7th December 2008 - Second Sunday of Advent
There is a room in this church that is so underused that cob webs have begun to appear in it. And that room is the Confession Room, or the room of Reconciliation. That is a great pity. Over the last number of years the amount of people in Ireland going to receive the Sacrament of reconciliation has dramatically reduced, and this has even started to hit Penance Services at Christmas and Easter. The reasons for the fall off are many and varied. Some people are afraid, some people have had bad experiences of grumpy confessors, some have just got out of the habit, some people don't believe in it, and some wonder why they can't just tell God they are sorry in their own way.
In the middle of all this reality the Scriptures for this Sunday of Advent speak about how necessary conversion of life is, how essential it is to turn once more to the ways of the gospel. We see this very clearly in the life of St John the Baptist and what he spoke to the people. I am sure he cut a rather dramatic figure in his garment of camel skin and his diet of locusts and wild honey. Yet despite his appearance they came to him for the Baptism of Repentance. However he points not to himself but to the one who was to come after him who will baptise with the Holy Spirit, his cousin, Jesus Christ.
Today I want to encourage you to avail of the Sacrament of Reconciliation especially during this season of Advent. We will all be involved in so much physical preparations for Christmas, but we also need to prepare the stable of our hearts to receive the Child of Christmas. Tomorrow we will celebrate the sinless Virgin Mary, who from the very first moment of her life was open to God. May she help us to follow her Son and may we live in imitation of her. O Mary conceived without sin, pray for us who have recourse to thee. Amen.
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Homilies Archive
2009 HOMILIES
25th December 2008
Christmas
21st December 2008
14th December 2008
8th December 2008
Immaculate Conception
7th December 2008
2nd Sunday of Advent
30th November 2008
1st Sunday of Advent
23rd November 2008
Christ the King
16th November 2008
2nd November 2008
All Souls
1st November 2008
All Saints
26th October 2008
12th October 2008
5th October 2008
28th September 2008
21st September 2008
14th September 2008
7th September 2008
31st August 2008
24th August 2008
17th August 2008
15th August 2008
Assumption
10th August 2008
3rd August 2008
20th July 2008
13th July 2008
29th June 2008
22nd June 2008
1st June 2008
23rd March 2008
Easter Sunday
22nd March 2008
Easter Vigil
2nd March 2008
24th February 2008
17th February 2008
10th February 2008
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