John the Baptist is Calling Us
Fr. David Barnes • December 3, 2025
Dear Friends in Christ,
A central, albeit mysterious, figure who appears especially during Advent is St. John the Baptist. He is the one who prepares the way for the Messiah. If John’s message were to be distilled into a single word, it would likely be, “Repent!”
There is something in us that recoils from this call to “repent.” Perhaps our reluctance to respond positively to this term arises from the experience of seeing some angry person on a street corner shouting, “Repent!” Often enough, people who call us to repentance seem less interested in our well-being than they do in promoting their own sense of self-righteousness. While telling us to repent, they seem to separate themselves from the rest of us. It can feel as though they are suggesting that they themselves have no need of repentance. They convey a sense that they are fully prepared already and they are warning the rest of us. (But, even though they are warning us, you get the sense that they would much rather leave us in our unprepared state. They like giving warnings more than they actually want to help us.)
John the Baptist appears as a sign. I think it is interesting that he appears in the desert. He is not on a street corner or in the main square. He is in the desert. He is where there is emptiness, dryness, and silence. He practices an ascetic life, wearing camel hair clothing and eating locusts. Unusual? Yes, but his witness attracts people. They come to see him. The people go out to the desert to see John and to hear him. Seeing his witness and hearing his message, what do they do? They acknowledge their sins and are baptized. They repent.
John’s figure is so interesting to me. Clearly, his appearance must have been somewhat startling. Startling too was his message. Yet, people were drawn to him. They came to him and were moved to do something that is so difficult for us human beings. They admitted their faults. They admitted that they needed to change. They admitted they were wrong. They acknowledged their sins. This humble acknowledgement of sins and the desire to turn away from them is what prepares us to welcome the Lord.
One of the greatest privileges of being a priest is to witness people repent of their sins. It is such an extraordinary thing to hear someone acknowledge that they, in fact, have sinned. I cannot tell you how moving it is to sit on the other side of the screen and listen to a person say things like, “I have been so arrogant. I have been so selfish. I have had such a hardened heart. I have been filled with hatred. I have committed lustful acts, been deceptive, or spiritually lazy.” When I hear those (and many other things), all I can think is, “Blessed Be God!” What an amazing work of grace must be happening in this person’s heart to make them able to do this courageous thing!
Similarly, it is absolutely extraordinary to hear someone come to confess something that they have been carrying around for years, maybe even decades. As time goes on, they feel paralyzed from ever bringing this matter to confession. They think too much time has passed. Somehow, however, by God’s grace, they bring this matter to the confessional, and what happens? Does the roof of the church collapse? Does the priest die of shock? No, the Church rejoices and provides this brave and repentant soul with the medicine of mercy.
John the Baptist is indeed a central figure of Advent. His appearance and his message are a bit startling. His appearance and his message are different. They do not seek center stage. He is not a social media influencer, a wielder of political power, or a TV personality. He appears outside the limelight, in the quiet of the desert. Somehow, people recognized that there was something true about his message. He was saying something that–even though difficult to hear–was necessary for their life. His call to repentance was authentic. The people went to him and acknowledged their sins. They prepared the way of the Lord.
Dear Friends, this Advent, John the Baptist is once again appearing and calling to us from the solitude of the desert. His message is as true today as it was two thousand years ago. He does not only call us to repent, but he wants us to know that repentance is indeed possible. He is calling us to risk leaving the busy cities of our lives; the places that seem to offer us flashy solutions to our weary hearts. He is calling us to the place of repentance, to the quiet of the confessional where we can humbly acknowledge our sins, receive mercy, and to prepare a place for the Lord.
In the next few weeks, there are innumerable opportunities to go to confession–here and elsewhere–and to experience that incredible joy that comes from repentance. Be courageous! And remember what the Gospel says today. All the people were going out to John and acknowledging their sins. You might think you’re the biggest and worst sinner in the whole world. If you do think that, “Blessed Be God!” That’s a sign of true sorrow and repentance. The rest of us who are standing in line with you, we are thinking the same thing about ourselves. And when we leave the confessional, we are no longer thinking of ourselves. We are thinking about the Lord and how kind and merciful He is.
