REPENT AND PREPARE THE WAY FOR THE KING

HOMILY FOR THE SECOND SUNDAY OF ADVENT, YEAR A

Rev. Fr. Ezekoka Peter Onyekachi

It is a generally recognized courteous act to prepare and clean one’s house when he/she notices or gets some form of information that a distinguished friend (or a visitor) is coming to his home. Everyone at home is busy, some sweeping and mopping, some cooking, and some arranging the home gadgets and keeping them at their proper places. This is the first sign of a warm welcome that any person can give to a visitor. When this visitor arrives, and notices that the household prepared for his/her visit, he/she feels honoured and at home. Indeed, since the warm welcome has begun before his arrival, the visitor cannot but experience the aura that preceded his coming. The word repent has to do with a change of mind while the word prepare has to do with a change of action. Conversion starts from the mind, and showcases itself in the action. You cannot sincerely demonstrate an acceptance of someone in the act unless you had welcomed him/her in the mind. These are the two keywords which form the corner stone of my reflection today.

METANOIA (REPENT!!!)

Repentance denotes the condition of being sorry for something, a feeling of regret or remorse for doing wrong or sinning and a sense of pain and sorrow for what one has done or omitted to do. This is a general understanding of this word. Beyond all this, there is a foundational root out of which these illustrations are made. The verb used in the Gospel passage today in its original language (Greek) is metanoein which is of course in its imperative mood. The Gospel Reading (Mtt. 3:1-12) exposes the fore-running of John the Baptist and his message of repentance and preparation. The Evangelist narrates that John was preaching in the desert: repent for the kingdom of God is at hand. From the Greek word, metanoia, to repent simply denotes a change of mind. Repentance does not end in a feeling of guilt or in being sorry for one’s sins. It is repentance when there has now been a change of mind: from thinking evil to thinking good, from suspecting to trusting, from scepticism to surety, from segregation to congregation, from individualism to community, from atheism (the belief that God does not exist) to theism, from insincerity to sincerity, from pride to humility, etc. Yes, these are the signs of a change of mind.

Our change of mind must initiate the mentality that sees everyone as equal, one that accepts all irrespective of our cultural differences, ethnic groups, different ideologies, racial discrepancies, etc. To say you have repented, one must regard evil as evil and regard good as good. One cannot regard evil as good or good as evil, and still brag to be a repentant person. The repentance of the thief at the side of Jesus started when he saw the innocence of Jesus, and changed his mind (as against the other thief) about the suffering of an innocent man. Peter’s repentance started when he remembered Jesus’ prediction of the denial and wept bitterly (Mtt 26:75); this change of mind reflected in the manner he carried out the rest of his apostolate. John was calling for a change of mind when he told the Pharisees and Sadducees not to presume that they have Abraham as their father. If they are able to change their minds about such thinking, the journey of their repentance has started.

The message that followed the call for repentance in the mouth of John is the kingdom of God is close at hand. The kingdom God is at the heart and centre of Jesus message of salvation. The words were on the lips of the evangelists: “the time is fulfilled, and the kingdom of God has come near” (mark 1:15); but if it is by the finger of God that I cast out the demon, then the kingdom has come upon you (Luke 11:20), “the kingdom of God is not coming with things that are observed; nor will they say, look, here it is or there it is for in fact the kingdom of God is among us (Luke 17:20-21); from the days of John the Baptist until now the kingdom of God has suffered violence and the violent take it by force (Matt. 11:12). This kingdom of God is meant to stand for two things in our lives today:

1.    

 The kingdom of God is a saving event for sinners, not a judgement of vengeance on sinners and godless men. God’s mercy and forgiveness are preached to all and are made visible in Jesus’ actions: the revelation of God’s love for sinners is a sign of the coming reign of God. Thus, the nearness of the kingdom of God urges us to repent and eschew from us all those sins that make us shy away from God.

2.     The kingdom of God demands a radical decision for God, not a demand for men to follow a new, improved moral code. It must be either God and his reign or the world and its reign, no two ways about it. Repentance (metanoia) is involved which is made possible by faith. It is the necessary and fundamental condition of entry into the reign of God – Repent and believe in the Gospel (MK 1:15). The changing of our minds must be seen in our belief in the good news of Jesus Christ.

PREPARE THE WAY

The Evangelist immediately makes a link to the oracle of Isaiah: prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight. John is the one for whom Isaiah spoke, says Matthew. This oracle of Isaiah was one that was meant to console the people during the post-exilic moment when there was seemingly no hope. It was a message that exhorted the people not to give up, but to stand erect and start preparing for that king who is coming to bring total restoration to them. There was a detonation (an instantaneous explosion that causes destruction and brings about shocks) in the entire experience of the people, and so was the need for restoration. There may be detonation, but Restoration must follow it. Our preparation is channelled towards this restoration. If you do not prepare, you will not be restored. We must prepare the way for the king who comes. John the Baptist announces this way (Mark 1:3), and Jesus declares that he Himself is the way (John 14:6). Christianity can thus be regarded as the way. She is the way that connects you with the kingdom of God. She is the way that beckons on you to bear fruit that befits repentance.

Preparation involves action, for action speaks louder than words. It is preparation when it flows from repentance, and not a mere ostentatious manifestation; from favouritism of some to treating everyone as one; from war to peace; from doing evil to doing good; from licentiousness to continence, from lust to love,  from hard-heartedness to perfect contrition; from stinginess to charity; from bad words to good/kind words, etc. Our preparation must initiate the actions that can sweep out the evils in our society, and can decorate and adorn it with perfect virtues of Jesus Christ. Our preparation must be one that will never allow us to give up on the insistence on the truth, and on persistence on the good. It must annihilate the injustice and vices that are eroding the world today. This preparation must come with it a break-away from the evil alla mode. Having killed evil and strife, it initiates a new good thing.

The First Reading (Isaiah 11:1-10) relays the apparently impossible experiences that come with the dawn of the King. After the king has judged with righteousness and not by appearances or hear-says, there will be a totally peaceful world that is allegorically represented in the form that wild animals that prey on one another will turn to be peaceful with themselves. There will be no longer fear as no one will be a wolf to the other; animals will no longer attack men and children will no longer be afraid of them. All these are possible because they dwell in the holy mountain of God. Yes, in His days, justice shall flourish and peace till the moon fails. To repent is a good. To prepare for the Lord is a good. May our repentance be in-depth, and may our preparation be one that will gladden the king. I wish you more and more blessings this Advent. Happy New Week; God bless you.