Asceticism vs. Self-Negation

What can you learn from a preacher who wore a camel's hair cloak while eating locusts and wild honey?

Plenty.

In this week's Gospel, John the Baptist gives us the perfect playbook for entering into Advent...and for taking our spiritual lives to the next level.

His ascetic appearance and way of life might seem crazy to us, but his intensity had the goal of stripping away life's distractions to clarify his message and make room for love.

Distracted has become our default mode. Advent is the perfect time to slow down and take in the message of John the Baptist.

And his message? “Repent, for the Kingdom of Heaven is at hand.”

We’ve heard that line a thousand times. But in this reflection, I explain what the word "repent" really means in this context. The actual translation of the Greek word—metanoia—is much deeper than you think.

It implies a changing of the mind and your way of thinking. That's not just penitence as a form of behavior modification. It's not just looking backward and being sorry for the past. It means opening your eyes to the grace you have received and realizing that change is only possible with God—an entirely new perspective.

You can't pick yourself up by your own bootstraps to raise yourself to heaven. We need God for that.

I pray you are able to enter into a joyful penance this Advent that relies on his grace to make a lasting change in your life. Allow that grace to challenge your approach to everything you do by taking on the mind of Christ.

Make space for Christ and let him "meta" your "noia." I'll pray for you...please pray for me!

DISCUSSION QUESTIONS

1. What’s one distraction you could strip away this Advent to make room for Christ?

2. Before hearing this reflection, how did you understand the word repent? How does the meaning of metanoia change that?

3. Can you think of a time when a shift in perspective — not just behavior — changed your life? How might God be inviting you to a new way of thinking right now?

4. What’s one area where you’ve been trying to “pull yourself up by your bootstraps”? How can you invite grace into that instead?

5. Which parts of your life feel “too busy” for God? What practical step could you take this week to open space for Him?

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