Your Brother in Christ,
Fr. David Barnes
You might also like
Pastor's Notes
Each First Sunday of Advent, the Church begins a new liturgical year. At the same time that the new liturgical year begins, the cycle of readings also changes. The Church has three sets of Sunday readings. They are known as Year A, Year B, and Year C. We have just concluded Year C which draws primarily from the Gospel of Luke on Sundays. Year B draws most of its Sunday gospels from Mark, and the Sunday gospels for Year A, which we now begin, are most often from Matthew. St. John’s Gospel is interspersed throughout all three years. When I was a boy, it felt like my Mother was dragging us around Filene’s Basement and Jordan’s in Downtown Crossing all the time. We were always taking the Red Line into Town. This time of year in Downtown Boston was always magical to me as a child. The Salvation Army bell ringers seemed to be on every corner accompanied by their brass bands playing carols. Once a week or so, there would be one of the animated Christmas specials on television. You had one chance to see it all year and everyone in the school yard was talking about it for days before and on the day after. There was an amazing sense of anticipation. At school, we would light the Advent Wreath every day. (I don’t think any fire chief would have dared challenged the Sisters about that)! In the days before Christmas, we all went to Confession. At home, we had the Advent Calendar where every day we could open one window. The Nativity Scene that my Mom made in Ceramics Class would be set up, but no Baby Jesus until Christmas. Gradually, wrapped gifts would appear under the tree and we would beg our parents–to no avail–to open just one present early. Anticipation and waiting was on one level tortuous, but it was also amazing! Learning to anticipate, to long, to wait, and to live with expectation prepares us to experience true joy when what we long for is fulfilled. The heart needs to prepare itself to receive. And waiting is part of the preparation. When we wait with expectation, we experience greater joy when the object of our expectation arrives. As a child, I wanted my parents to short-circuit the “waiting” and let me open a present “NOW!” In a similar way, the culture attempts to short-circuit the waiting by celebrating Christmas weeks before Christmas. Instead of awaiting with anticipation the coming of something great, the culture tries to force things and manufacture joy. The Church–loving and wise mother that she is–teachers her children the valuable gift of waiting. This is what Advent is for us. The Church, by providing to us a season of waiting, helps us to experience true joy at Christmas. It is, as the Christmas hymn reminds us, a time for “every heart to prepare Him room.” The culture’s rush to celebrate Christmas early sucks the oxygen out of Christmas and deprives us of the opportunity to prepare ourselves for the joy that God wants to give to us. I hope that during these next few weeks, our St. Patrick Parish might provide a place for all of us to practice the great art of waiting and preparing. Some possible ways for you to do that? Come to daily Mass or to our Tuesday night Holy Hour. Join the Monday Night Advent Group, the Thursday Night Bible Study, or the Saturday morning Men’s Group. Go to Confession. For the stouthearted, we will also offer on Saturday, December 6th and 13th a 6:30am “Rorate Mass.” This Mass celebrated only by candlelight, begins before dawn. It recalls the coming of Christ, the Light, into the world and it honors the Blessed Virgin Mary. The term, “Rorate” is taken from the entrance antiphon of that Mass: “Rorate, caeli, desuper, et nubes pluant justum,” which means, “Drop down dew, ye heavens, from above, and let the clouds rain down the Just One.” IS 45:8). It is a beautiful chant that well expresses the heart’s longing for salvation. It will be a chanted Mass. Any of us who have ever sat under a Christmas Tree and shaken presents and tried to figure out what was inside knows that “waiting” is not a passive reality. True waiting is something we actually do. The anticipation prepares us to receive. God wants to give us all great graces at Christmas. The best way to prepare to receive those Christmas graces is to live now the beautiful graces of Advent. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
