December 14/Third Tuesday of Advent
What do you think? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, “Son, go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not,” but afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man went to the second and said the same. He said in reply, “Yes, sir,” but did not go. Which of the two did his father’s will? ~ Matt 21.28-31
Having had at least one teenaged son in the house for the better part of the past 15 years (at peak there were three), I have developed a keen appreciation for the comic strip Zits, which chronicles the lives of the teenager Jeremy and his long-suffering parents. In one of my favorite episodes, the father is kneeling over his wife, who has fainted. As he tries to revive her, he calls, “Jeremy, your mother’s out cold! What happened?” And Jeremy replies, “I put my dishes in the sink.” In other words, he finally did his mother’s will! As today’s Gospel suggests, mere verbal assent to God’s call is not enough. The second son, who paid lip service to his father’s request that he go work in the vineyard, may have had every good intention — or he may have simply wanted to get his father off his back by telling him what he wanted to hear. For us, well-meaning but sometimes unreliable children of God that we are, we may make promises to God about what we intend to do — pray regularly, call that lonely aunt, attend daily Mass, clean up the cluttered kitchen counters, support a charity. But good intentions do not deepen our relationship with God, comfort aunts, or keep charities afloat. We have to act. Any of us can produce excuses as to why we “can’t” make good on a commitment. In the end, as we’ve all known since we were children, what we do is more important than what we say. If we hear Christ’s call, and act according to his will – even if we have to overcome our initial reluctance, like the first son – we will truly be doing our part to prepare his way.
O God whose promises are firm and everlasting, Let my words and actions align with your will, today and forevermore. Amen.
For today’s readings, click here: https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/121421.cfm
To hear the Dallas Adult Christian Choir sing “To the Work! To the Work!” click here: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-W_mm1woGmk
