DGeMs- Daily Gospel eMessage
Dear Friend in the Lord,
Repentance: As we begin our Second Week of Advent, St John the Baptist’s reminder of our need for “repentance” is timely. Without sincere repentance our hearts would not be open to God’s grace of the renewal of our faith, hope and love for Him. Pray for the gift of humility to do so.
Fr Philip Heng, S.J.
Matthew 3:1-6, 11
In due course John the Baptist appeared; he proclaimed this message in the desert of Judaea, ‘Repent, for the kingdom of Heaven is close at hand.’ This was the man spoken of by the prophet Isaiah when he said: A voice of one that cries in the desert, ‘Prepare a way for the Lord, make his paths straight.’
This man John wore a garment made of camel-hair with a leather loin-cloth round his waist, and his food was locusts and wild honey. Then Jerusalem and all Judaea and the whole Jordan district made their way to him, and as they were baptised by him in the river Jordan they confessed their sins. He said to them, ‘I baptise you in water for repentance, but the one who comes after me is more powerful than I, and I am not fit to carry his sandals; he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit and fire.’