In those days John the Baptist appeared in the wilderness of Judea, proclaiming, "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven has come near."  This is the one of whom the prophet Isaiah spoke when he said, "The voice of one crying out in the wilderness: 'Prepare the way of the Lord, make his paths straight.'"  Now John wore clothing of camel's hair with a leather belt around his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey.  Then the people of Jerusalem and all Judea were going out to him, and all the region along the Jordan, and they were baptized by him in the river Jordan, confessing their sins.  But when he saw many Pharisees and Sadducees coming for baptism, he said to them, "You brood of vipers!  Who warned you to flee from the wrath to come?  Bear fruit worthy of repentance.  Do not presume to say to yourselves, 'We have Abraham as our ancestor'; for I tell you, God is able from these stones to raise up children to Abraham.  Even now the ax is lying at the root of the trees; every tree therefore that does not bear good fruit is cut down and thrown into the fire.  "I baptize you with water for repentance, but one who is more powerful than I is coming after me; I am not worthy to carry his sandals.  He will baptize you with the Holy Spirit and fire.  His winnowing fork is in his hand, and he will clear his threshing floor and will gather his wheat into the granary; but the chaff he will burn with unquenchable fire."

The Church recommends this gospel passage to us for the second Sunday of Advent.  She tells us the message of repentance is as necessary for us as it was for the Israelites in preparing for the coming of Jesus.

Repentance always precedes deeper communion with God.  Recall the story of the Samaritan woman at the well.  She is unable to receive Christ's life-giving water, though she asks, because she is living in sin.  Christ mercifully points this out to her.  God, who is all-holy, all pure, requires a repentant heart, or we should say, we require a repentant heart for deeper communion.  "Bow humbly under God's mighty hand so that in due time he may raise you up." (1 Peter 5.6)

There are some who will say, "Look, the Israelites were told to repent.  Some did, some didn't, but Christ came among them, died and moved on.  Even so, as with so many years before this one, Christmas comes and goes as it always have and will."  They ignore the fact that Christ did come, and those who heeded the call were dramatically changed forever.

Christians must, in a sense, have a very short memory - one day's worth.  We act out of established patterns in our life.  We don't recall prior Christmases as being particularly special spiritually so we don't think there is a reason to expect differently this time.  "Forget what lies behind and strain forward to what lies ahead," however.  (Philippians 3.13)  Know that in Christmases past the Incarnate Word was born into repentant hearts who prepared for him.  This year he will be born anew in hearts, changing lives forever.  The only question is will yours be one of them?

There are many lessons to learn from Christ's first coming.  Chief among them is he does not choose noise, clamor and the recognition of the world for his birth.  He chooses silence, poverty and hiddenness.  He chooses a cave and the profound love of hearts who prepared themselves to receive him.  Far from the glare of city lights and commotion, his birth is announced to shepherds in the hills.

Will you withdraw from the mad glut of noise and distraction in the world which always precedes Christmas?  The prince of this world would rather exhaust you with noise, worry and anxiety to take your eyes off what is truly about to occur.  The infant word is about to be laid in the manger of poor, repentant hearts who prepared for him.