My brothers and sisters, as we inch closer to Christmas, the readings today offer us a spiritual "reality check." We are presented...
My brothers and sisters, as we inch closer to Christmas, the readings today offer us a spiritual "reality check." We are presented with a clash between what we say and what we do. To help us reflect on this, I want to offer you three words starting with the letter P: Pretense, Penitence, and Practice.
First, we must beware of Pretense. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us of the son who says to his father, "Yes, sir, I will go work in the vineyard," but never goes. He knows the polite language. He knows what the father wants to hear. But it is all empty. In the first reading, Zephaniah warns the city of Jerusalem about this same attitude—appearing to be God’s people while refusing to listen to His voice or accept correction. We often fall into this trap during Advent. We say "Yes" to the idea of holiness, "Yes" to being more patient, "Yes" to prayer, but our feet never move toward the vineyard. We must ask ourselves: Is my faith just a polite vocabulary, or is it real?
This brings us to the second word: Penitence. Look at the other son. He initially says, "I will not." He is rebellious. But then, something happens. The Gospel says, "he changed his mind." This is the definition of penitence. It is that interior shift where we realize we have been wrong, and we turn around. God is not scandalized by our initial "no"—He knows we are human and struggle with sin. What He looks for is the humility to admit it. Zephaniah calls this the "remnant"—a people who are "humble and lowly" and take refuge in the Lord.
Finally, true faith results in Practice. The first son is justified not because he felt bad, but because he went and worked. The proof of the pudding is in the eating; the proof of the faith is in the practice. The tax collectors and prostitutes enter the Kingdom of God not because they are sinners, but because they moved from sin to action.
Today, let us drop the pretense of looking perfect. Let us embrace penitence by admitting where we are struggling. And let us put our faith into practice by doing one concrete act of love for the Father today.
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