Tuesday, December 13,
2016
Tuesday of the Third Week of
Advent; Memorial of Saint Lucy
The Gospel today (Matthew
21:28-32) emphasizes the act of repentance. The Greek verb “to repent”
is used twice in the passage.
A father asks his sons to go and
work in the vineyard. One says “yes” but doesn’t go. The other, however, said “no”
but then repented and went out to work as he was asked. The English
translation we use simply says that he “changed his mind,” but the meaning of
the original text is much stronger: he repented. He received a command from his
father and initially resisted it and refused it, and we are not given to know
the reason for his refusal. But then he repented: that is, reconsidered what he
was asked and was, in effect, converted by his father’s request, and made an
abrupt change of mind and heart.
During this season of Advent, in
our preparations for the coming of the Lord’s birth, we too may find ourselves
asked to make certain changes in our way of acting or thinking. The request
might be subtle or it might be blunt; it might be in the form of a suggestion,
or it might be a clear and unequivocal command from the Lord. And, like the
son, we might find ourselves resisting the call which comes to us.
What I would like to suggest is
that if you find yourself in such a circumstance that you examine your
resistance. What is it about? What are you clinging to? What are you afraid
to let go of? What change, big or small, are you having trouble envisioning. I
remember quitting smoking several decades ago and getting discouraged by the
thought, “Oh my goodness, how can I imagine living without smoking?” But the
truth is that once we make the commitment to repent, then God meets us
more than half-way, and often presents to us blessings that we couldn’t grasp
or imagine before we had made the commitment.
I mentioned that the Greek verb “to
repent” is used twice in the passage. The second time it refers to prostitutes
and tax collectors, whose act of repentance involved a total change of life.
But they believed the words of Jesus Christ so strongly that they found the
courage to make the commitment to repent. Usually the changes that challenge us
are not so drastic, and don’t necessarily involve a total change of life style.
Or do they?
God bless you!
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