Isaiah 40:1-5,9-11
2 Peter 3:8-14
Mark 1:1-8
Bishop Untener's Homily
It's Advent, and we're preparing ourselves for the feast of Christmas. How do we get ready for Christmas?
Well, we just heard in the Gospel that John the Baptist prepared for the coming of Jesus by preaching "a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins." So, how do we get ready for Christmas? We repent. That may seem strange, because we associate repentance with Lent. But there are other indications that this is the proper way to get ready for Christmas.
Repentance
I never tire of reminding myself and others that "repentance" means to "re-think." That's the literal meaning of the English word, and it's the literal meaning of the Greek word used in the gospel: "metanoia". To repent means to think some long thoughts, take a good look at the whole picture, and get a perspective - a perspective we might lose in the hustle of day-to-day life.
To repent is to see things differently, and, as a result, to live differently.
Because of the coming of Jesus into creation, and into the human race, everything is different. Everything. Creation now has a destiny with God. Part of creation is already there because of the resurrection and ascension of Jesus. We human beings are changed most of all. Jesus is the Son of God, and when he became part of the human race, he became a brother to us. We are brothers and sisters of Jesus, which means that we are sons and daughters of God.
Holiness
All of which is to say, we are holy. To be holy is simply to be like God. Well, we are made in the image and likeness of God. Further, Jesus has taken us as his brothers and sisters. And ... after his death and resurrection, Jesus has poured his own Spirit upon us. We are holy, not because of anything we've done. It's God's gift. We are holy because God sent his own Son to identify himself with us, and us with him. And Jesus, although human, is also the Son of God.
What we have to do is realize who we are - which may require some re-thinking, some "repentance". Then, we have to live up to who we are - which may require some repentance.
So, during Advent, when we look more closely at the astounding implications of the coming of Jesus, we "re-think" and "re-form" our lives.
Jewish Cleansing Rituals
The Jewish people practiced some water-rituals for the cleansing of sin. They were sometimes referred to as "baptisms" because that word simply means to "dip" something into water. These water rituals were usually self-administered, although in today's Gospel we see John the Baptist administering them. The Gospel says that people "were being baptized by him in the Jordan River as they acknowledged their sins."
I'm going to make a suggestion that might seem strange. It doesn't involve a water-ritual. But it does involve acknowledging our sins. Before I get into the details, I need to say something about sin.
Sin
Most of us probably tend to think about sin as a specific action that breaks a specific divine law. It's sort of like a spiritual "crime."
The root meaning of "sin" in the Hebrew Scriptures is to fail to live up to the Covenant with God. That Covenant, briefly put is: "I will be your God, and you will be my people."
With the coming of Jesus, we might specify that a bit more and say that sin is the failure to live up to our link, our connection with Jesus - the failure to live up to the gift of his own Spirit that is within us, the failure to live the way of life that flows from the holiness that God has given us a gift. Remember, "holiness" means to be like God, and this God-likeness has been given to us as a gift because Jesus has taken us as his brothers and sisters.
If we realize that "sin" is not so much the specific violation of a specific divine law, but rather a failure to live up to the God-likeness with which we have been gifted, then we see sin differently. We are more likely to "repent" - to re-think and re-form our lives.
A Suggestion For Advent
So, with all that in mind, here is my suggestion. Sometime during the next few days, when you are alone, do what those people were doing when they came to John the Baptist. They were "acknowledging their sins." Don't do this in a vague sort of way. What I want you to do is, when you are alone in your car, or at home, or alone in a room somewhere, or wherever, say your sins out loud. Speak aloud the ways in which you fail to live up to your link, your connection with Jesus, your identity as a daughter or son of God. If you think about it that way, it will be less a list, and more a conversation with the Lord. But a conversation about my sins, which I speak out loud.
I want you to do it out loud, and I'll tell you why. For one thing, it's more concrete, real. When we speak out loud we have to use words, not just think vaguely and abstractly. Another reason, and a more important one is this. There's something about hearing myself say it. Psychologists will tell you how important it is to help persons who come to them for help, say out loud whatever insights they arrive at, rather than simply have the psychologist tell them. Just hearing yourself say it has a powerful effect.
Prayers in the Mass During Advent
I close with this. In case you're wondering whether dealing with our sinfulness is really meant to be part of our preparation for Christmas, I'm going to read to you some of the prayers that are part of the Masses during Advent. As you well know, in every Mass there are three prayers the priest says on behalf of the whole assembly: the Opening Prayer, the Prayer Over the Gifts, and the Prayer After Communion. Here is a sample of those prayers at Mass during Advent:
The Opening Prayer on Monday of the Second Week of Advent reads: "Lord, free us from our sins and make us whole. Hear our prayer, and prepare us to celebrate the incarnation of your Son."
Here is the Prayer Over the Gifts on December 24, the day before Christmas: "Father, accept the gifts we offer. By our sharing in this Eucharist free us from sin, and help us to look forward in faith to the glorious coming of your Son."
I have a long list of similar prayers, but I'll only read one more - it's the Prayer After Communion on Wednesday of the First Week of Advent: “God of mercy, may this Eucharist bring us your divine help, free us from our sins, and prepare us for the birthday of our Savior." [This very same prayer is used over and over in the Advent Masses - I counted six times.]
Take some time to speak your sins, your sinfulness out loud during Advent. That last prayer - the one that is repeated many times in the Advent Masses, is a good one to end on: “God of mercy, may this Eucharist bring us your divine help, free us from our sins, and prepare us for the birthday of our Savior." Amen.
Originally given on December 8, 2002