This weekend at the Ten o’clock Mass, we will celebrate the Rite of Acceptance and Welcoming. Some of these men and women are preparing for Baptism, Confirmation, and First Eucharist at Easter. Others who were previously baptized are seeking admission into the Catholic Church, Confirmation, and First Eucharist. Still others who were baptized as Catholics are preparing for Confirmation. They meet every Sunday morning with Diane McCarthy–our Pastoral Associate–and her team. That team does the hard work each week of helping to teach and form these men and women. I will have the privilege of baptizing, confirming, and administering the Eucharist to them. The desire to belong is present in every human heart. In our present moment in time, one way that this desire is expressed is through social media. Many people spend enormous amounts of time scrolling, posting, liking, and seeking out “likes.” There can be an almost frenetic frenzy in the online world. And yet, it seems that this online world only deepens a sense of loneliness, isolation, and emptiness in people’s lives. The algorithms seem designed to isolate us into ghettoes of echo-chambers where we are exposed only to what our masters think we want to hear. Controversies are constantly being contrived in order to keep us contained in a never-ending circle of anger, bitterness, and antagonism. What begins as a desire to have contact with others can devolve into a race to the bottom of nothingness. Many people set out online in search of some human contact or some shared experience. Of course, the online world offers many positive things. There is, however, as we all know, a dark side to it. The search for belonging in a virtual world can become a ruinous journey. Addictive gambling, online shopping, online gaming, pornography, hatred, and anger all portend to offer the human person a way to feel better, but they all leave the person more alone and empty. The bets get bigger, the UPS truck arrives more frequently, the need to get to the next level keeps people awake all night, the pornography gets more grotesque, the hatred and anger become all-consuming. In a world where the chemical rush of dopamine is a click away, people are becoming increasingly isolated. Despite all of that, a recent study of Catholics discovered that what most people are looking for in a parish is authentic community and meaningful relationships. (There are other factors also like more traditional forms of worship, good sermons, and the Sacraments.) At the top of the list, however, was authentic community and meaningful relationships. Of course, in a Catholic context, authentic community and meaningful relationships will always arise from and lead to authentic community and meaningful relationship with God himself. And, of course, the Sacraments are all about drawing us into life-giving communion. While I was a college chaplain, I was impressed by the evangelical genius of the young people there. At Sunday Mass, for instance, they would notice someone sitting alone. They’d go and introduce themselves to that person. They’d say, “Hey, a group of us are going to the dining hall after Mass for breakfast if you’d like to come.” And, one by one, that’s how community and meaningful relationships get built. The men and women who today will be accepted and welcomed are here because they desire to belong. That belonging is a life-long and ever-deepening reality. For all of us too, we don’t belong simply because we filled out a registration card somewhere along the way. Belonging is something we cultivate and continuously deepen. As a parish, I hope that we are continuously drawing others into authentic community and meaningful relationships. That’s what people are looking for. That’s what we are all looking for. Let’s be serious and intentional about making it happen. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
A few weeks ago, our office received a phone call from a man who had been a parishioner here, but who had recently moved across the country. He was calling to let us know that he would be making a donation to the parish. The donation, a generous sum, was being given because he was grateful for how the Lord had worked in his life here at St. Patrick Parish. I was really touched by that. That young man’s donation–given after he had moved away–was a sign of his deep connection to this community. He not only received something from this parish, but he also wants to be part of the building up of this community. Many who work in the Church have noted the nomadic nature of many young adults in terms of their commitment to a particular community. Sometimes, newer generations wander from place to place, but never seem to belong to any one community. They go to this young adult group on Mondays, that one on Tuesdays, adoration to another parish on Thursdays etc. All of which is great, but they do not always have a sense that being part of a community involves contributing to the life of that particular place. There are electric bills, heating bills, employees, roofs, HVACS etc. And, there are always things that need to be done in the life of the parish. For example, if you want a young adult community, don’t just go and try to find one somewhere else, but rather build one where you are. I am grateful that in our parish there are many people–young and old–who are neither spectators nor consumers. They are participants and givers. Some offer their services in very quiet ways–like cleaning the sanctuary, tending to all of our altar linens, assisting in the handling of the weekly collection, setting up and cleaning up after each Mass etc. They are hidden from view, but they give time each week to building up our parish. Others are dedicated to a more public ministry, bringing communion to the