Metanoia

 

Dec 6^th, 15 Advent 2^nd  Sunday homily: Fr.Francis Chirackal CMI

Bar 5:5:1-9, Phil 1:4-6, 8-11, Lk 3:1-6 

For Readings

http://www.usccb.org/nab/120615.shtml

Once an organization named "Metanoia" presented a thought provoking religious program on TV as they interviewed with a popular actor and actress, a husband and wife team, who played leading roles in a locally popular program. The husband had been raised a Catholic, but had lapsed by the time he married. The wife was fairly neutral about religion, when they married. But at the time of the interview they both had been deeply committed to Catholicism for many years. For them the turning point had been their preparation to adopt a child. In getting ready for that, their lives had been turned around and has taken a new direction. Interestingly the Greek word "metanoia", the name of the organization presenting the program, has the sense of a "turning around", "a change of heart". The word "metanoia", meaning repentance, is the key to today's gospel reading. We can get a sense of the gospel, if we begin by considering turning points in people's lives.

Today’s first reading from the book of Prophet Baruch, it is filled with the message of hope and encouragement. It speaks of the life in new Jerusalem. In the second reading, from the letter to the Philippians, St. Paul rejoices at the midst of his imprisonment, as the new converts got encouragement to spread the gospel. In the gospel, Luke, presents John the Baptist, who invited people to ‘Repentance and Conversion’. To prepare the people for Jesus' coming, he preached it as an invitation and a warning.

Signs, signals and warnings are part of our human lives. Whenever we hear the ambulance siren we pull our vehicles over to the side and give the way. At a railroad crossing, the lights begin to flash. People who listen to the warning are safer. John the Baptist warned the people to turn around and receive the baptism of repentance.

For many of us the word ‘metanoia’ might sound negative, threatening with overtones of guilt and penance. But actually it means: "turn around and get going in the right direction". It's a positive word that also invites us to try something better and new, in a positive direction. The gospel gives us an example of fishermen who tried something new. Peter, Andrew, James and John left their nets and their family. They turned around to follow Jesus and try a new kind of fishing. They became "fishers of people".

Repentance is a call to look at life in a new way. For those of us who have grown up with the gospel, there seems to be nothing new or novel in all this. We know God loves us and is present to us. At the same time on different occasions we may take the wrong way, thinking that it is the more comfortable one, as it appears attractive to human nature. But what God plans for us is a holy way, for one day we have to enter the holy heavenly kingdom. God wants us to spread the message of his kingdom. Unless we are in the path of holiness, we can’t move towards the Kingdom of God. So the Prophet preaches Repentance and Conversion, so that the Spirit of God can lead us in the right direction. In the play ‘Green Pastures’, God asks Gabriel to recruit a leader and Gabriel asks in return, "Do you want the brainiest or do you want the holiest?" God answers, "Get me the holiest. I'll make him the brainiest." God wants us to be in the path of holiness and the means for it is repentance and conversion.

Pilgrims in the path of holiness need to be aware of the phenomena, that everything which appears as holy on their way, may not be holy every time. Even evils may appear like holy ones and may mislead us. So we need the evaluations of our faith journey and turning around at different stages and making necessary modifications for proceeding in the right direction. John the Baptist’s invitation reminds us to go through these processes and make sure that we are going in the right direction with all the necessary requirements. We can’t achieve fullness of joy through sadness. Fullness of joy is an accumulation of smaller joys. Smaller joys do not mean we are always comfortable and free from all kinds of sufferings. We can find joy even in the midst of our severe sufferings and pain, when we take it in a positive way with a higher purpose. Our repentance and conversion enables us to regain these missing joys if any. Because it is hard for man, but with God, everything is possible for man.

During this Advent season, as we are preparing to rejoice at the coming of Jesus, let us make sure that we are going in the right direction, by practicing faith, hope, love and charity to reach the fullness of joy, making our day to day lives a source of peace and joy. Let us make our faith a vibrant one, which will cause ripples, so that our fellow beings, will be able to get a share of joy through our efforts, good examples and charitable words and deeds. God bless you.