2nd Sunday of Advent: Remorse vs. Repentance

Today we celebrate the second Sunday of Advent. Today's readings were about preparing for Jesus' coming and for whom Jesus came. Father's homily focused on one aspect of preparing for Jesus' coming - repentance.

He said that repentance was when you ask for forgiveness and then take steps to change your ways.  Remorse is merely asking forgiveness because you know what you have done is wrong. For example, if you have a man who cheats on his wife and feels badly about doing so, he may ask her forgiveness. Then, two months later he does the same thing. He has not repented. He will repent when asks forgiveness and stops cheating.

I had never really thought about repentance in that way. It was a pretty profound statement. I had always believed that if you asked God's forgiveness then you had repented. It never really occurred to me that I would need to change my ways to fully repent my sins. Then, as I sit here and write about it, I wonder why I did not see that earlier.

I would feel badly if I did not talk about the second topic covered in today's readings - for whom Jesus came. The simple answer is that he came for the Jews and the Gentiles. That covers everyone on the planet. It is comforting to me to know that no one is excluded. We just have to choose to follow in his Ways.