In my first column this month, I mentioned the two types of people in the world based on their activity levels - the busy people and the idle people.
The busy people are often associated with productivity and happiness; idleness, on the other hand, is linked to a lack of purpose.
In Christian spirituality, ‘busyness’ itself can be unproductive at some point because it can be a cover-up for not doing the will of God.
It can be a form of laziness to avoid spiritual responsibilities.
Try to reflect on this. For many years, you have been enjoying your life, you are full of yourself, and you made yourself like a molten calf, building it every day for the future.
And you are still sad and lonely after all, still in darkness looking for a way out.
At times, you’re trying to hide your tears, wearing different masks every day to different people and on different occasions. You’re tired.
Why not look for something better that will lead you to real happiness and meaning of life?
Why not yield to God, to consciously surrendering your life to His will and trusting his plans?
That was the message of the voice crying out in the wilderness, “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is close at hand”.
John’s call to conversion is not meant to diminish your joy, but to purify it, elevate it, and enrich it.
Otherwise, you can get lost again in the merrymaking of this season but miss the meaning of what you’re doing.
As you prepare for the celebration of Christmas, do not ignore the voice crying in the wilderness “to repent” as an unwanted interruption, but as a timely invitation to renewal, to simplicity, and to conversion.
Pause for a while amid your busy life, and examine it to make space for the coming of Christ, our Saviour.
~ Contributed by Fr Line Abilgos of St Michael’s Catholic Church, on behalf of the Combined Churches of Deniliquin.
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