ill, teaching and mentoring our young people, assisting in serving the poor, serving in various capacities in our Liturgical life, serving on various committees, leading small faith groups, and organizing various events. It is deeply edifying to me, for instance, to walk into our confirmation preparation program and to see such wonderful role models of the Faith who generously pour themselves out for the youth of the parish. When I see those people, I have hope for the future. They are continuing to do what so many parishioners of this parish have done over the years: Give of themselves. That kind of generosity is what strengthens us as a parish. On a more nuts and bolts level, I want to encourage everyone, if you haven’t already, to contribute to our Grand Annual! The Grand Annual supports our operating budget and supports the many aspects of our life together. I made my donation to the Grand Annual because I am grateful for our life together and because I want many others to enjoy a strong, healthy, and faith-filled parish. I encourage everyone who belongs to St. Patrick Parish to join us in advancing our mission. I do not know if the man who moved away and made that donation ever checks out the bulletin online, but if he does, I want him to know that his generosity and example are deeply appreciated. His good example serves as an inspiration to me and I hope to others. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
On November 1st the Church celebrates the Solemnity of All Saints and on the next day, the Feast of All Souls. In doing so, we are immediately reminded that the Church is “bigger” than St. Patrick Parish. Our parish is part of the Archdiocese of Boston and the Archdiocese of Boston is part of the Universal Church. The Church herself, however, is “bigger” than the world in which we inhabit. The Church also exists in Heaven where the saints–those holy men and women throughout the centuries–now live in beatitude. The Church also exists in Purgatory. In that place, those brothers and sisters of ours who left this world in the state of grace but needing further purification are preparing for Heaven. By praying for them and offering sacrifices for them, we help them on their way to Heaven. In return, they will pray for us and help us on our pilgrimage. We are one with all of them. These two feasts assist us in remembering that we are all in this together. We are given to one another to help each other on the path to the Beatific Vision. I sometimes like to imagine the saints looking down at us as though we were running a race and they are cheering us on and encouraging us. “Don’t give up! We did it and you can too! The race is worth running! The prize is too good to surrender!” Not only do they cheer us on, but they assist us with their prayers. We also do that for the souls in Purgatory. These souls are those who will indeed make it to Heaven, but when they died they were not yet ready to see God face to face. In God’s mercy, He provides to them a place of purification. Our prayers, Masses, and sacrifices assist them in this process. The most loving thing we can do for those who have died is to dedicate ourselves to assisting them. The souls in Heaven and in Purgatory have passed beyond our sight. Some of them we can imagine, recall from memory, or come to know through our study of their lives, but we cannot look upon them with our eyes. They are very much, however, part of our life as Catholics. They are part, in a sense, of the invisible Church. I recall many years ago, while doing training with the Navy, we had a Marine Corps Gunnery Sergeant as our instructor. One day, we went on a run that felt like it would never end. While the rest of us were just trying not to die, he would run ahead to the front of the pack and give instructions as to where they needed to turn etc. Then, he’d run all the way back and encourage everyone along the way. He’d give helpful hints, dance around you in circles and say all sorts of funny things, and would menacingly add, “Don’t you dare quit.” That was thirty years ago and I remember it like yesterday. He was good at his job. He was good at getting people to give their all and their best. That experience has always been for me an image of the Church and us together. We are all here helping one another finish the race. Some are quicker and some are struggling along, but we are meant to help one another and encourage one another. This past week, I was encouraged by many examples. Let me share a few: While bringing the Sacraments to the home of two of our very faithful parishioners, I noticed a plaque on their wall with a blessing from the Pope on the occasion of their Wedding. The Pope? Pius XII who died the year they were married, 1958! They just celebrated their 67th Anniversary. Am I encouraged by their example? Absolutely. Two Sundays ago, while I was distributing Holy Communion, I was struck by how many young people in their twenties and thirties were at the Noon Mass. Am I encouraged by them? Absolutely. Who else? People who work from home and use their