YOUR HEART WILL ACCEPT JESUS

YOUR HEART WILL ACCEPT JESUS
 "Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand." To repent means to change your mindset, change your mind, follow another road, another horizon. It is not atoa that the words used come from the Greek METANOUS. Now, NOUS is the highest part of the mind, referring to intelligence, more precisely. So the text does not mean something simple, but a total transformation, conscious, firm, having the intelligence as a total assent to the faith, as a flat adhesion to the Lord. Man must abandon all that he loves most in this world, throw to the ground everything that hinders the implantation of the kingdom of God in history, everything that is a search for oneself, to live the will of God. The kingdom of heaven is a kingdom of righteousness, fanned by the truth. It is necessary, therefore, to drop the injustices, lies, superficialities, games of interests, worldly power, old Jerusalem and its bad customs, to launch into the New that is at the gates. It is about Jesus Christ, presence of the Kingdom of God in history, justice for all humanity, peace for all.

6. "And they were baptized by him into the Jordan River, confessing their sins." The people, in general, feared God, truly wanted to have an encounter of salvation, of new life, of liberation from all the injustices and exploitations that they went through. Repent, confess their sins, to enter into this new reality. Certainly neither baptism nor confession had the same justifying sacramental reality, bearer of sanctifying grace. Before John, the so-called "monks" of Qumran already performed a similar purification, a sacred bath. The pagans were "baptized" in order to enter into the reality of faith in the God of Israel. That is to say, it was not a rite created out of nothing by John. Although, on the other hand, there was an original, eschatological data, one prepares for the ultimate event, the meeting with the righteous judge, signifying confession and repentance of sins , as means to conquer eternal life. Both baptism and confession here were gestures of acceptance and conscious participation in the reality proclaimed by the prophet John the Baptizer. With these gestures, they felt ready to transit through this New Road until they attained the grace of an authentic encounter with the Lord.

7. On the other hand, John harshly criticized the leaders of Israel: "A race of vipers, who taught you to flee from the wrath to come?" That is, false guides, thunderers of God and thieves of His power, whitewashed sepulchers, lovers of lies, sons of satan, the father of lies, in the words of Jesus himself. They use the fact that they belong to Abram's descendants to exploit the weak. Going further and giving a terrible blow, John concludes: "God can raise from these stones, children of Abraham." No one will save themselves by belonging to a people, but by their choices and actions. Consequently, anyone who does not do the will of God (tree that does not bear fruit) will have the destiny of destruction by fire. The hour for this event was that present, the last moment, for the judgment of God was already about to happen: "The ax is already prepared to cut down the trees by the root." It is necessary, therefore, to repent, preparing for the most perfect encounter with the One who comes, He is the Lord, and comes with the power of the Holy Spirit, the destroying Fire of all evils. He will give baptism in the power of His Spirit.

8. "... but He who comes after me is stronger than I am. I am not worthy to untie the straps of His sandals. " This affirmation has, in addition to the expressive manifestation of the prophet's humility, a tremendously important lesson about the importance of Jesus Christ for the Church, who, in turn, seeks to show to the "Johnites," followers of John the Baptist, that the Messiah had not been his teacher, but the One who was presented by him with the Power of God, the Holy Spirit. John the Baptist was a legitimate instrument, a voice of the eternal Word, lover of the Truth (Christ), a burning fire of the proclamation of the joy of God for humanity. Like John, his disciples and all converts must turn resolutely to the Savior, who does not propose a joy of human feasting but salvific joy.

What are your gifts? If you have any, put it at the disposal of the good? Are you concerned about saving people? Are you afraid to announce the Truth? Why has it not yet become an instrument of the evangelizing mission? Are you afraid of the powerful? Do you have openness to the Holy Spirit? Do you seek to help the needy and innocent, defenseless and wronged? How is your degree of intimacy with the Messiah Jesus Christ?

A strong and affectionate hug.

Father José Erinaldo