Every year on the Second Sunday of Advent the Church calls our attention to John the Baptist, the greatforerunner of the Lord. I always find it to be a fruitful opportunity for meditation, as it pulls us away from some of the more commercialized scriptures which we traditionally associate with Christmas. We’ll getto the manger and the birth of the Prince of Peace soon enough, but reflecting on a man going out intothe desert to wear a loincloth, eat bugs, and yell at people to repent always comes first. That’s the real Advent spirit for you.
This year I was particularly struck by John stripping away the principal source of confidence for thePharisees and Sadducees. They are a group of religious leaders who have, in many ways, put the cartbefore the horse and have lost sight of the age-old call to turn away from false gods and worship their Creator who is calling them into relationship with Himself. While their missteps or inaction shouldprobably prick their consciences, they are apparently consoled by the fact that they are children ofAbraham, and in their minds that covers a multitude of sins. But John’s words to them are not along the lines of “Don’t worry about oppressing the people or tyingup loads that you won’t lift a finger to help with, since you are, after all, descendants of Abraham.” Hetells them, point blank, that it isn’t enough. “I tell you, God can raise up children to Abraham from thesestones. Even now the ax lies at the root of the trees. Therefore, every tree that does not bear good fruitwill be cut down and thrown into the fire.” In other words, shape up, or reap the bitter fruits of your pro forma Faith.
What would the same warning be to us in the present age? I suspect that many today could rationalize their inactive Faith by saying that, at the end of the day, we try to be good people. But just as John theBaptist tries to shake them out of complacency by urging repentance, so he does today. Striving to be agood person is a noble goal, but we must always remember that we are saved not because we are good,but because we are His. This Advent season, I invite all of you to reflect on this question of repentance in your own life. Do not rely solely on your own skills and efforts to become a “better person,” whatever that might mean. Instead, pray about what is a true obstacle to the relationship that God wants to havewith you, and repent of it. Repent of it in prayer, and bring it to the Lord in confession. As muchconfidence as we are tempted to have in ourselves and our efforts, we should have infinitely more trustin the merciful love of Our Savior who comes to meet us in the scriptures, in prayer, and in theSacraments.