3rd Sunday of Advent 2015

Luke 3: 10-18

My dear friends, let me share to you at least three points based on my reflection on today’s Gospel (Luke 3: 10-18) First point, “even bad people realize their need to change their ways and become a better person.” Our Gospel says that the multitudes, the tax collectors and soldiers approached John the Baptist and asked him what they should do. These people, though how bad they are depicted in some passages of the Bible, expressed their willingness to change their ways. This is possible because even if they are sinners, still their bodies are temple of the Holy Spirit and the same Spirit leads them to take the path of conversion.

Second point, “these bad people usually turn away from their sinful life when they meet someone who inspires them to take a virtuous life.” Our Gospel says that the multitudes, the tax collectors and the soldiers approached John the Baptist to consult him. This situation is not always easy for some people. There are those who are reluctant to seek some advice because they do not want to appear to others as incompetent or they refuse to consult others because of their pride. How many time we have heard stories about some children who are hardheaded and they never listen to what their parents tell them to do. Yet when these children become teenagers and fall in love, they learn to change their ways without being told to do so. This is because they are inspired. In our Gospel, it was John the Baptist who inspired those people to change their ways. Without him as their inspiration, it was difficult to initiate changes from them.  

Third point, “people consult or seek some advice from someone not just because of the latter’s competence to make a sound judgment but more so on the values he made manifest before them.”  In our Gospel, the multitudes, the tax collectors and soldiers sought John’s advice because of the values they had seen from him. John the Baptizer though popular as he was remained humble before them. He never usurped the title of Christ. He exhorted them and preached good news to them. He never destroyed those people by dwelling on their weakness and failures. Rather, he raised them up from their weakness and failures. He brought them a message of hope that no person is born bad and therefore it is a matter of choice to choose good or evil. Most of all, he led them to recognize Jesus as the Christ.

My dear friends, on this third Sunday of Advent, we are reminded to confess our sins and turn away from them. But this is not enough. Like John the Baptist, we need to inspire our fellow Catholics to confess their sins and turn away from them. We do not dictate those people to do what is right. We do not force them to change their ways. We only need to show them our Christian values so that they too would inculcate the same values. We do not lose our hope that even bad people shall change and become better persons. As long as one lives, there is a chance to undergo conversion and sometimes such person needs only someone to inspire him/her to do so. Let us therefore be the first one to inspire our fellow Catholics. Amen.