WE ARE CALLED TO REPENTANCE

John The Baptist preached repentance and baptized people in water as a sign of cleansing and repentance.  John insisted that true repentance must mean a change in how one behaved, and laid out how repentant people should behave.  They must share what they have with the needy; they must not use their power for their own gain.

John announced that one far greater than he was coming, one who would “Baptize with the Holy Spirit and fire” instead of water.  John goes on to describe the one who would come as an agent of Gods’ judgement, separating the wheat from the chaff and burning the chaff in a unquenchable fire.  Even now, John tells us the ax was beginning to fall.

There are times in our lives when God may speak to us as directly as John spoke to the elders of the people of Israel.  It may be that he might want to call us to repentance, but we are just not listening.  So God turns up the volume – through a Scripture passage that jolts us, the words of a friend that convicts us, or an unexpected event that shakes us up.  We know that it is God speaking to us and not the devil trying to condemn us if along with the message comes a promise of love and mercy.

When this happens, there is only one thing to do: Repent!  Get to Confession as soon as you can!  Then you will be ready for whatever gift the Holy Spirit wants to give you.  There is nothing better than getting right with the Lord and experiencing His Spirit more deeply.  Though it may be difficult, repentance always bears “the peaceful fruit of righteousness” (Hebrews 12:11).

MAY GOD BRING US ALL TO REPENTANCE.

God Bless,

Msgr. Powell