Repent for the Kingdom of God is at Hand!

12-07-2025Weekly ReflectionFr. Manasseh lorchir, VC

As we know, the First Sunday of Advent each year always invites us to a reflection on the second coming of Christ and the end of the world. On this Second Sunday of Advent, the Readings customarily introduces to us John the Baptist, the precursor of Christ who always comes with a call to repentance because the Kingdom of God is near. Although very pivotal to the Messiah’s mission, John the Baptist remains one of the most underappreciated figures in salvation history.

Long before the Baptist ministered on the banks of the Jordan, prophets of old had prophesied about the coming of the One who would save us all and whose reign would usher in an unprecedented period of tranquility that can only be compared to the serenity of the peace before the fall of man in the Garden of Eden. Prominent among these prophets of hope was Isaiah from whose oracles we have our First Reading for this weekend. In his message of hope to a despairing Israel whose kingdom was ailing and whose Davidic dynasty could be compared to a stagnant stump of a hitherto cut down tree, Isaiah prophesied that from this neglected stump a shoot shall sprout on whom the Spirit of God shall rest and who will bring with him a reign of Justice and peace that would seem almost incredible that predators would make friends with their natural prey.

To usher in the reign of peace and tranquility, John the Baptist appeared in strange circumstances announcing a message of repentance. As we prepare to celebrate the coming of the Lord, let us recognize the voice of the Baptist in the voice of Holy Mother Church, calling on us to repentance, humility, and mortification of the flesh as a preparation to worthily receive Jesus Christ, who comes to us in the Eucharist.

John had a strange birth (having been born to aged parents), he lived in the desert, ate locusts and honey, and was dressed in camel skins. He did not shy away from the truth when even Pharisees and Sadducees came to him to be baptized in preparation for the coming of the savior. He urged them to “produce good fruits as evidence of your repentance.” This is the message of this weekend’s Readings to us as we await the coming of the Lord. John utilized neither diplomacy nor political correctness in addressing contemporary evil. Like John, Advent should embolden shepherds to call out evil by its name and risk the benefits we hope to receive from those who sustain it in our condemnation of it. The situation where evil thrives here and elsewhere and shepherds remain reluctant in calling it out, either in condemnation of evil or in solidarity with those who suffer its consequences, is never a credit to witnessing to the Gospel of Christ. Silence in the face of evil is not a Christian option.

When he was mistaken for Christ, John in humility cleared their doubts without hesitation. He told them the one who was coming after him would be mightier than him as he was not worthy to carry the sandals of the Christ. There is always the temptation to feel needed, indispensable and even invincible, especially when we believe that we have many accomplishments to our name. This attitude is deceptive and unchristian. John at Advent reminds us that without God we are nothing and that God will do greater things in our lives if we acknowledge our perpetual need for His Holy Spirit in us.

May we become Apostles of Hope and Oracles of Truth in our time and community, and may we be given the courage and humility we need to properly prepare for the coming of the Savior.

Please be kind and may God bless you.

Fr. Manasseh Iorchir, VC