2nd Sunday of Advent 6.12.20 Repentance
The call to repentance is put before all people. If one is far from God the call is to come closer. If already close, then work on such faults as still remain.
The desired result is that each person be in a state of union with God, understanding oneself to be a child of God, sharing in His life.
Repentance is giving up one thing for another, the short-term deceptive emptiness of sin on one hand, and in return a life of fulfilment and joy, leading eventually into Heaven.
In other spheres of life we give up one thing for another, eg buying something we want.
The spiritual life can be seen in the same light. Give up something which does not work for something that does.
The Church has had many prophets, repeating this call to repentance.
One of the greatest is St John the Baptist, the ‘voice in the wilderness’ who had an uncompromising message: demanding full repentance from his audience.
The message of repentance is not normally considered a popular one. However, there is a sense in which people are attracted to it.
Many made their way out into the desert to hear John speak (Mt 3,5). Later King Herod ‘liked to hear John speak’ (Mk 6,20), even though Herod did not really want to change his ways.
Our Lord pointed this out to the people – that they knew they were going to get a hard message, yet still went (Mt 11, 7-9).
This is the operation of the grace of God within the human heart.
We have an inbuilt longing to be in union with God. We can sense the futility of sin; we yearn for something better, but may not think we are strong enough to change, or may not want it quite enough.
There will be all sorts of obstacles on the way to repentance, but it will be rewarding for anyone who perseveres.
Some will partially repent, trying to have a bit of both worlds, heaven and earth.
This will not do, because repentance works only when it is complete.
Even John the Baptist, and even Our Lord did not have hundred per cent success with the crowds.
There was that initial attraction but then people slipped back into their old ways.
The rich young man could not part with his riches; the parable of the Sower speaks of those who had good aspirations but could not continue.
Complete repentance means a desire to please God in all things; coupled with a perseverance in daily life, doing whatever is necessary to root out sin. ‘if your eye should cause you to sin, pluck it out (Mt 18,9).
It is not so forbidding as it might sound, remembering that it is simply a trade-off between different ways of living, and the Christ-way is by far the happiest.
We thank God for being so patient with us, and for giving us so many chances to get this right.
Out of all the confusion, all the uncertainty, the way of repentance shines like a beacon. This is the way to safety, to sanity, to salvation.
Some would be afraid that they will have to become ‘religious’ to be saved; that the Church might be right after all – this could be their worst fear; but really it is a way to joy if they can humble themselves, glad to be wrong by way of coming to the right.
The small voice of conscience will be heard, and many will come to hear the word which seems hard at first, but leads to great joy.
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