REPENT!

Bull sale season is in full swing.  A lot of these guys have their production sale right at the ranch.  Every sale at the ranch I notice how clean the hosts have their facilities, their cattle, and all of it.  They prepare their ranch for the big day.

"Repent!  For the Kingdom of heaven is at hand!" says John the Baptist in Matthew's gospel.  Our Christian journey is going to have it's 'big day' at Easter.  The resurrection of Jesus Christ, that's a big deal.  It's the day that Jesus blazed the way for us to enjoy heaven!  We prepare for this day by a Lenten journey.  "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths."

Now imagine going to a guys bull sale at his ranch and it's a pain to get to his sale facility.  You have to drive around obstacles like a pile of old machinery, buildings, etc... (trust me some places do a good job of hiding their sale!)  rather than having a straight sure path to your destination.  Think about the obstacles in your heart that Jesus has to walk around to get in there, to his destination.  In my heart I've got piles of things that I'm very attached to.  Like horses, cattle, jobs, careers, and you get the point.  I keep a lot of stuff in my heart that is more of an obstacle to Jesus.

But then I thought this morning, all these things are good are they not Lord?  And he reminded me of St. Joseph (whose feast was yesterday) and how he probably had a good business back home.  Yet every single time the angel of the Lord appeared and said, "Rise and go" Joseph obeyed and didn't say a word.  Joseph probably had things going on, building somebodies house, table, chairs, he was making a living for his family and God asks him to pick up everything and move for a few years.  I would probably be like, "Ok but first let me get a guy to feed my horses, cows, cover some sales for me"  These are the obstacles in my heart that John the Baptist retells, "Prepare the way of the Lord, make straight his paths" and this Lenten journey is a time to clear that path for Jesus.  Just like the bull sale, we make it fast straight and simple for Christ to enter our hearts.

Next thing (and last thing) imagine one of these bull sale producers having a nightmare that it is the day of his sale and he didn't do anything to prepare.  Bulls aren't clipped, the ring isn't set up, and his place looks terrible.  It wouldn't go over very good!  So listen to the first words we heard on Ash Wednesday again, "REPENT! FOR THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN IS AT HAND!"  Repent, if you haven't gone to confession yet, go now, clear the path for the Lord.  You still have time, but not much because Jesus is coming in a few weeks at Easter.  Don't be like the nightmare for the bull sale guy, get prepared.

Peace ya'll