By Fr. Glenn Jones:

Well, here we are going into the cold of winter (kind of “quasi-cold” this year so far—(famous last words!)), and with it we come into the Advent season and we look toward the joyful time of Christmas. Even for non-Christians, it very often becomes a happy time of family renewal together around the fire, meals or some other gathering. A wonderful time to rekindle those family bonds.

As we renew those bonds, we can find no greater advice and direction than from Jesus’ urging of loving God and neighbor. To this end, Christians during this pre-Christmas period hear from the gospels of John the Baptist, forerunner of Jesus, who himself preached along two themes: repentance from sin and producing the good fruits of a good life…the accomplishing of good works of charity…emphasized repeatedly throughout both the Old and New Testaments.

First, repentance…without which our good works have little effect…for in doing wrong (which is what sin is), we act against the Good—the Good being the will of God—and thus in some measure separate ourselves from God and thus from Jesus the Son, who is one with the Father and Holy Spirit. For Jesus teaches: “I am the vine, you are the branches. He who abides in me, and I in him, he it is that bears much fruit” (John 15:5).

And Jesus Himself echoes John’s call to repentance repeatedly throughout His own mission, urging us to seek to be perfect as Our Heavenly Father is perfect (cf. Matthew 5:48). O Christian, He is Our Lord; should we not listen?

Repentance and producing the good fruits of charity are really two sides of the same coin when we think about it, for the law of God is based entirely on love.

Now, when we think “repentance”, we tend to think “Ten Commandments.” “Oh, no!! … restrictions to my behavior!!” But those restrictions usher us to that cherished Good. After all, do we not restrict ourselves for good every day?—don’t eat too much, don’t laze around, obey laws, etc.? Yet the two great commandments sum up all law and prophets: Love the Lord your God with your whole heart, mind, soul and strength…and your neighbor as yourself. So the Commandments are also laws of love.

The Ten Commandments are written by God on two tablets of stone to symbolize those two great commandments of charity. The first three commandments perhaps all written on one tablet comprise our duty to God as our Creator and Father: giving God His due, so to speak, of worship, fidelity, reverence and service. The others we can visualize on the second tablet—the fourth (honor thy father and mother) is a bridge of sorts, emphasizing duty towards whom God gives authority on earth, and our parents who are our greatest benefactors having given life itself. The following six commandments contain our duties to our fellow man—5: protection of life; 6: protection of purity; 7: of property; 8: of integrity and truth; 9 & 10: of domestic life. These are the things that give us peace, as the psalm says: “Great peace have those who love thy law…by thy commandments I have had understanding” (Psalm 119:165, 104).

We recall the gospel episode of the rich man who asks Jesus: “What must I do to attain eternal life?” (Mark 10:17) Jesus tells Him first and foremost to keep the Commandments, and not just the ones we find easiest, but all. For like a stringed instrument, one broken string wrecks the entire melody, or, as in a battle, one careless soldier can ruin all. Keeping the commandments is simply refraining from evil and selfishness, and thus keeps our conscience at peace and our soul at rest.  So, O Christian, He is our Lord and God; should we not listen?

So…how to bear good fruit? Through works of mercy—almsgiving, kindness, graciousness, thoughtfulness, patience. The bodily (corporal) wants of our neighbor are food, drink, clothing, shelter, liberty, health and life…and thus the seven corporal works of mercy are to feed the hungry, clothe the naked, give drink to the thirsty, shelter the homeless, visit the sick and those in prison, and to bury the dead.  Jesus tells us unequivocally that it is not the possession of earthly goods, but rather their good use, which make us truly rich. It is in one’s moral qualities—virtue, not wealth—that a person’s real dignity and greatness consist. 

So, what better life is there than to emulate Jesus in this? For we take nothing with us at death except the record of what we have done in life—both the good and the bad—and no one can be called happy until the outcome of his judgment before God.  But Jesus assures us: “Where your treasure is, there your heart will be also” (Matthew 6:21). He is our Lord and God; should we not listen.

Now, the seven spiritual—and thus even greater—works of mercy are counseling the doubtful, instructing the ignorant (the untaught), admonishing the sinner, comforting the sorrowful and afflicted, forgiving injury, bearing wrongs patiently, and praying for the living and the dead…and, of course, facilitating the same with our material resources where we can. In these we cooperate with God for the salvation of souls and so these are the highest and most merciful of all works done for our neighbor.

So, as we continue our Advent season, let the realization of these truths take root deeply and let us act without delay, for as Paul writes: “Behold, now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation” (2 Corinthians 6:2). As St. John Chrysostom said: genuine repentance is not just about confessing sins, but about changing the course of our lives.

So, as we hear from Paul in the Catholic Mass today: “May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ.” Then our Advent season becomes even more joyful…more hope-filled…more peaceful … knowing that, as we watch for Our Savior and Lord, we can greet Him with clean heart, clean conscience… bearing with us fruits of obedience to the good, charity and love…rejoicing in being a beloved child of the Father, and a useful servant of God.

Editor’s note: Rev. Glenn Jones is the Vicar General of the Archdiocese of Santa Fe and former pastor of Immaculate Heart of Mary Catholic Church in Los Alamos.