"The soul that seeks God must first pass
through the desert of all things, stripped of consolation, of self-deception,
of every support. It is painful, yet only there does the soul begin to awaken
to truth and to the light of God’s love." - St. John of the Cross
The wilderness strips away noise,
distractions, and the illusions we carefully arrange to keep our lives
functioning on the surface. We avoid voices
like that of John the Baptist, the main figure whom we meditate upon during this second Sunday of Advent, the prophet who prepares the way, calling people to repentance. However, we have learned to survive in our own carefully managed
systems. We settle, not because all is well, but because we are overwhelmed,
tired, numb, disappointed, or afraid to imagine that life could be different.
We know how to manage, cope, perform, and “play the game.” We become
comfortably numb, drifting away from the one thing that truly matters.
But this voice from the wilderness, refuses to let us
shrink. He bursts into our resignation not to condemn us, not to shame us, but
to awaken us. And his call is precise: Repent. Not “change yourself.” Not “try
harder.” Repent. Because change is about behaviour. Repentance is about the
heart. Repentance is coming home to the person we were meant to be. It is
reclaiming our integrity where we have betrayed ourselves. It is seeing the
cracks we pretend not to notice -the contradictions, the heavy habits, the
strained relationships, the smallness we live out of, the fears we avoid, the
inner places we keep unchallenged. It’s not so much about guilt or innocence
but about wholeness and fullness. It’s less about the past and where we’ve come
from, and more about the future and where we’re headed.
That is why John’s message is urgent: “The axe
is already laid at the root.”
Not tomorrow. Not when you are ready, NOW. And yet, in all this John stands
with astonishing humility. After shaking nations with his boldness, he
whispers: “I am not worthy.” The prophet who speaks with thunder bows his head
like a child. His humility shows that repentance is not about proving our
goodness but opening ourselves to God’s goodness. Advent is the season when the
wilderness becomes a birthplace. When truth, even painful truth, becomes a
doorway to possibility.
What is one change you could make today-or at
least begin-that would bring more wholeness and fullness to your life? Because
God’s future begins with something as small as repentance-not because we are
bad, but because we are worth it.
- Lilly Pushpam PBVM
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