24- When does giving an account of oneself take place

  

St-Takla.org Image: An old man praying, black and white line drawing. صورة في موقع الأنبا تكلا: رجل مسن يصلي، رسم تخطيطي بالأسود.

One question remains, which is: When do we give account of ourselves?

Some give account of themselves on special occasions, such as in the new year, or on their birthday. Some prefer to give account of themselves before each confession and partaking of Holy Communion. What is better than both these two is giving account of yourself at the end of each day, and the best of all is giving account of oneself and convicting oneself immediately after the deed...

However, the ideal is when you give account of yourself before committing the deed.

For example, before you utter a word, ask yourself: Is it fit for me to say this word? What would its effect be on others? Would some understand it differently, from my intention? And so if you find a mistake, you avoid it before it happens... The same with every action and every thought...

By doing that, you progress towards perfection, and may God be with you...