In Advent Season WE WAIT. We wait to celebrate Christmas, the Birth of Our Savior; the event that brought “ Joy to the World” and “Peace on Earth.” But how often do we, during Advent, consider that “Joy” and “Peace” are a result of being “at-one” with God?
How often do we in this season reflect that we wait to celebrate the Birth of the SAVIOR who will make that atonement with God possible? How often do we examine our relationship with God in light of realizing that we NEED the Savior? In our modern life style it is all too easy to be comfortable and complacent about that relationship.
Such was also the case in the time of Jesus. The Gospel passage for today's liturgy shows Jesus challenging a group of Chief Priests and elders - religious leaders who were all to comfortable and self congratulatory, seeing no need for them to repent and be ready for the Kingdom.
He contrasts their lack of repentance in response to the preaching of John the Baptist with how the despised tax collectors and prostitutes had repented because they knew all too well that they needed to change the direction of their lives. Jesus proclaimed to these comfortable self righteous leaders that those lowly despised but repentant people “are entering the Kingdom of God before you!”
We today can miss this Advent Season’s call to repentance, challenge to self examination, if we skip over the season and do not fully attend to the truth that we need to be saved. If so, we will pass up God’s wonderful and generous invitation to us in this season of waiting and preparation.
Deacon Wilber