Second Sunday of Advent
Dear Friends,
In our Gospel today, we hear from John the Baptist. We don’t know much about his life other than a few pivotal moments, but what we can glean from the few words that we hear from John in the recounts of his life is that he was a man of great focus. One thing alone mattered to him. His ministry was one of prophecy, and of preparing the people to meet their Divine Bridegroom and King. His words awoke people to the reality of their sin, and the necessity to respond to that reality.
In this passage, John does not mince words. Although his words are strong, it is a severe mercy given to us by God to understand the truth about repentance. Repentance means more than words. It means an intentional and decisive moment where we turn in a different direction. Grace to live like sons and daughters of God is always available to us, but will we respond to that grace? The word repentance in Greek is metanoia, which means to change one’s mind, unlike what we would traditionally associate the word to mean, which is a feeling sorry for one’s wrongdoing. To repent in this context means to change the way we think, which therefore should inform the way we act. In today’s Gospel, John says, “Produce good fruit as evidence of your repentance.” He warns them that trees without good fruit will be “cut down and burned down in the fire”. This is strong language, he does not hold back from the realities of what happens to us when we choose not to repent in any regard. John’s words echo into our world today, almost as if to say, “Wake up!” Now is not the time to live lukewarm lives. This Church is reminding us in this Gospel that the time to enter into deeper repentance is now, because the King is coming, and we know not the day.
What we can infer from John’s words here is that the decision to turn away from sin and towards Jesus will bring about good fruit in our lives, which is what the Lord desires most of all, as he says in John 15:10, “By this my Father is glorified, that you bear much fruit and so prove to be my disciples.” Our repentance is not true unless we have actions to show for it. And what is this good fruit? It is God’s love made manifest in our lives and the lives of others. It is healing, it is light, it is goodness. Advent is a time to remind us that Jesus has come, and he is coming again. Will we be ready to meet him?
Andrea Garcia
Assistant Young Adult Coordinator