Repent-n-Change and Heaven’s in Range

Shortly after a young newly ordained priest came to assist the elderly pastor in a rather traditional parish, things began to change.  One day the pastor was talking with his new assistant and remarked, “It was a good idea to replace the first four pews with plush bucket-style theater seats.  It worked.  The front of the church fills up first.”

The young priest smiled and the pastor continued, “And you suggested  a little more beat to the music would bring our young people back; so I supported you when you brought in that rock ‘n roll gospel choir like Whoopi Goldberg’s in the movie Sister Act.  There’s ‘standing room only’ now at that mass.”

“Thank you, Father,” answered the young priest.  “I’m pleased that you’re open to the new ideas of youth.”

“Yes, well,” said the elderly priest shaking his head, “ I’m afraid you’ve gone a little too far with that Drive-Thru Confessional.”

“But Father,” protested the young priest.  “My confessions have nearly doubled since I began that!”

“I know, my son,” replied the old priest.  “But that flashing neon sign on the church roof  with ‘Toot-n-Tell or Go to Hell’ has got to go!”

That young priest reminds me of John the Baptist in today’s gospel.  He too had new and unusual ideas for his time.  In fact, his ideas were so provocative that Mark, unlike Matthew and Luke who begin their gospels with infancy narratives, begins his gospel with John the Baptist bursting onto the scene, without warning or preparation, preaching  change.    If we visualize for a moment, we can see John standing there in the desert with his wild hairdo, dressed in camel skins, popping honey-dipped locusts into his mouth and howling in a deep baritone voice, “Repent! Repent! Prepare Ye the way of the Lord!”  something like the scene out of the rock musical Godspell.

Repent. Repentance.  What exactly does that mean?  I know one thing, it’s not just about feeling sorry for what you’ve done wrong or admitting your mistakes.  It’s more than that.  It’s something we try to teach our children as soon as they’re able to understand.  One little girl certainly did.  When the Sunday school teacher asked her class what the word “repentance” means, a little boy raised his hand and said, “It’s being sorry for your sins.”  Then the little girl raised her hand and added, “It’s being sorry enough to quit doing them.”

As an elementary school teacher who taught in the same inner city Rochester school for almost twenty years, I got to know many families whose children filtered through our school.  During parent-teacher conferences and at other times, I often learned a great deal about what went on at home. 

On one occasion, a mom, I’ll call her Nina, confided in me that her husband was having an extra-marital affair.  Later, she told me that when she confronted him, he told her he was sorry and that he would end it.  Nina accepted his admission of guilt and remorse at face value and for a time things appeared to be better.  Then the children started acting out in school and Nina told me it was probably because of the arguments and conflicts reoccurring in the home.  She said that her husband again was seeing another woman.  The affair went on for a while,  and this time, after several sessions of couples counseling, Nina’s husband once again expressed remorse and ended his affair.  Unfortunately, it happened a third time and Nina reluctantly, finally sought a divorce.

Nina’s story isn’t an example of repentance, quite to the contrary.  Repentance is about changing direction in your life.  It’s about discovering that you’re driving the wrong way down a one-way street and then making a U-turn.  It is not about continuing down that street hoping a police officer won’t catch you.   

Repentance is a change of mind, heart, attitude and decision-making.  It’s about reorienting your life, starting fresh, changing what’s happening from the inside out.  It’s the beginning of a life long conversion toward becoming a true follower of Christ.  And because of all that it entails, genuine repentance is one of the hardest things to do.  And yet, it’s necessary to do if we’re to be restored to a right relationship with God and with each other.

            Once we admit to ourselves that change is necessary, then repentance and conversion can begin.  God is there to help us in the process if we just turn to him in genuine remorse.  Once we allow God’s unconditional love to flow into our lives, then change begins and it shows in how we act.      

Two millennia ago when John the Baptist said, “I have baptized you with water, [one mightier than I] will baptize you with the Holy Spirit,” he was teaching the crowds gathered on the banks of the Jordan to do two things: first, undergo a baptism of repentance, a rejection of their old sinful lifestyle; and second, undergo a baptism of rebirth, conversion, reception of new life in the Spirit.    Even though we, at our baptisms, were washed clean of sin and received the gifts of the Spirit, because of our shared human condition we have all fallen back into sin.    Even saints sin, but they acknowledge it more than we more ordinary folks might tend to do.  Deep down in our hearts, though, we know where we’ve failed to live our faith.  

Advent, like Lent, is a special time to search our hearts and admit where we’ve fallen short.  What, for example, are we doing or not doing that hurts ourselves or hurts others?  What problem behaviors do we need to address; what people do we need to forgive; what acts of kindness are we not performing?   These are the types of questions we need to ask ourselves. In short, what needs to change in our lives to be able to celebrate the joy of Christmas like true believers?

Perhaps, instead of “Toot-n-Tell or Go to Hell” that neon sign should flash, “Repent-n-Change and Heaven’s in Range.”

Gloria S. Sciolino
December 4, 2005
2nd Sunday of Advent Cycle B
Isaiah 40:1-5, 9-112
Peter 3: 8-14
Mark 1: 1-8