St. Paul the Apostle

It may seem odd that, just as the secular world begins to celebrate peace and joy during the holiday season, we are asked in this week’s Gospel to consider our sinfulness. The words of John the Baptist echo across the centuries: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand!” Isn’t John’s talk about sin, God’s wrath, and the need for repentance a bit of a downer as we prepare for Christmas?

As we become busy in “preparing the way of the Lord” and “making straight his paths” let us always remind ourselves with this mantra: “Eyes on the road to REPENTANCE, the kingdom of heaven is coming to town.”