Light Breaking into Darkness
Repent!
When John the Baptist began to preach, he said, “Repent” (Mt. 3:1-2).
When Jesus begins to preach, he starts by saying “Repent” (today’s Gospel).
When Peter began to preach on the day of Pentecost, he said, “Repent” (Acts 2:38).
All the readings today talk about light breaking into darkness.
Repentance… whose Greek word means “a change of the mind”… is enlightenment: that what one may have thought was right is actually wrong… and what one thought led to happiness and fulfillment actually does not.
The need to repent comes about because light has broken into darkness.
Jesus says in today’s Gospel passage that the reason, the motive, and the basis for repentance is that “the Kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
A kingdom has broken into the world!
And so we can see its light, are attracted by it, and begin to move in its direction.
Moving in the direction of the Kingdom means breaking from sin and from all that leads us away from the light.
In our personal lives, there are both bright and dark moments….lights and shadows.
And thank God He gave us the Sacrament of Healing as a remedy for those dark moments…..those shadows in our personal lives.
But today I want to speak about the greatest darkness of our time.
The great darkness of our time is the myth that some human lives…. particularly those in the womb….. just don’t count.
To many… children in the womb are not worthy of protection… not worthy of our public witness…and not even worthy of discussion.
I suppose this is because of the very phenomenon Paul describes in the second reading: “I belong to this political party.” “I belong to that organization.” “I follow this particular philosophy or theology.”
And based on many of these false divisions, some justify “the right to choose” abortion.
But Christ breaks these false divisions…..He is the Light.
And even in our day He continues to fulfill what had been said through Isiah the Prophet: “on those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death… light has arisen.”
Last week the Supreme Court released the official date for oral arguments in the cases challenging the government mandate that health insurance provide for contraception and abortion. Can you guess the date when the Justices will hear arguments about the freedom of every American to uphold the dignity of human life from conception… March 25. That day is the Solemnity of the Annunciation – the day Catholics around the world celebrate the conception of Our Lord in the womb of the Blessed Mother. Soon-to-be-saint John Paul II once said: “In the designs of Providence there are no coincidences.” I can’t help but think that the Light is sending us a sign…..a sign that we are not powerless ----- a sign that each of us has a very important role to play. Nothing is more powerful than prayer.
And so I ask you to join in a “Rosary for Life Prayer Campaign” leading up to the Feast of the Annunciation.
I call each and every one of you to join in praying the Rosary here in Church every Saturday at 4:30…. from now until the Feast of the Annunciation.….
Come and pray:
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for the mother who awakens each morning with the memory of abortion fresh in her mind….
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for the father whose child died with his cooperation and consent….
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for the parents who influenced their child’s decision to abort their grandchild….
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for the doctors and nurses and counselors who work at abortion facilities….
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for scientists and pharmaceutical employees who manufacture abortifacient and contraceptive drugs….
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for those whose work involves promoting abortion and contraception….
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for elected leaders who oppose any restriction on abortion….
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for an end to 41 years of legalized abortion in our nation….
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for the conversion of all hearts.
A coincidence that the Supreme Court chose March 25th?
I don’t think so.
This is a sign….a sign that the light has broken into our darkness.
This indeed is a sign of the Kingdom of God that ushers us all to repentance, healing and peace.