“In those days John the Baptist came, preaching in the wilderness of Judea and saying, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.’”  And, what was the first thing that people did when they heard John’s message? They acknowledged their sins. Why? Because John preached a message of repentance.  And, John did this to prepare for the coming of our Lord.  If you examine the New Testament, you will find that the first word of the gospel message is “repent.”  As we hear today, “Repent” is the first word we hear from John the Baptist.    In both Matthew’s and Mark’s Gospel, we see that “Repent” was the first word Jesus spoke as he began his public ministry (Mt 4:14, Mk 1:14).  “Repent” was the first word in the preaching ministry of the twelve disciples (Mk 6:12). “Repent” was the first word in the preaching instructions Jesus gave to his disciples after his resurrection (Lk 24:47).  “Repent” was the first word of exhortation in the first Christian sermon, delivered by St. Peter(Acts 2:38). “Repent” was the first word in the mouth of the Apostle Paul when he began his preaching (Acts 26:20).

 “Repent” is a critical word in the gospel and for understanding the gospel.  It comes from the Greek words “meta noeo,” which mean “to change your way of thinking, perception or understanding.”  In today’s gospel, we hear this as John’s challenge to those who come to him.  He is calling them to change their way of thinking, to realize that they have not put God in the center of their lives.  They have let all of the world’s distractions turn them away from God.  John is calling them – and us – to turn back to God.  And, how did the people of John’s day respond?  They acknowledged their sins.  So, let’s quickly look at what a sin is.  This word “sin” also comes from a Greek word – “hamartia” – and it is a word that comes from target practice; it speaks of missing the mark.  Those of you who have shot arrows or a gun or rifle at a target understand this image.  When you go target practicing, you never turn with your back to the target.  You face the target and try to hit it right in the center.  To sin is to miss the mark, to fall short of the target or miss the bullseye.  Sin is being satisfied with a lesser good rather than hitting the bullseye and reaching the greatest good – God!

 Advent is a time for us to reflect on whether we are reaching for God, or are we satisfying ourselves with lesser goods.  It’s a time to get in step with God’s plan for our lives.  If we’re not doing this, then we’ve got to repent, to change our mind and understanding, to return to following God’s purpose in our lives.

 A ranger in Yosemite National Park wrote an article about the most common questions visitors ask him as they enter the park.  Some of the most frequent question that visitors ask the forest rangers were, “Where does this trail go?” and “How long does it take to hike it?” and “Do we need bug spray on the trail?”  The most frequently asked question was, “Can you tell me where the trail starts?”  That’s a good question for today.  If you want to know where the trail to God starts, for most of us, it starts with repentance.   Repentance is about restoring our relationship with God.  God created this whole universe and everyone in it to know him and to live in the joy of his presence.  In today’s Gospel, John is saying, “The kingdom of heaven is near to you.  And you’re going to miss it if you don’t align your thoughts with God’s thoughts.  If your mind is fixed on just this world rather than being filled with the spirit and thoughts and priorities of God, then you are going to miss the greatest event you could ever experience, the Messiah, God in the flesh walking among you.”

 So, repentance is about restoring our relationship with God.  But how do we do that?  The first moment of true repentance is acknowledging that we have a problem.  Broken relationships can’t be restored until we step up and say, “I was wrong.  I have sinned against you.”  That is true in any relationship.  It is true in our relationship with God.  Repentance acknowledges our broken relationship with God.  It admits that we’ve been satisfied with things less than God.  The second moment of true repentance is turning back to God.  And, when we do, we begin to bear the fruits of repentance: joy and peace.

 So, that’s John the Baptist’s message to us on this Second Sunday in Advent. The kingdom of God is near.  God is coming in the person of Jesus to establish that kingdom and lead us back to the Father.  It’s the same message we hear in our first reading from the prophet Isaiah.  It’s another one of those accounts that we see so beautifully depicted in our stained glass windows – right there in the third panel from the altar on the west side of our church.  If you can’t see it now make sure you check it out after Mass.  We all know that Jesse was the father of King David and from his line the Messiah was to come.  You can see Jesse on the bottom of the tree and Jesus – the Messiah – flanked by King David and St. Joseph, on the top.  Jesus came to draw all people back to God.  He calls us to repentance – to changing our way of thinking so we can restore our relationship with God.  Don’t just go through the motions this Advent season.  Don’t get distracted by the temporary happiness you may feel as you share gifts or join in parties.  Instead, acknowledge your sins.  Turn back to God.  Spend more time with God in prayer, reading the Bible, pondering over the reflections offered in the Little Blue Advent Books that you will find at the Church entrances or any of a wide variety of excellent sources you can find online, becoming more aware of the bullseye we’re all aiming for – eternal life with God in heaven.  Then, you will bear the fruit of joy and peace that comes from knowing that you’ve been restored to God.  That’s the best way to prepare for Christmas!