Sunday
Homily
"Brothers and Sisters in Christ"
(00-THIRD SUNDAY OF ADVENT)December 17, 2000
Readings: Zephania 3:14-18; Philipp. 4:4-7
Gospel: Luke 3:10-18
Someone once observed that some Catholics today act like the donkey who stood midway between two stacks of hay. The donkey starved to death because he spent his time just standing there midway analyzing and evaluating which stack of hay he was going to eat first. He preferred to die rather than make up his mind and make a decision, make a choice.
Make up your mind and be people of conviction is the theme of today's Gospel lesson on this third Sunday of Advent. John the Baptist is calling us today to make a difference in our lives by challenging us to a desire to change. One cannot be neutral and be a practicing Catholic at the same time. One cannot pick and choose what is convenient and expect the Church to adjust her teachings to one's lifestyle. Either one chooses Jesus and his Gospel values or simply remains a Catholic without conviction. There can be no midway between these two choices like the donkey who failed to make up his mind and starved to death.
John the Baptist is asking us today to be open to Christ's coming at Christmas by opening a spiritual road to our hearts and make a real change in our attitudes. What kind of attitudes he is talking about? "Do not practice extortion and stop cheating; Do not falsely accuse anyone; clothe the poor and feed the hungry." One cannot be neutral to these attitudes and be a good Catholic at the same time. Either one chooses these attitudes and puts them into practice or will simply remain to be pretending a Catholic and Christmas will only be a passing feeling of joy that did not really make any difference like the donkey who was overjoyed looking at the stacks of hay but failed to make up his mind and starved to death.
The message today is simple: Make up your minds, says John the Baptist. What kind of faith do you want? A faith that satisfies your convenience or a faith that satisfies your relationship with God? A faith that is good only for convenience is not faith at all. Make a decision with conviction, says John the Baptist. What kind of a Catholic are you? Just a spectator without any commitment like the donkey who stood midway between two stacks of hay and failed to make a decision and so he starved to death. A Catholic who does not take a stand in the practice of values taught by Jesus is not a Catholic by conviction but a Catholic by name only.
My friends, your faith-commitment, that is, your witness to Jesus in words and deeds is the flag you fly when Christ the Savior is in residence within your heart and those who come in contact with you will see your flag and recognize you as a true follower of Jesus and come to believe that Jesus is truly the Son of God. Amen.