3rd Sunday of Ordinary Time, A January 25, 2026
Fr. Alexander Albert St. Mary Magdalen, Abbeville
“What can we do? What can I do?” Maybe you’ve asked that question a few times this month. From international anxiety over Venezuela and Greenland to ongoing unrest in Minnesota to the disturbing allegations of abuse in our own diocese, there are a lot of reasons to be worried or even feel powerless. Perhaps you identify with that description of Zebulun and Naphtali in Isaiah. Perhaps you feel like a people who “sit in darkness” and like “those dwelling in a land overshadowed by death.” You probably should relate to that description because the fact is that we all live a world full of darkness, a world overshadowed by death. You should relate to it, but do not be overwhelmed by it. Light has arisen and we have seen that light!
But then what? What do we do? What do I do? What that light tells you to do! Jesus Christ is the light that has arisen. As Mary famously says at the wedding at Cana, “do whatever he tells you.” And what does he tell us? “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.”
When faced with darkness, when faced with evils, especially when faced with evils you don’t even fully understand much less have the power to fix, what can you do? Repent. No, I’m not saying that simply repenting of your own sins will fix complex political, ecclesial, and social problems. What I am saying, however, is that repentance will help you see the light in the darkness. Indeed, it will help you be the light in the darkness. Despair is passive. Rage is destructive and fruitless. Hope, however… hope looks at that same situation and that same powerlessness and choose to do what is both good and possible.
That’s why the call to repentance comes with the reminder that the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Repentance is the action, the proclamation of the kingdom of heaven is the fuel of hope, the energy source of light to guide us through a darkness we cannot dispel on our own. You and I cannot fix what’s going on in the world, but we must not despair! Pope St. John Paul II could not fix the Nazi and Communist conquest of his home country of Poland. For decades, he could do nothing but remember the kingdom of heaven, repent of his own sins, and strive to do whatever good was available to him. Eventually, that witness to hope was part of a global shift that broke down tyrannies all over the planet. We do not know how our tiny, seemingly powerless and insignificant acts of hope will affect the great sweep of history. What we do know is that despair is useless and that hope at least lets us live lives of light and goodness until the darkness passes. And it will pass!
So, first of all, have hope! Jesus rose from the dead, the Church survived Roman persecution… survived every empire that has tried to destroy it, and even if we die we have a destination and a goal that even death cannot take from us. The kingdom of heaven is at hand! This is the Word of God Sunday, so it’s a fitting time to remind you to read and reread the story of the kingdom. Never let a day pass without reminding yourself through prayer and scripture that that kingdom is real and it belongs to you! Fan the flame of hope!
Then, of course, repent! If you’ve not been to confession in a while, go! And if you confess your sins regularly, do not think your repentance is done. Older practicing Catholics often start to remember past sins and feel… unsatisfied with an old confession. They start to worry if maybe they weren’t forgiven and want to confess it again. Don’t do that. Your sins are indeed forgiven by a sincere confession. But being forgiven of a sin does not mean you are done repenting of that sin. Do no doubt God’s mercy! But also, remember his justice. You will not go to hell for an old sin that you’ve confessed. But receiving forgiveness is only part of repentance. The other part is reparation.
Sometimes, critics of Catholicism complain how unfair it is that a person can be a thief, murderer, adulterer, abuser, or whatever else and then go to confession one time to walk out completely free of those terrible sins. They argue that it’s unfair to victims and that it trivializes evil. And you know what? That would be a fair complaint if a single confession could completely wipe away all consequences for terrible sins. But that’s not what confession does. It forgives guilt, meaning you won’t go to hell. It does not complete the process of reparation. That’s part of the logic behind our teaching on purgatory. It’s the place where you pay back the harm you’ve caused for the sins you were forgiven of.
But that’s not the goal! We are called to repent and keep repenting in this life so we avoid purgatory. We can and should make reparation for the sins we’ve confessed. It’s only God’s grace that makes that possible, but our effort matters. Criminals who go to confession to a priest might need to still go to prison. Sinners who have hurt their loved ones can’t just go to confession and tell their family: you have to accept me now, I went to confession! No! They need to forgive their sinful loved ones, but trust and healing aren’t magically completed just with a few Hail Marys. Repentance means both sacramental confession and ongoing reparation to restore trust and heal wounds.
So, if you find yourself uneasy about old sins you confessed long ago, don’t fret. It doesn’t automatically mean you don’t trust God’s mercy. It could be that, now that you’re a little older and a little closer to God, God is calling you to take the next step in your repentance. A confession requires a small token penance that you have to do. But nothing stops you from offering additional penance. You are forgiven even if you only do the bare minimum. But if your heart tugs at you, if the call to repent brings up those old sins, then it’s probably the Holy Spirit inviting you to freely choose acts of reparation for sins long past. Don’t get carried away and don’t give into shame, but when those concerns strike you, affirm your faith in His forgiveness, thank him for His mercy, then offer a prayer in reparation for the harm you caused. Look for acts of charity to offer. Consider sacrifices and fasts to apply to your past sins and to offer for those still caught in similar sins. Done with faith, you may find it a powerful cure for despair and anxiety.
We’ve seen a great light in this dark world overshadowed by death. What do we do about it? Remember the kingdom of heaven is at hand, stir up your hope, and repent. The last thing I’ll add is to follow the example of the apostles. Young unmarried people, that might mean a literal call to priesthood or religious life – consider answering that call! Don’t let shame or past sins keep you from following Christ!
Everyone, however, should consider this: the apostles “left their nets… at once” to follow Jesus when he called. Whatever your state in life, ask yourself what “net” is holding you back from following Jesus fully, from repenting fully, from serving God’s kingdom fully. Is it some unfinished repentance? Is it obsession with the news? Is it always looking at screens? Is it attachment to what other people think? Is it addiction? Is it focusing more on money and career and status than on growing in holiness? Is it the fact that, despite being Catholic your whole life, you still don’t pray every day on your own initiative? Is it refusing to distinguish the sinful acts of church members from the true, good, and beautiful teachings and traditions of the Church?
The kingdom of heaven is at hand. Now is the time to repent. Now is the time to let go of the nets of darkness and death that ensnare you. Light has arisen and he has called you by name. Will you follow him?