Tuesday December 13, 2022

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“Repentance is never comfortable, but joy comes from discovering and embracing new insights that lead to change.”

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Good News Reflection for:

Tuesday of the 3rd Week of Advent
Memorial of Saint Lucy, Virgin and Martyr
December 13, 2022

Today’s Prayer:

My Lord, may my heart receive Your Word and bear the fruit You are expecting, for Your Glory, the sake of the Church and my own salvation. Amen.

Subscribe to Today’s Saint Quote & Prayer:
gnm.org/SaintQuotes/

Today’s Readings:

Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13
Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19, 23
Matthew 21:28-32
bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121323.cfm
USCCB Podcast of the Readings:
bible.usccb.org/podcasts/audio/2022-12-13-usccb-daily-mass-readings

The joy of being teachable

When we’re not teachable, we cannot experience the joy that comes from doing the Father’s will even when we don’t feel like doing it. This is the point that Jesus makes in today’s Gospel story. Note that in his parable, he does not condemn the son who said no, because ultimately he did what the father had asked him to do.

What he does condemn is the lack of teachability of those (in this case, the priests and religious elders) who are certain that they are doing everything right.

To make his point clear, Jesus refers to the righteousness that had been taught by John the Baptizer; for example: “Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none” (see Luke 3:11). Jesus taught the same thing: “Give to the one who asks of you, and do not turn your back on one who wants to borrow” (Matthew 5:42).

But this is a very unpleasant message. How many of us really want to learn it?

If we’ve worked long hours to earn money and we’re not yet able to afford everything we think we should have, how do we feel when the parish priest uses his homily to ask for increased donations? We get mad at him! Our first reaction is to answer like the first son in today’s parable: “I will not.”

And yet, if we love and trust God, and if we truly care about the needs of others, and if our highest priority is holiness, then our “no” becomes “yes.”

Humility makes the difference between those who say no but change their minds for the sake of righteousness and those who say yes to please God but fail to keep their commitment. A humble person is willing to change his or her mind, because a humble person is a teachable person.

A religious but unteachable person hears Jesus but sets up obstacles that block the truth from changing him or her.

In dealing with trouble-making people, forgive them and pray for them, but also find out if they are teachable. Compassionately and gently explain to them why their behavior is harmful. If they’re teachable, they will learn from their sins and change their ways, and you will be helping them grow in holiness.

However, if they refuse to learn, remember what Jesus prescribed (see Matthew 18:15-17): Try again with the help of others from the Church. And if that doesn’t work, treat them as outsiders, for by being unteachable, they have already chosen to live outside the kingdom of God. Jesus told us to walk away (Matthew 10:14), because we should not give our pearls of truth to pigs who will trample on them (Matthew 7:6).

Repentance is never comfortable, but joy comes from discovering and embracing new insights that lead to change.

To help you reflect on this topic, meditate with our video, “Here I am Lord, your beloved child” @ https://gnm-media.org/lord-beloved-child/.

2022 by Terry A. Modica

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