A Change of Heart

It is not by chance that we meet John the Baptist and his challenging message during Advent. His call to repent might not excite us, as we’re in more of a celebratory mood these weeks, but ‘to repent’ literally means ‘to turn around’ or ‘to return’ (metanoia). It does not mean we riddle ourselves with guilt; rather, it is an invitation to transformation, to turn away from what is not life-giving for us and embrace that which helps us to live a full, more balanced life. In this way, we create space to welcome Christ’s grace and love
at Christmas, and we become aware once more of his loving presence in our hearts and in the world around us. This is liberating and enables us to commit to love and the birthing of God in our hearts. How we prepare in these weeks is important and can lead to many blessings. Today, John invites the
people who have gathered and us to a change of heart.

Tríona Doherty and Jane Mellett, The Deep End: A Journey with the Gospels in the Year of Matthew