Daily Liturgy
Tuesday December 14
THIRD WEEK OF ADVENT
The Poor and Sinners – Open to the Word
Introduction
God had spoken continually to his people in words and deeds, yet they did not listen. But among them a remnant of poor people will return to God. With them, all the pagan, sinful nations will come to serve God. Sinners who recognize their poverty, are perhaps more open to God than those who boast of being righteous. Through them, their faithfulness and zeal, all of the people, even outsiders, are inspired and become better.
Opening Prayer
Lord our God,
you are close to the poor and the repentant.
Do not allow us to be proud,
that we may not trust in ourselves
but teach us to be humble and lowly,
that we may recognize our limitations
and be open to you and to your coming
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Reading 1: Zep 3:1-2, 9-13
Thus says the LORD:
Woe to the city, rebellious and polluted,
to the tyrannical city!
She hears no voice,
accepts no correction;
In the LORD she has not trusted,
to her God she has not drawn near.
For then I will change and purify
the lips of the peoples,
That they all may call upon the name of the LORD,
to serve him with one accord;
From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia
and as far as the recesses of the North,
they shall bring me offerings.
On that day
You need not be ashamed
of all your deeds,
your rebellious actions against me;
For then will I remove from your midst
the proud braggarts,
And you shall no longer exalt yourself
on my holy mountain.
But I will leave as a remnant in your midst
a people humble and lowly,
Who shall take refuge in the name of the LORD:
the remnant of Israel.
They shall do no wrong
and speak no lies;
Nor shall there be found in their mouths
a deceitful tongue;
They shall pasture and couch their flocks
with none to disturb them.
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 34:2-3, 6-7, 17-18, 19 and 23
(7a) The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
I will bless the LORD at all times;
his praise shall be ever in my mouth.
Let my soul glory in the LORD;
the lowly will hear me and be glad.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Look to him that you may be radiant with joy,
and your faces may not blush with shame.
When the poor one called out, the LORD heard,
and from all his distress he saved him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The LORD confronts the evildoers,
to destroy remembrance of them from the earth.
When the just cry out, the LORD hears them,
and from all their distress he rescues them.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
The LORD is close to the brokenhearted;
and those who are crushed in spirit he saves.
The LORD redeems the lives of his servants;
no one incurs guilt who takes refuge in him.
R. The Lord hears the cry of the poor.
Alleluia
Alleluia, alleluia.
Come, O Lord, do not delay;
forgive the sins of your people.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel: Mt 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
The son said in reply, ‘I will not,’
but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “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.”
Intercessions
– For the Church, that it may recognize more that it is in constant need of reform so that its members can become more like Jesus, we pray:
– For the poor among us, that we may share more with them what we have and treat them better as human persons, we pray: Lord, come and save us.
– That, aware of the poverty of our hearts, we may become less pretentious and more open to Christ, we pray: Lord, come and save us.
Prayer over the Gifts
Father of our Lord Jesus Christ,
we pray you today to share with us
the bread of your Son,
the bread of the poor.
Let him come among us, stay with us
and accept in these humble signs
our sincere will to do with him your will.
And when we fail to live up to our promise,
come again and forgive us,
for you are our strength
through Jesus Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Loving Father, we ask you again
before we return to our daily task:
Make us aware that we need your Son Jesus.
Keep us open to his coming,
that we may recognize him when he visits us
in the events of life,
in our neighbour who cries out for help
or who waits for a word of encouragement,
for he is our hope
now and for ever.
Blessing
Jesus will live among us if we are a people humble and lowly, who seek with Jesus the will of the Father. Perhaps then some who think they don’t belong will join us. May almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
Commentary
There are two lessons in today’s readings. The first is “Pride comes before the fall.” The second is “It is never too late.” Despite their obstinacy, God’s people were never rejected. As Zephaniah states, even though the obstinate multitudes would be displaced by peoples of other nations, a remnant would always remain. These are the good and faithful people, few in number but humble of heart. In other words, the plan of God, while suffering many setbacks, is not to be thwarted; the remnant is the carrier of the promise.
In the story of the two sons, the allusions are clear enough. The self-sufficient and self-righteous people, the ones claiming fidelity to the promise, prove to be inflexible in their outlook. Supposedly ready and willing, they remain opposed to Christ and refuse his invitation. They agree to go into the vineyard but never actually go. But the unwashed tax collectors and sinners, whose initial response is clearly inadequate, subsequently see the error of their ways and respond to Christ. Their original “no” becomes a “yes.”
Despair is a word that should have no place in our vocabulary. God’s forgiveness is as close as a change of heart. It is never too late. Many Christians of exemplary life have at some time in their life touched bottom. They know what it is to be touched by God’s goodness. Self-righteousness, on the other hand, is a great danger. This is to make God over into our image. It is rooted in pride, the greatest obstacle to the acceptance of God’s will.
Points to Ponder
God’s forgiveness
Pride as the great obstacle
Humility, the direct line to God
Turning one’s life around