By Fr. Paul D. Scalia
In one of the last frames of Wake Up Dead Man (the latest in the Knives Out series), we see a glimpse of the newly edited parish poster that announces: “All are welcome.” It is a sign for our therapeutic culture that (spoiler alert) the good priest has triumphed over the bad one. In a culture that shuns distinctions, boundaries, and borders, there is no surer badge of goodness than welcoming everyone, without exception.
Now, the first words of our Lord in his public ministry were not “All are welcome.” They were the apparently less welcoming ones: “Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand.” But these two phrases are not as opposed as some might think—or want—them to be. The Gospel of this Sunday (Matthew 4:12-23) gives us occasion to consider the curious universal invitation of our Lord.
The Christian message has two fundamental parts: sin and redemption. The words of Jesus express them. Repent—because sin exists, and we commit it—. Because the kingdom of heaven is at hand—because God has sought us to bring us back to Him—. Let us see each one separately.
First, Repent. Our culture values religion only to the extent that it makes us feel better about ourselves. Thus, the command to repent sounds harsh and unwelcoming, anything but hospitable. However, in reality, repentance is the most universal invitation that exists. What we all have in common—without exception, beyond any distinction of race, class, or sex—is our sinful condition. There is no one who does not need to repent.
In this sense, let us think of the Penitential Rite of the Mass. The priest invites everyone, without exception, to acknowledge their sins and then, together, as one, to pray: I confess to almighty God… It is one of the most egalitarian prayers. By making no distinction between persons, it distinguishes the Mass (and the Church in general) as radically different from any other human gathering. We are not together for a shared worldly interest (politics, sports, music, etc.) that might exclude others. We are gathered by the universal need for mercy.
Second, Because the kingdom of heaven is at hand. This is where repentance leads, to the Kingdom. And that Kingdom is at hand: it is no longer a theory, an idea, or a pious aspiration, but a reality. It is, so to speak, within reach, offered to anyone who truly desires it. The only thing necessary to attain it has already been said.
And this brings us to the heart of the Gospel message, which must contain sin and redemption, repentance and Kingdom in equal measure. They need each other. The call to conversion is an invitation to recognize one’s own dignity, one’s own capacity to attain the Kingdom. We have lived below what we are worth, but we can still change course. If man were not capax Dei, there would be no point in calling for conversion. The command to repent is not a scolding, but a call to all to return to their dignity and worth.
This is a universal call. All are welcome—indeed, invited—to the dignity of repentance that leads to the Kingdom. It is no coincidence that our Lord begins this announcement in the “Galilee of the Gentiles” (Isaiah 8:23; Matthew 4:15), that is, a region of Israel, of the People of God, that was also a crossroads of cultures. The net that appears prominently in today’s Gospel (mentioned three times in four verses) also suggests this universality. Because a net is not selective. It is cast into the sea (biblical figure of the nations) to catch everything that enters it. All are welcome in that net.
Repent… Kingdom. There are always those who want to eliminate one or the other part of the Gospel message. Some preach strongly the condemnation of evil, but forget the mercy and forgiveness of the Kingdom. Others preach mercy and forgiveness, but do not mention sin at all. One part without the other causes harm. A call to repentance without Kingdom is cruelty. The Kingdom without repentance is presumption.
There is an internal logic at play here. If we do not repent, we cannot enter the kingdom of heaven. If there is no evil, guilt, and sin, then offering forgiveness makes no sense. Conversely, if there were no mercy and forgiveness, how terrible it would be to point out evil and sin.
Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. Our Lord begins with these words and then lives them in his public life. First, in his teaching. Sometimes we find him condemning evil strongly—more severely than his popular image usually suggests—. Other times we find words of great mercy and tenderness.
More importantly, our Lord is the subject of his own teaching. He embodies the words Repent, for the kingdom of heaven is at hand. With his passion and death, he creates for us the path of repentance; he opens the way of forgiveness. To repent is to walk with Him whose Heart expresses perfect sorrow for our sins. Without Him, our repentance falls short.
He Himself is the Kingdom. He does not offer it as a gift separate from Him, but as his own person. The Kingdom is at hand because He is present. Through our repentance, we give Him entry and receive the Kingdom. And that is possible for all.
About the author:
Fr. Paul Scalia is a priest of the Diocese of Arlington, Virginia, where he serves as Episcopal Vicar for the Clergy and pastor of Saint James in Falls Church. He is the author of That Nothing May Be Lost: Reflections on Catholic Doctrine and Devotion and editor of Sermons in Times of Crisis: Twelve Homilies to Stir Your Soul.