PARISH NEWS

Alert Against Sin

Right at the beginning of the Bible we are told that every human is an image of God, a sacred being who represents the Creator and is worthy of respect. So, sin is a failure to love our Creator and humanity and all creation as directed.

Many of us hear today’s gospel (Mk 13:33-37) and we think, too right! It is warning those (other) sinners, not to defy God, not to misbehave. Hazardously though, we might just relax in the comforting thought that we aren’t like that. We’re unlike those murderers, thieves, adulterers and blasphemers we see on the News and in popular media. We are above all that. We are alert and awake, we won’t make those mistakes! Hmmm!

Hopefully that is so, but sadly we then admit we might commit some minor sins, just “little white lies”, or cheating the tax man. “Just the things that everyone else is doing ….. so they must be ok. But those “small” sins are the ones that get past when our attention is distracted. When we are busy playing cool; being caught up in “what’s happening now?”, keeping up with the Joneses, avoiding ridicule rather than standing up to poor behaviour, going along with inappropriate banter, allowing injustice to prevail without trying to prevent it. The more we tolerate and justify our own “small” sins, the closer we are to “big” sins.

Advent is about preparation for Christ’s coming, about late spring-cleaning of our spiritual houses. Under the guidance of Mark’s gospel, Advent is an opportunity to reflect on our inner lives, to look beyond the commercial rubbish that threatens to overtake Christmas and to re-commit ourselves to faithfully and watchfully waiting for Jesus coming. Advent is a chance to get our lives back on track, to refocus on allowing Jesus into our hearts, to make us the people He calls us to be.

Deacon Mark Kelly