ONE CHANGE

INTRODUCTION

The title for my homily for this Third Sunday in Advent [C]  is, “One  Change!” 

For a homily this morning I would like to ask some questions. Relax: you don’t have to answer them out loud. I’d suggest you answer them in-loud, to yourself during this week.

I know it’s a busy week - with at least 3 Christmas parties per person.

FIRST QUESTION

If you could talk to God and ask God to make one change in the way the world works, what change would you ask for? Just one change! 

Remember the world has been working the way it works for a long time now. Make sure you think of the ramifications of your choice.

I suggest you take your time to think about your choice this coming week.

I have often thought about this and the only thing that I could come up with is this:  God, get rid of mosquitoes. I never could come up with the reason for mosquitoes. I’m sure someone could write a short story about someone making that wish. God grants it - and then chaos results.

Complications, implications, and consequences are often not thought out.

Just say you want an end to death.

I can accept death, most of the time. If people never died, I think we would be less the person we are. So too traffic.  You think traffic is getting worse. Imagine if the roads were filled with 800 year old drivers. I think death has a powerful influence on much of what we do and how we are. So too suffering.

SECOND QUESTION

My second question is just the reverse. If God could come up to us and ask us to make one change in our life, what would it be?

Woo. That’s a tough one. Relax. We have a whole week to think about it. In fact, I think we think about that one over and over and on and off during our life.

If God could come up to us and asked us to make one change in our life, what would it be?

I think God often asks us to make significant changes in our life. God suggests these changes through our conscience - through experiences - through  movies - through Dear Abby - through novels. I think this is one way the readings at Mass work, etc.

Is there one thing that God is asking us to change in our life? Name it.

THIRD QUESTION: OTHERS

My third question is somewhat like that and I think it’s one of the ways God works on us.

The question goes like this. If you took a chair, a wooden chair, and you sat it in the middle of your living room, in your house, and if you are living with others, or place of work or your groups, and you asked them, “Is there anything you would like me to change in my life, so that life would be sweeter for you, what would that change be?”

I suspect the first response would be silence. Then your spouse, if you’re married, or your kids, or your parents, or co-workers - or close friends  might say, “Yes! There is something.” Or they might say, “Give me or us a few days and we’ll get back to you.” Or, “Could you leave the room for an hour and let us talk together and see what we come up with?”

What would they come up with?

TODAY’S GOSPEL

Now this idea of asking these questions this morning is not my idea. It’s from today’s gospel.

Crowds came out to see John the Baptist and people asked him the question, “What ought we to do?”

And he answered, “Let the person with two coats give to him who has none.” “Let the person who has food do the same.”

Tax collectors also came to him to be baptized and they asked him, “Teacher, what are we to do?” He answered them, “Exact nothing over and above your fixed amount.”

Soldiers likewise asked him, “What about us?” He told them, “Don’t bully anyone. Denounce no one falsely. Be content with your pay.”

INNER CONVERSATIONS ABOUT CHANGE

So my question is not too far-fetched.

In fact, if we listen to ourselves, don’t we have something about those we live and work with, that we would like to see them change? What is it?

Can’t we make the jump in our logic and say to ourselves: “Now if I have things in my mind about others that I think they ought to change, surely there are things about me that others want me to change.

What would those things be?

If I could pick one, what would it be?

JOY

Today’s first and second reading talk about joy and rejoicing.

Wouldn’t we all rejoice more if we all improved -- if we all changed -- if we all made just one significant change in our life?

SUGGESTIONS

What would some of those changes be?

I made a little list. I’m sure someone has a list of changes they would like to see me make. Just ask the priests over the rectory. Just hand the others in my life a ball-point pen and a piece of paper - with my name on top.

Possible changes that would make this world a better place to live in:

• More patience,
• Less noise,
• Less control
• More being on time
• Less being fixated on time
• Treating each person with dignity and fairness,
• Treating each kid equally and fairly, no favorites,
• More listening,
• Less drinking,
• Less eating,
• Not being nuts about calories and figure and looks,
• More being at home,
• Getting out of the house more,
• More time for eating together,
• Less time at the TV or computer,
• Giving the others the clicker or remote,
• Shorter meetings,
• More visits to parents who are all by themselves,
• Less nagging family others, being a pest, being like a mosquito,
• Less gossip,
• More work at work;
• Give up smoking,
• Give up cursing,
• Give up road rage,
• Calmer driving and enjoying the scenery,
• Not keeping score - like having a mosquito memory instead of an elephant memory,
• Not expecting everyone to be like me,
• Not expecting everything to be perfect,
• Allowing some sloppiness in life if I am a perfectionist,
• Being more neat and tidy if I am a slob,
• Not jumping on each other for the slightest mistake,
• Asking not telling,
• Asking others their motive or hope instead of jumping to conclusions,
• Putting family and faith first,
• Making the main organization I belong be my family,
• If I am married, working on not letting my marriage stagnate,
• Forgiving,
• Not playing the victim game forever,
• Communicating instead of manipulating,
• Discovering and using my talents,
• Asking for light and praying for help to overcome my weaknesses.

CONCLUSION

Homework for this week: just pick one - put it on paper and keep that in our wallet.

Wouldn’t that be a great gift to give those I live and work with for Christmas? A better and more joyful me.  To do this is  free, but actually, it’s very expensive.