December 13, 2015 - Third Sunday of Advent:
Today’s Scripture Readings and reflections:
usccb.org/bible/reflections/
ymlp232.net/archive_gbmbuqgjgu.php
A reflection on today’s Scripture Readings from the
Euchalette, 12/13/2015, p.4:
WITH HEARTS WIDE OPEN TO GOD AND NEIGHBOR
"The times of John the Baptist were bad, characterized, as they were, by selfishness, greed, pride, aggressiveness, oppression of the weak . . . . This can be gathered from the answers he gave to those who had been struck by his preaching and asked, “What ought we to do?” John’s strongly worded call to conversion was amply justified. All needed to undergo a “metanoia,” a change of mind and attitude, in order to enter the Reign of God.
The situation does not seem to have changed much since the time of John the Baptist. We live in a society plagued with the same moral defects and vices. People are still greedy, selfish, aggressive, . . . And, of course, the temptation is always to see these moral failures in others.
In many cases, it may be true that there is so much evil around us. But it is equally true that we, too, are not perfect. There is evil in us, too. We fail morally almost every day and in various ways. We, too, need to undergo a “metanoia,” a radical conversion. “Radical” here means that it should not stop at the individual actions, but has to affect our attitudes and set of values, i.e., the very root of our actions. There shouldn’t be the least doubt: society will start changing for the better the very moment we begin to improve.
Advent is an invaluable opportunity for us to start or resume moving in the right direction. “What are we to do?” we should ask, like those who approached John. The answers may be as many as there are personal moral situations; but a “common denominator” easily applies to all. Our fundamental attitude has got to be one of openness, availability, and goodwill. In practice, this means readiness to share our goods generously with the less fortunate (see Lk 3:11); to be fair to everybody and be absolutely honest with all. (See Lk 3:13-14.) All this is “openness to people.” It is love of neighbor in its most elementary form, and no one can claim to be exempted or to have done enough."