lunch hour to come to the Noon Mass. The twenty guys of all ages who showed up at 7am for Men’s Group. For the mentors in our Youth Ministry. For the parents whose children serve at our Masses. For the people who are so committed to the formation of our young people in religious education. For the example of our teachers and administrators at St. Patrick School who have been doing amazing work to bring Christ to the children there. For the St. Vincent DePaul Society members and for the St. Patrick Parish Food Group who tirelessly labor on behalf of God’s poor. For those who are in our parish who are preparing to enter into the Catholic Church at Easter and for those who assist them in this process. For the parishioners who participate each week in various small prayer groups or who participate in one of our bible studies. For the people who come to Confession. I cannot tell you how beautiful it is as a priest to hear so many confessions each week. One more: This past Monday, as I was greeting students and parents at school drop-off, one little boy walked towards me with a huge smile on his face. I said, “Wow, you look happy!” His Mother said, “Tell him why.” The boy replied with great excitement, “We are going to Mass today!” Encouraging!! There are many other examples. My point is simply this: Your fidelity and witness are for me like that crazy Marine Gunnery Sergeant running all over the place. Your example of fidelity is inspiring and it encourages me. I thank you for that. (Lastly, on a side note, last week I joked about adding a 4:30am Mass and some folks thought I was serious. For the record, there is no 4:30am Mass coming our way)! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
Firstly, I am happy to welcome Fr. Matthew Harrington to St. Patrick Parish. Ordained a priest on May 25, 2024, Fr. Harrington grew up in Peabody and after high school entered Our Lady of Providence College Seminary in Rhode Island where he studied Philosophy and Political Science. He then entered St. John’s Seminary in Brighton for one year and then took a few years off from seminary. During that time, he taught at Catholic schools. He returned to the seminary, and after his ordination he spent the past year at St. Edward the Confessor Parish in Medfield and St. Jude Parish in Norfolk. Fr. Harrington reminded me that when he was in kindergarten at St. Mary Star of the Sea Parish in Beverly, I was assigned there as a priest. After that reminder, I am considering adding a 4:30 am weekday Mass to our schedule and assigning it permanently to him. Today we commemorate the Feast of All Souls. On this day and throughout the Month of November, the Church prays especially for the souls of the faithful departed. One of the beautiful things about St. Patrick Parish is the deeply-engrained seriousness with which its parishioners pray for the dead. When I arrived here, I was surprised to discover how quickly the calendar of Masses is filled up by people having Masses offered for their deceased loved ones. That is evidence of a strong Catholic faith in the power and effectiveness of the Mass. It is also evidence of a true love for the dead, a deep understanding of the communion of saints, and a sure and certain hope in the Paschal Mystery, the Passion, Death, and Resurrection of Christ. Every year around this time, I write about the importance of the Funeral Mass for the deceased. Sadly, many Catholics are depriving themselves and their loved ones of the privilege of a Funeral Mass. It is the ancient custom of the Church, at the time of death, to commend her children to the Mercy of God. The prayers, the rituals, and–most importantly–the offering of the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass are the most loving things we can do for a member of the Church who has died. In those rituals, the Church accompanies the deceased person to the threshold of eternity. At every Mass, the saving effects of Christ’s death and resurrection are made present. At the Funeral Mass, we ask God to apply those saving effects upon the soul whom we are commending to God. To deprive oneself or a loved one of this salutary grace would have been unthinkable to our ancestors in the Faith. On several occasions throughout my life, I have offered a Funeral Mass where the only people present with me were the funeral director, the organist, the cantor, and the server. Some people might think that such a funeral would be particularly sad because of the lack of mourners, but for me, I found it extraordinarily beautiful. This person whose friends and family were perhaps all gone was not forgotten by the Church. This person had the exact same Funeral Mass that every Catholic receives. In a way, because of the simplicity of those Masses, it was easier to pray more deeply. The only sounds were the cantor and I chanting back and forth. (Last year when I wrote about this, a parishioner wrote back to me and mentioned that they thought Funeral Masses were “extra income” for the priest. It was a respectful letter, but unfortunately I lost the letter and could