May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
This week I have been
assisting at a few other parishes with the celebration of first reconciliation. It is always a great joy to help introduce
the children to this beautiful sacrament of the Lord’s love. However, I did hear something this week that
I have never heard before. A nervous
child began the first confession with these words: “Bless me Father, for you
have sinned.” That caught my
attention.
And the preaching of
John the Baptist caught the attention of the people in the desert of Judea so
many years ago. “Repent, for the kingdom
of heaven is a hand.” The preaching of
John the Baptist was an invitation to turn away from sin and to prepare the way
of the Lord. It was an invitation to
change their lives because the one prophesied by Isaiah, the one who is filled
with the spirit of wisdom and understanding, the spirit of counsel and
strength, the spirit of knowledge and of fear of the Lord, was soon to
appear. God was coming near to
them. Life would never be the same. They would see face to face the one who would
not only cleanse them from their sins but the one who would call them to
life. John the Baptist called the people
to repentance. He called them to prepare
the way of the Lord.
He called them to turn away from their sins so that they could look upon
the face of Christ.
The little child this
week reminded me again that I am a sinner in need of the mercy of God. The preaching of John the Baptist reminds all
of us of our need to repent and to prepare the way of the Lord. May this season of patience and preparation
be for each of us also a season of repentance so that we may welcome our God
who is coming near to us. Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
