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Tuesday of the ThirdWeek of Advent
Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13
Psalm 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 & 23
MT 21:28-32
Summary
In the first reading, we hear God chastising Jerusalem for her wicked and rebellious
ways; however, God will punish and destroy the nations and restore Jerusalem, leav-
ing a humble and lowly people who will praise God.
Reflection
In the Gospel, Jesus tells the story of two sons to the priests and elders. The father
instructed to first son to go out to work the vineyard; the son replied that he would
not go, but later changed his mind and went to work. The father also instructed the
second son to go out to work in the vineyard; the son replied that yes, he would go.
He then did not go. Jesus then asked his listeners which son did as his father had
willed and they answered “the first.” Jesus then told them that prostitutes and tax
collectors would enter the Kingdom of God before they, the priests and elders, ever
would.
What is the most difficult thing about change? Taking action – making a decision –
making a decision to take action. In the first reading, the city was wicked and needed
to change in order to be embraced by God. In the parable above, the first son was
moved to change. He decided that he would do as his father asked and he took ac-
tion. The second son did not take action – he remained at rest, in his inert state, and
ignored his father’s wishes.
Change IS difficult and routine is comfortable – whether that means our daily com-
mute, our morning cup of coffee, the kids’ evening bedtime process, that weekly
choir commitment, the monthly volunteer pledge at the food bank, daily prayers,
date night with your spouse or dinner with an elderly parent. While some of these
may not always be pleasant (the coffee got spilled, the kids refused their baths, you
had a tiff with the spouse), they are routine and comfortable. We fall into that rou-
tine (good or bad) and we become inured to change.
We need to make changes in our lives from time to
time – especially in view of our spiritual self and
our relationship with God. We need to shake
things up – to be uncomfortable. To do the Fa-
ther’s will, we must make a
conscious decision
to
take action, to discover God in new places and in
new ways. Perhaps that move to change is to get