In Advent it is impossible to “dodge” St. John the Baptist. Our Lord declared that “there is no man born of woman greater than John.” So, what he says merits our attention. But he is difficult to embrace. He is a gaunt figure, eccentric both in his clothing and in his diet. He is tough….and today in making his Advent “debut” he talks tough, directing his ire to the Pharisees and Sadducees, calling them a “brood of vipers.”
He recognizes their insincerity in coming to be baptized, that their coming to him was a charade, and he insists that they should prove their sincere resolve to repent by good deeds. For them it was enough to claim that “Abraham is our father” to be righteous in the eyes of God. But for the Baptist this was not enough. They had to give evidence of a new heart by their repentance. What of us?
Is it enough for us to claim, I’m a registered member of this parish? Shouldn’t there be something more the Lord expects of us? Have we convinced ourselves that even though it’s been ages since our last confession, we can approach the Lord in the Holy Eucharist by routine, and without discernment? Is my attendance at Mass just a “going through the motions” to fulfill an obligation? Is my reception of the Eucharist and my prayer making a real impact on the way I live? Is it transformative?
In today’s bulletin letter, I quote Professor Helen Alvare of George Mason University. She is as direct as the Baptist:
“In order to receive the Lord, we must start with a ‘clean-up.’ We have to face things that we have buried, things we know we should not have done, or really ought to start doing. Day by day, these ‘live in us.’
They swim up to the surface of our minds now and again before we firmly shove them back into mental files marked: ‘too embarrassing;’ ‘too hard to change; ‘or ‘too upsetting to the people I love.’’
Yet we know from ordinary experience that nothing beautiful or worthwhile gets done without ‘grunt’ work, with attention to details, without overcoming our laziness. Even when performing a menial task, like cleaning the garage, or a teenager’s room, there is no substitute for grabbing every dirty, cobwebbed object, dragging each one into the light of day, and deciding what to do with it.
The alternative is to leave them there, but this signals defeat. Often we put off an examination of our hearts and minds for decades. We fill time rationalizing our behavior or distracting ourselves. Our guilty secrets obstruct our view of God and of one another. St. John the Baptist invites us to let the hard work, and our new life begin! The Church offers us the means…the Sacrament of Penance! Take advantage of the opportunities this Advent. Keep the priests busy this Advent!
