John was clothed in camel’s hair,
with a leather belt around his waist.
He fed on locusts and wild honey.
And this is what he proclaimed:
—One mightier than I is coming after me…—
My brothers and sisters in Christ,
John surrendered himself, John who could have had a good life as the son of a temple priest; he surrendered himself to God’s will.
What a goofball, —One mightier than I is coming after me?— John, do you understand that you are wearing camel’s hair, a leather belt, and that you’re eating locusts and wild honey? John, anyone could be mightier than you. Who is coming next, a street beggar? John, the only thing you have going for you is a lack of fear, and that, in itself, is dangerous.
Yet they came.
People of the whole Judean countryside
and all the inhabitants of Jerusalem were going out to him
and were being baptized by him in the Jordan River
as they acknowledged their sins.
Just like you do each week, they came. They came to hear the message of God, the promise of salvation. Repent, the time is drawing near.
Fear not to cry out
and say to the cities of Judah:
Here is your God!
Here comes with power the Lord GOD,
who rules by his strong arm;
here is his reward with him,
his recompense before him.
John understood his mandate, his duty, and his mission. That is what we must do, because the time is drawing near.
The Lord does not delay his promise, as some regard —delay,—
but He is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
Peter’s message is vital. He knew patience better than anybody. He knew how many chances Jesus gave him. He knew the deep intimate and unexpected love Jesus brought. He also knew the powerful demand of accountability and repentance that Jesus mandated.
Jesus demands much from us.
We need to live in truth. We need to hold to our beliefs and faith even if everyone, family, friends, co-workers, and parish members think we are goofballs. We need to wear the modern equivalent of camel’s hair and a leather belt. We need to be who we purport to be.
As Catholic Christians in the Polish National Catholic Church we hold a unique position in the history of the Church. Our beliefs are orthodox in many ways. We are very traditional in liturgy and church polity. We abide in the underlying message of hope and trust in God. It is orthodoxy with joy. It is also the proclamation of a message of personal accountability, responsibility, and repentance.
In the PNCC we believe that Hell is a state of suffering and a place where we may go to atone for our sinfulness. It is not eternal for everyone. We believe what Peter taught:
He is patient with you,
not wishing that any should perish
but that all should come to repentance.
We teach that God’s patience is eternal and everlasting. He always offers His love and provides us with opportunity to change. This is as true in this life as it is in eternal life.
The point is, and the problem is, that we must accept it. We must make a conscious choice and accept it. We must change and be regenerated in the Spirit. We must be responsible and accountable.
Most importantly, you are called to action now. Do not delay. Do not put off to tomorrow. Those who will spend eternity in Hell are those that want it. Those who are obstinate and unrepentant. Those who see their way as more important than God’s way. Those who create a life for themselves that says, I don’t need God, I can wait, I’ll pay tomorrow. The very people who rejected and eventually beheaded John.
What happens to the obstinate and unrepentant is that they find themselves fully believing in their own way —“ a way that refuses to subjugate itself to God’s way. A way they have trained themselves in every day of their lives.
The PNCC does not have a Satan, exorcists, or even a mention of the devil in its catechism. What we do know is that evil is real and that it is your choice —“ and your responsibility.
Persist in evil; persist in casting your responsibility off on Mr. Satan. Persist in believing that you will go to heaven and only the really evil will go to Hell. Persist in having it your way. Persist on living on borrowed time.
If you and I persist in being what we want, believing what we want, and in failing to meet God’s demands and expectations, then welcome to the Hell that we have created for ourselves.
If we change, if we are regenerated, if we keep working on it (because we are not perfect), then our dedication to God will move us along on the road to heaven.
You are here, so remain. You are here, like the people of Jerusalem —“ here to hear the message. You are here to receive sanctifying grace through penance, the Word, and the Eucharist. You are here to build strength for the road. You are here to change —“ for heaven’s sake.
