– Gospel of Luke, chapter 3:8
Nobody is without sin. Anybody who says so, is a liar (1 John:1:8). So, why not ‘fess up and change your life for the better?
This is the message today, the second Sunday of Advent, which we read about in Saint Luke’s gospel account of John the Baptist’s proclamation of Repentance (Luke 3:3).
When we repent of our sins: God’s merciful forgiveness is embraced, and union with Him is restored. It is as though the old sins of the past had never been committed. God’s forgiveness is that real. He forgives and He forgets. Healing, restoration, and the beginning of new life become real.
Today’s message urges us to embrace the insight and the foresight to repent of our sins. Christ died on the cross to atone for our sins. All He wants of us is to open our souls to His forgiveness by repenting of our sins. He paid the price. You need to let Him into your life. That’s all that is required of us.
Why do people reject such a simple and obvious message? We have all sinned; we all need repentance; so why do we not repent and accept the Lord’s forgiveness? For many, repentance is an antiquated word with little significance. It is one of those words people use lightly. We hear the word and we speak the word without attaching any real meaning to it. For some, there is a vague understanding of repentance as something that is done when one is caught. But repentance is far more than blurting out, “I’m sorry”, when you get caught doing something wrong. It goes much deeper than appearances. It has to come from the heart to be real, and that is the rub!
If you are jealous of someone, your bad attitude will cause harm to that person through bad mouthing that person or denying the person what is his or her due. The same is true of dispositions like greed, ambition, arrogance, and so forth. You have to get rid of these ugly inner traits that lead you to behave ignominiously towards your fellow man. As Jesus puts it, we have to pluck out whatever leads to sin (Matthew 5:29).
St. John the Baptist, in today’s gospel, pointed the way to Jesus who offers us the key to true Repentance. Jesus shows us how to forgive by His own example of forgiveness, and He imparts the power to overcome the obstacles to Repentance by His sacrifice on the Cross.
St. John the Baptist proclaimed a baptism of Repentance which called upon his listeners to make sacrifices for their sins. Jesus goes beyond John’s baptism of Repentance, and makes it possible for us to be born again inwardly; to have a change of heart by His love and sacrifice for us on the Cross.
Advent is a time to really celebrate the coming of Christ. What better way is there to celebrate His coming than by repenting of your sins and turning over a new leaf?
Fr. Hugh Duffy
Fr. Hugh Duffy’s latest book is available from Itasca Books, Amazon, Barnes & Noble, Kobo and the Apple iBookstore in both paperback and eBook versions.
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