Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
On this Third Sunday of Advent we hear John the Baptist calling the desert crowds to repentance. John offered a baptism of repentance, but before he baptized he demanded that the people demonstrate evidence of their change of heart by producing good works.
John exhorted the people to be generous, to be honest and just. He encouraged them not to abuse their positions of power or to bear false witness. He said be content with your wages, not resentful that you do not make more. John spoke with a great urgency; God’s time of fulfillment was at hand. John the Baptist was announcing the coming of the Messiah and he was preparing people’s hearts to recognize Jesus when he came.
As we journey through Advent, we too are invited by John, through the Gospel text, to ready the way of the Lord in our own hearts. The Baptist knew that people would never recognize the Messiah’s presence if they were mired in sin. So, he encouraged them to repent of their sinful ways and to choose good over evil; to live in new ways.
Advent, while not as penitential a season as Lent, nonetheless calls us to turn from sin so that we too might better recognize the blessing we have received in Jesus. All Catholics are encouraged to make the Sacrament of Reconciliation a part of their preparation for Christmas. Just as John called the crowds in the desert to repent, so the Church, through the proclamation of the Advent Gospels, calls each of us to repent as well; to confess and change our ways.
The regional penance services were early this year and have already taken place, but Ascension and surrounding parishes offer ample opportunities for reconciliation. Take advantage of the opportunity.
Sincerely yours in Christ Jesus, the Way, the Truth and the Life,
