This week the Gospels begin to describe the public ministry of Jesus. As Jesus begins his ministry, the first word spoken by him in Matthew’s Gospel is “repent”. We often think that the word “repent “ simply means being sorry for our sins and promising to do a penance. Yet the word literally means to “re-think”, or to see things in a new way.
When I begin my day, I can fall into a routine usually based on what I normally do every morning. This routine is fed by the news, the traffic, the weather or something I’ve heard or seen on TV. In other words, my world becomes flat and routine.
To repent or re-think helps us to see a wider, deeper world. A world in which God is present. A world with a destiny that goes beyond history and grows into the kingdom of God. Prayer opens my eyes to that world. So let us all try to look at our world through new eyes. To see our world as God sees it !
Happy New Year, DeColores, Deacon Doug
