On February 27–28, 2017, Priest David Mezynski, associate dean for Student Affairs at St. Vladimir’s Orthodox Theological Seminary, presented four lenten reflections during the two days of intensive liturgical services that annually mark the beginning of Great Lent for the seminary community. Using a story-telling format and employing a variety of sayings from the desert monastics, Father David focused on the theme of gratitude as the fruit of repentance, and especially pinpointed two main obstacles to true repentance: 1) feeling no awareness of sin, with a consequent refusal to change; and 2) possessing a despairing attitude, with a consequent inability to receive forgiveness.