not reply directly. For the record, when an offering is made for any Mass, the priest who offers that Mass receives a $10 stipend. If a priest were to celebrate three Masses in a day, he would receive a $10 stipend from the first Mass but not for the other two Masses. So, I just want to assure you that I am not encouraging you to have a Funeral Mass as a “get rich quick scheme!” The parish does have to pay various costs involved in a Funeral Mass, so we do ask that those be covered by the family. If, however, there was a financial hardship, of course, we would provide nonetheless.) So, put it in your Will! Tell everyone you know! Wear a sign around your neck: “I want a Funeral Mass!” Even if everyone you know is already long dead and buried. Or, even if your family and friends would prefer just to have a brunch “celebrating your life,” you have the Funeral Home bring you here. If I’m still around, I will offer the most beautiful Funeral Mass I can for you. No soul in Purgatory has ever said, “I wish they didn’t have a Funeral Mass for me.” You are a Catholic. Live like one, die like one, and be buried like one! Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
Recently I shared with a friend of mine that I had a series of projects that I needed to work on and that I set aside a good portion of the day to do them. No matter how many times I sat down at my desk, however, my brain just wouldn’t produce. Part of the problem is that as I sat down to work on one project, I suddenly found myself thinking about the other projects. And thinking about everything at once wasn’t helping to get any one particular thing accomplished. I’m sure all of our lives can be like that at times. I recall one of my nuns in grammar school, Sister Rosamond, used to say, “One thing at a time–and that’s done well–is a very good thing, as many can tell.” The image that comes to mind is that of a messy house. When looked at as a whole, it could be overwhelming and paralyzing, but if we look at just cleaning one small area, something gets accomplished and then, we have a sense that the whole thing can eventually be put back in order. One thing at a time–and that’s done well–is a very good thing, as many can tell. In parish life there are always more pastoral and spiritual opportunities we would like to provide. The most important thing, of course, is providing the Sacraments, but beyond that, we want everyone more involved. We want something for everyone and everyone doing something for others. Patience, however, is needed because well, one thing at a time and that’s done well . . . . Another aspect of parish life is all of the administrative and physical plant issues that need to be addressed. By way of update, I wanted to fill you in on some of the nitty-gritty: Since I arrived here, I have received many comments on the poor sound quality in the main church. It seems like sound systems are always an issue in parishes. In any event, a new sound system will be installed in the coming weeks. During the past couple of weeks the Systems Controls for the church and parish offices have been updated. The old system was no longer viable and we had little actual control over much of the building. In the coming weeks, you will see work being done on the steps of what was once the main entrance of the church. They are in rough shape and need some major work. In a way, it kills me to spend money on stairs that almost never get used, but letting them deteriorate further is not really an option. There are always projects that need addressing on our physical plant, and the needs sometimes can seem overwhelming. They cannot all be done at once, but thanks to our excellent staff, these issues are getting addressed methodically and well. After all, one thing at a time and that’s done . . . . Speaking of nitty-gritty, we are aware that the offertory envelopes arrived late for almost everybody. We have communicated to our envelope company our displeasure. Thanks for your patience. If there are ever issues in that regard, you can just use a regular envelope and put your name and address on it. I do not want to use this whole letter only talking about stairs, envelopes, and sound systems. So, let me make one quick spiritual connection: There are times in life when the Lord may put into our heart a desire to grow in the spiritual life or to put our spiritual life in order. Maybe we recognize we have a lot of faults, sins, weaknesses. Maybe the whole thing seems a bit overwhelming. If so, remember that the spiritual life is a life-long event. You don’t have to do it all at once. Just start somewhere. Do one thing. Beyond Confession and Mass, pick one thing. Begin building. Decide to join one of our small groups. Decide to pay a daily five-minute visit to the Blessed Sacrament each day. Decide to pray the Rosary or some part of it each day. Spend ten minutes a day reading the Gospels. Whatever. You don’t have to do all of them. Just pick one and do it well. It’s a very good thing as Sister Rosamond and many can tell. Your Brother in Christ, Fr. David Barnes
