Word to the Wise
Sunday, December 10, 2006 - Second Sunday of Advent
[Baruch 5:1-9; Philippians 1:4-6, 8-11; Luke 3:1-6]John went throughout the whole region of the Jordan, proclaiming a baptism of repentance for the forgiveness of sins, as it is written in the book of the words of the prophet, Isaiah: "A voice of one crying out in the desert: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths....'
I think I may have told this story before, but it's a good one, and a true one. When I was a Dominican student brother (seminarian) in the Chicago area (1966-68), one of my Dominican brothers had a sign on his door. It said REPENT!*. By the asterisk at the bottom of the sign was the line: "If you have already repented, please disregard this message!" However, we cannot disregard the message. Repentance is a lifelong process. Perhaps the word, "conversion" might be a better word because it embraces more than being sorry for one's sins. It means a turning of the whole person toward God - which is its biblical meaning. Unfortunately, "conversion" has taken on the popular meaning of a change of allegiance from one religious group to another. This is not the true theological meaning of the word. That "meaning" takes on particular significance in the season of Advent. Our secular culture offers a period of "Ho, ho, ho....buy, buy, buy!" What's more that same culture says that any expression of the original meaning of the season is not to be tolerated in any public place. In the disguise of civil rights, the ACLU becomes the true Christmas stealing "grinch." Even if the task of bringing an entire culture to conversion is too much for us individually, we can convert ourselves to the true meaning of Christmas. We can come to terms with how the secular culture around us has somehow overshadowed Christ's birth with Santa Claus and the reindeer. They are not going to save us! We can turn our attention to that crib and figures that may be somewhere in the middle of all the other decorations. We can see there the greatest gift of all. If we can do that and make it our principal understanding, then "conversion" is underway! AMEN
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