Word to the Wise
Tuesday, December 14, 2010 - St. John of the Cross, priest and doctor of the church
[Zephaniah 3:1-2, 9-13 and Matthew 21:28-32]Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the Kingdom of God before you. When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.
Advent is truly the season of John the Baptist. He is the "herald" who announced the coming of the Savior. Jesus upbraids the chief priests and elders of the people for their disbelief. The people they despised flocked to John the Baptist and then they flocked to Jesus. This may have been one of the principal reasons that these leaders refused to have anything to do with John or Jesus. It might help to remember that in the infancy narratives that I have mentioned so often in the past few days the announcement of the birth of Jesus was first made to shepherds, who were considered "lowlife" by society, and to outsiders, the Magi from the East.
For whom is Christ born? Did he come only to save the wealthy and educated? Are only the pious and churchy folks to be members of the "kingdom?" If we think that way, we will fail to do the very thing that our baptism obliges us! All prejudice is contrary to the kingdom and we are all called to do what we can to break down those walls of mental and physical separation. The task is extremely difficult and many just give up in the face of the stubborn quality of racial, economic, religious and other animosities. John the Baptist and Jesus paid with their lives. Can't we just give a little of ours? AMEN
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