Repent, change for the better

Listening to the Spirit

Lord, thank you for the gift of Your Word
so that all your people may know and love You more
and understand You better.

As I go about my day may I not forget
the scriptures you have opened up for me.

Help me to recognize how You want for me
to apply Your Word to my daily life.

Holy Spirit, guided by Your Word,
may You enlighten my mind
and enkindle in my heart
a greater love for You and for others
in my family and in the world.

Amen.

Listening to the Word

Mt 3:1–12

John the Baptist appeared, preaching in the desert of Judea and saying, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” It was of him that the prophet Isaiah had spoken when he said: A voice of one crying out in the desert, prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths. John wore clothing made of camel’s hair and had a leather belt around his waist. His food was locusts and wild honey. At that time Jerusalem, all Judea, and the whole region around the Jordan were going out to him and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins.

When he saw many of the Pharisees and Sadducees coming to his baptism, he said to them, “You brood of vipers! Who warned you to flee from the coming wrath? Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance. And do not presume to say to yourselves, ‘We have Abraham as our father.’ For I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from these stones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore every tree that does not bear good fruit will be cut down and thrown into the fire. I am baptizing you in water, for repentance, but the one who is coming after me is mightier than I. I am not worthy to carry his sandals. He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire. His winnowing fan is in his hand. He will clear his threshing floor and gather his wheat into his barn, but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire.”

Reflection

In today's Gospel, John the Baptist invites us to repent because the Kingdom of God is at hand. The people who heard John's preaching were so touched that most of them went to him to be baptized and to confess their sins. However, among the crowd coming to him, John the Baptist singled out the Pharisees and the Sadducees and challenged them to produce good fruits as evidence of their genuine repentance.

Then we may ask: what genuine repentance is like? Why is so necessary for our Christian journey? During this Advent time, can we "wait" for the Lord and his Kingdom without genuine repentance?

Some people may think of repentance as a simple matter of feelings. Repentance is not simply feeling sorry for one's sins but taking action to change one's life. In fact, the verb to repent comes from the Greek word meta-noy-oh which means to change one's mind. But this change of mind does not happen without any reason. There must be a shocking truth, a novelty, something that brings one to realize that they were wrong. The novelty and the shocking truth John brings about is the Good News of the coming of the Messiah. Repent. Why? Because the Kingdom of God is at hand. Really…

Repentance is important and must not be neglected in the Christian way of life. It is always the starting point of the Gospel. It is not only the first word in John the Baptist's preaching (See today's Gospel passage Matthew 3:1-2) but it is also the starting point in Jesus' public ministry as we can see it the Gospel according to Matthew (From that time on, Jesus began to preach and say, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." Matthew 4:17). The same can be said for the ministry of the twelve disciples (Mark 6:12) as well as that of the Apostle Paul who testifies that: "… to those in Damascus and in Jerusalem and throughout the whole country of Judea, and then to the Gentiles, I preached the need to repent and turn to God, and to do works giving evidence of repentance" Acts 26:20.

The imminent coming of the Lord might have been a shocking truth at the beginning of the New Testament period because people during that time had idealized the coming of the Messiah. For them it was like: "Yes, the Messiah will come but not in this generation, not even in the next". That is why John the Baptist insists on asking Pharisees and Sadducees not to pretend to repent or confess their sins without a real change of mind and heart. To engage in the journey of faith, we need to change the mind that thinks that the Kingdom of God is an illusion, or it is still far away. That is why the evangelist uses the symbolism of the hand. Saying that the Kingdom of God is "at hand", means that it is as close as your hand is close to you. It is touchable and within your grasp. It is here and now. It is before you and you only need to reach out to take it and enter it.

Moreover, repentance is not only because one has sinned but because also there is something better and attractive enough to capture our attention and transform our life. Repentance which is "to turn away from sin and dedicate oneself to amend one's life" must also indicate the change of direction that follows the sorrow in the heart. In common terms, it's like taking a U-turn in order to come back to the right way, and this might happen times and times again in the same journey of life.

If we recognize our sinfulness in front of the holiness of the Lord who is coming, we can't "wait" for his coming and the coming of his kingdom without genuine repentance. So take action: recognize your sins and, if you really feel sorry for them, plan a day during this Advent time to have a confession, including some acts of charity even towards those you think do not need or deserve your kindness. Change for the better.

But since conversion is first of all a work of the grace of God who makes our hearts return to him, let us ask the Lord to restore us to Himself and give us the strength to begin anew. That we may discover the greatness of God's love in our lives and so fix our eyes on Him who grants us salvation out of this merciful love.