While working on his famous painting “The Last Supper,†Leonardo DaVinci had an argument with a certain man. He lashed out against the fellow with bitter words and threatening gestures. When the argument was over DaVinci went back to his studio, where he was working on the face of Jesus. He could not make one stroke. At last he realized what the trouble was. He put down his brush, found the man he had offended, and asked his forgiveness. He returned to his studio and calmly continued painting the face of Jesus.
Like DaVinci we are trying to put Christ into the masterpiece called Christmas. We want Jesus to be in the center of our Christmas celebration.
In today’s Gospel we heard John: Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.
John challenged people to reform their lives, to repent of their sins and undergo a baptism of purification in the Jordan. He warns the Pharisees and Sadducees that being descendants of Abraham would count for nothing, if good deeds were not evident in their lives.
The call of John to repent is an urgent invitation for us to prepare a way for the Lord to come into our hearts. Preparing to celebrate Christmas means renewing our lives by acknowledging our need for Christ.
Just as DaVinci could not work on the face of Jesus while he was guilty of having offended another man, so you and I cannot work at putting Christ into the Christmas picture, as long as we are not sorry for having disobeyed God. John warns all of us, that being Christian would count for nothing if good deeds were not evident in our lives.
Each Advent is an opportunity for us to come closer to Christ and deepen our relationship with him through prayer and repentance. His power is at work in our lives when we make peace with the family member we have rejected, the relations we do not speak to, and the poor we have no time for. Breaking down these barriers will open the way for Christ to come to our studios — that is our hearts. In this way we will be able like DaVinci, to paint Jesus in our hearts, and in the hearts of those who are around us.