"Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!"

This Sunday we hear the words of John the Baptist calling us to "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!" These words, spoken in preparation for Jesus' coming into his public ministry and his bringing of the Kingdom, express a great urgency on John's part. He is calling the people to whom he is ministering not to wait until some later time, but to repent of their sins right there, at that exact moment!

The irony is that Advent is a season of preparation for both the liturgical celebration of Christ's Incarnation at Christmas and his Second Coming on the Last Day. The temptation within us is to wait, hold out, take care of things later because there is still time. But John's message, and the message of Jesus again and again throughout the Gospels, is that the best time to make a change, to start fresh, to repent is right now!

So, as we continue through this Advent Season, let our preparation start now, both for Christmas and for Jesus' Second Coming! Let's not wait until immediately before Christmas to start getting ready spiritually, allowing the worldly things of the season to overtake us! May our hearts enter in, right here, right now, to the wonderful things God is doing each and every day, so that when the day arrives, both Christmas 2025 and the Last Day, whenever it may be, we are ready and filled with hope!

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings this Sunday's Mass.