm 4:8), so that “no one may take away our joy” in the risen and eternal Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The tradition of rending garments to signify grief amidst various disasters was common not just among the Hebrews but also among other cultures (Genesis XXVII: 34; Numbers XIV: 6; 2 Samuel XXIV: 19). Understanding that this practice could be performed insincerely, the Lord demands that their repentance should emerge from hearts genuinely afflicted by sorrow for their sins. The Lord, who examines the inner being, desires to witness hearts genuinely ruptured by remorse, rather than mere torn clothing. “And turn to the Lord your God, for He is merciful and generous, longsuffering and gracious, and repentant of evil.” In urging sinners to return to the Lord, the prophet instills within them the hope that their sincerity will prompt His mercy, for He is indeed compassionate and patient (Exodus XXXIV: 4). The Lord expressed the same sentiment to Moses regarding His mercy. The phrase “repenting of evil” signifies that when sinners experience true remorse for their wrongdoing, the Lord, in His tender pity, also reflects upon the evil of their just punishment and is prepared to retract His warning of discipline upon seeing their heartfelt repentance. The term wickedness, referring to evil, distress, and punishment, appears in other biblical contexts (2 Samuel XXIV: 16; Joel IV: 2).