How better to welcome Christ than by reforming our lives, by treasuring his mercy, by becoming more Christlike, with a more loving heart!
A homily from the first week in Advent based on readings from
Isaiah 11:1-10, Psalm 72, Romans 15:4-9, and Matthew 3:1-12.
These readings are available at the USCCB website.
Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand![1]
This is the second week in Advent, and we live out this Advent in the present tense by focusing on repentance, on turning toward God. Last week we focused on watching and being vigilant. This week we focus on improving our lives.
Repent – But Not Like “Bullhorn Guy”
Repent! The kingdom of heaven is at hand! I have heard this message many times over the years and in many different settings. I am not sure I ever really enjoyed it. This is one of the favorites of the street-corner preachers. I remember when we lived southern California we’d go to the Rose Parade, and he’d be there – Bullhorn Guy. There would be a guy with a bullhorn yelling that if we didn’t repent, we’d all go to hell. He seemed a bit out of place and I can’t say that it did much for my faith. Unless, of course you count my faith that if I just waited and didn’t make eye contact he’d soon be gone.
And yet, today, our gospel today calls us to repent. The Holy Spirit makes the request. As I mentioned last week, repenting is not primarily about beating ourselves up – not even close. It is, however, an examination of ourselves. It means taking a look at our attitudes and behaviors. It means being open to change. It means changing to become more Christlike.
A Word on Mercy, Sin, and Conscience
Repentance requires us to come face to face with our sins. To do that, there are three things we need to consider – first, God’s mercy; second, sin itself; and third, conscience.
I begin with mercy for two reasons. First, I don’t want to come off as a “Bullhorn Guy” and have all of you trying desperately not to make eye contact. Most importantly, we need to understand our sin in the context of God who is longing for us to unite ourselves to him. Right now. Exactly as we are today. Mercy is a central attribute of God.[2] The goal of repentance is not shame. The goal of repentance is change. The goal of repentance is union with a most loving God. No matter how much stuff we have going on in our lives, no matter how far we are from God, he is there for us. So as you look deeply into your thoughts, your attitudes, and your actions and find the places where you are falling short of the mark and need to change, remember that God is still there for you. His mercy endures forever![3] The more sinful we are, the more profound is God’s mercy. The central question continues, “Are you willing to let God love you exactly as you are? Are you willing to respond to that love?”
So what exactly is sin? “Sin is nothing else than a bad human act”.[4] That may be the most succinct thing St. Thomas Aquinas ever said. “Sin is nothing else than a bad human act”. It is falling short of the mark in thought, word, or deed. It is a part of life, and the funny thing is that the holier the saints have become, the more conscious of their sins they become. It is almost as though the more they understand about God himself, the more aware they become of how much we owe God – and how much we lack. Sin is always an injustice, sometimes against our fellow humans, but it is always an injustice against God. The more deeply we ponder the mystery of the Incarnation – the central mystery of Christmas – the more we understand that we did not deserve such a Savior.
What about conscience? A well-formed conscience will lead you to act in ways above and beyond the minimum. It will lead you to act generously. A well-formed conscience will not excuse sin. The Catechism of the Catholic Church defines conscience as “[t]he interior voice of a human being, within whose heart the inner law of God is inscribed.”[5] A more scholarly definition identifies conscience as an act of the intellect which assesses the moral character of an act. It is knowledge of God’s law applied to a specific case[6].
But isn’t conscience a feeling? Absolutely not. A person can wrongly become very comfortable with a very serious sin as it becomes a habit. We have a better way of ordering our lives. God out of love for us has revealed to us how to live. He has given us the Church to help apply this revelation in our world today. Listen to the Church! Once you compare your life with a well-ordered life, then allow your feelings to drive you in the right direction. Do you feel good when you do good? Keep going. Do you feel badly when you are not doing good? Let that remind you to do better!
Our Repentance – Improving our Lives and Changing our Minds
When the Baptist told the crowds to repent, they weren’t all horrific sinners. Oh, sure, there were a few vipers in the crowd but not all. Many who came to see him walked miles for a chance to hear more about God. That’s a good start after all. If you ask me to prove that the crowd gathered around John the Baptist that day was morally different than our congregation her right now, I couldn’t.
And so the Baptist’s words apply to us. We come here to worship God because that is the right thing to do. Well done. We must also look into our lives and decide where we need to change. The Kingdom of heaven, where God’s will is done on earth is closer now than before. How do our lives need changing? Where are we falling short of the ten commandments? Where are we falling short of the beatitudes? Where are we falling short in love for one another.
I put those in that order because I find it must easier to comply with the ten commandments, than being meek or humble or poor in spirit. I certainly that easier than living our self-giving love, and yet that is part of our calling. And so, I challenge you to look deeply into your lives and look deeply into what Jesus and his Church teach us. See where the two do not match. Remember God’s mercy. Then, make one small change for the better and live it out enthusiastically.
The Church is here to help you, most especially with the Sacrament of Reconciliation. This sacrament reunites you fully to God and to the Church and it gives you the strength make the small and large changes that you need to make. In the Sacrament you get to hear the voice of Christ speaking through the priest telling you of his mercy. It is a beautiful thing!
The Reward
Is repentance simply complying with the demands of omnipotent God? Of course not! It is so much more! One of the most curious things about God is that he choses to allow us to have a role in our own salvation, and the salvation of others. As we look deeply into our lives, with the help of the Holy Spirit, we begin to see ourselves and the world around us with the eyes of Christ. It is just a tiny beginning, but it brings a different perspective and it brings peace as we remember God’s mercy. As we change our lives, we make the world around us a better place. And as a member of the Mystical Body of Christ that joins each of us together, we all become stronger. Each of those are blessings in this life and last for all eternity.
Repent! Now is the time! The Bullhorn Guy got that much right. I never thought that the Bullhorn Guy really cared about me. I deeply care about each of you. We are a church family, after all. So together, let’s look into our lives and all become more Christlike. Let’s repent.
We clean our homes when company is coming, let’s take advantage of God’s mercy and clean up our lives this Christmas. After all, we are awaiting Christ himself. How better to welcome Christ than to treasure his infinite mercy? How better to welcome Christ than by actively becoming more like him in our daily lives? How better to welcome Christ that with a loving heart?
[1] Matthew 3:2
[2] Water, Cardinal Kaspar in his book Mercy makes this point quite vividly.
[3] Psalm 136
[4] Thomas Aquinas, Summa Theologica, trans. Fathers of the English Dominican Province (London: Burns Oates & Washbourne, n.d.)., STh I q. 71 a. 6 resp.
[5] Catholic Church, Catechism of the Catholic Church, 2nd Ed. (Washington, DC: United States Catholic Conference, 2000), 872.
[6] cf STh. I q. 79 a. 13 resp.