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John went into all the region around the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins (Luke 3: 3; 2nd Sunday of Advent, Year C).
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It is Advent again, that most precious liturgical season. Advent is a short season with many layers of richness, many themes. Expectancy, hope, promise, joy, waiting and the fulfillment of waiting all dance in and out of its readings and prayers.
Among its themes is repentance, exemplified by the figure of John the Baptist who dominates the readings in the Second and Third Weeks of Advent.
John and his preaching remind us that preparing the way of the Lord and being ready for his coming requires something of us, and that “something” is conversion. And as part of that conversion, repentance for all we have done, all that is in us that is opposed to that coming.
Repentance—well, that’s a good word for all of us as we wind our way to the end of 2018.
I don’t mean in this article to go into the sad litany of all the problems of the Church and the world at this time; presumably, you are all too aware of all of them. I know I am. Suffice to say that it has been a tough time in both, bringing much suffering, much awareness of all that is wrong, all that needs to be healed and fixed.
And so repentance seems like a worthy theme to focus on this Advent.
“John came preaching a baptism of repentance” (cf. Luke 3:3). Jesus would himself begin his preaching with Repent and believe the good news (Mark 1: 14). Clearly, the theme of repentance is central to the Gospel.
Now, when people have said in recent months that this is a time in the life of the Church when we are all called to repentance and conversion, one typical response has been, “What do you mean, we? I haven’t done _______! What do I have to repent of?”
(Fill in the blank with whatever misdeed or crime fills you with the most outrage).
Well yes. Indeed you (and, I assure you, I) have not done ________. But the only answer to that furious question is to return it. You have not done that thing. But, indeed, what do you have to repent of?
In other words, stop talking about all the things you haven’t done. What have you done, that impedes the kingdom of God in you and in the world?
What have I done that is the opposite of preparing the way of the Lord, of believing the Gospel?
That is what we have to repent of. And yes (oh yes indeed) it is a matter of we. No one is exempt, really, from the call and the need to repent. Not ever, and certainly not in the year 2018 when the fruits of so many choices against God’s kingdom are so manifest on all sides.
We cannot do anything about the sins of another person beyond praying and fasting for them; with God’s grace we can do a lot about our own sins.
It is a time when many speak of corruption and rot in the Church. Well, yes. But until we understand that all of our sins are part of that corruption and rot, that every time you and I have chosen our will over God’s, every time you and I have failed to recognize the precious image of God shining in every human face, the royal dignity of Christ resting on every human form, every time you and I have closed our hearts to any other person or closed our hearts to the grace of God wanting to break us open to receive His flaming charity for all humanity—to whatever extent we have done that–we have contributed to the corruption and rot.
But rejoice and be glad, brothers and sisters! Rejoice and be glad, Fr. Denis! This means we are not powerless in all of these distressing times in which we live. Not only in the Church but in the world, we are not powerless.
Since all of us are (to at least some extent) part of the problem, that means each of us (to an extent known only to God, but I rather suspect much greater than we realize) can be part of the solution.
Repent and believe the Good News. With his help, by his grace, let us open the doors of our hearts a little more widely to the love of Christ wanting to come to us this Christmas.
With his help, by his grace, let us search to know, really and truly, what it is in us that has led us to slam the doors of our heart to that charity, has led us to have any amount of contempt, hatred, disdain, or simply cold indifference to any human being, anywhere, for any reason.
Let us search to know any little bit of rebellion against God and his sovereign will in our lives.
Then, finding out what it may be that we are holding on to, what little bit of self is more important to us than the kingdom of God exploding in our midst, let us plunge it into those baptismal waters we all bear within our souls.
Let us bring it to Christ, in the confessional, at the altar, kneeling before the Crib during this coming feast, and ask him to take it away from us, that little bit of self, so that he can give us his whole self to love with and radiate to the world.
There really is no other way that the Church, the world, is going to be healed, you know. We can bat around human solutions of reform this and restructure that.
None of that is wrong; all of it is undoubtedly needed. But none of it will be of any use, unless you and I heed the words of Christ of which John the Baptist is the herald.
Prepare the way of the Lord (Luke 3:4). Repent and believe the Good News.
