Baptism of Repentance
Advent is the four Sundays prior to Christmas and lay the Biblical groundwork for the coming of Jesus. The first Sunday in Advent looks to the return of Christ at the end of time, reminding us where this is all going. The second Sunday looks to John the Baptist’s proclamation of Jesus as the promised Messiah. The third Sunday (this Sunday) turns to John’s message to us, with a Baptism of Repentance, and the fourth Sunday looks to Mary, the mother of Jesus.
The Third Sunday of Advent is the only Sunday that points directly to what WE are called to do – Repent! The other three Sundays all point our attention to what God is doing thru the key people. But this Sunday is about our response.
Repentance is something the church talks about a lot and most of us understand that it means actually changing our behavior in some way.
This is not change just for the sake of change, but change in a particular direction and with a particular goal. It is not first about a change of feelings but an actual change of behavior.
My hunch is that if we are honest with ourselves, we have a pretty good idea of what those changes should be. We may not want to face it, we may fear what will happen if we actually make those changes, we may think we don’t have the strength to do it. That does not take away the call or the need.
While I don’t presume to know exactly what those changes might be in your life, I have found some common threads in meaningful repentance. More on Sunday!
What changes might Jesus be calling for in your life?
This column appeared in the December 12, 2021 edition of St. John’s eNews. Click here for the complete issue.
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