"The Kingdom is at hand"

The light upon our path which reveals the way forward, which encourages us to hope, is the forgiveness of our sins. The first step toward pardon is sincere contrition for the rejection of love in all wrongdoing.

What is repentance but merely the gift of mourning for sin? God's love alone is perfect. Only in God is our need for love met perfectly and forever. To repent of sin is to invite the love of God to transform us. Conversion means the opening of the heart to love others because God has so commanded us.

What is not of God must be rejected that we might truly accept His love which is the gift of unending life. What is the Gospel but simply this? What is the purpose of repentance? "The Kingdom of heaven is at hand"; only the kingdom offers the life without end that is the desire of every human heart.

Meeting Christ in the Liturgy offers a reflection for The Third Sunday in Ordinary Time.