8 December 2019 - 2nd Sunday in Advent - Bulletin Reflection

     Last Monday, we had our Advent Reconciliation Service.  The Gospel I used for that service was the familiar story of Zacchaeus, a man who as chief tax collector probably did many bad things in his life, including extortion, deception, fraud. and corruption.  He probably had hurt many people in the process. Zacchaeus needed repentance, renewal, and conversion in his life.  Then, a miracle happened in the life of Zacchaeus: something called him to Jesus.  Something stirred in his heart and moved in his soul.  Whatever it was, Zacchaeus had a change of heart and a conversion in his life.  He repented and offered amends for the bad things he had done in his life.  

     We think about repentance and conversion when we approach the Sacrament of Reconciliation.  Repentance and conversion are the theme of this Second Sunday in Advent, as we hear John the Baptist cry out to us:  “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!”  John the Baptist comes to us in the midst of our Advent journey and in the midst of our lived reality.  He asks us to examine our lives, to turn away from our sins, and to turn back to the message of the Gospel.

      We have many miraculous stories of the faithful who have turned from lives of sin to become devout disciples of Christ, such as St Paul, St Augustine of Hippo, Thomas Merton and Dorothy Day.  Perhaps there is something tugging at our hearts today that calls us to repentance.  Perhaps there is a bad habit that we need to address and try to leave behind.  Perhaps there are relationships in our lives that we need to amend and reconcile.  Perhaps we need to turn back to our faith with greater vigor and energy. 

     In the midst of our busy lives, in the midst of the busy holiday season, the strange figure of John the Baptist arrives with this bold, direct message for us to ponder today.  Maybe the change or conversion we need in our lives is bold and dramatic.  Maybe the conversion we need is a bit more subtle.  Whatever the case, let us listen to John’ cry and reflect upon it in the reality of our lives.  I will close this reflection with this profound quote from St John Chrysostom: “If repentance is neglected for an instant, one can lose the power of the Resurrection as he lives with the weakness of tepidity and the potential of his fall.”