CHANGING MY MIND
The title of my homily for this 3rd Tuesday in
Advent is, “Changing My Mind.”
It’s a great gift be able to change our mind.
It might get others angry. Or it might make others happy - especially
when we benefit from another’s change of mind or heart. It intrigues us. It
gets us to wonder.
TODAY’S GOSPEL
In today’s gospel - Matthew
21: 28-32 - we have two sons. One says to his father, when asked to go out and
work in his vineyard, “I will not!” But Jesus says that this son changes his
mind and goes out and starts working.
The other says to his dad, “Yes, sir!” but he doesn’t go
out and work in the vineyard.
I’ve wondered at times - what got Jesus to say this. What
did he notice? What’s the backstory?
Did it come out of watching the public yes men - the
chief priests and the elders - that they
didn’t seem to be down deep in their hearts doing what God wants? Then those
who say, “No” to God - the tax collectors and prostitutes - the so called “bad
people” - the people labeled “sinners” changed their minds and then go and do
God’s will.
That’s seems to have been Jesus experience.
Take Matthew - a tax collector - who rips people off -
let’s go of his gains - throws a party for Jesus and then follows Jesus.
So that’s one possible experience of Jesus Christ.
YOU GOTTA LAUGH
- YOU GOTTA BE FLEXIBLE
When it comes to this experience of people changing their
minds, there are all kinds of humor in many life situations.
I’m not married - but I’ve seen scenes of TV - as well as
the movies - where a wife asks a husband, “Does this dress look good?” He says,
“Beautiful.” Then she comes out with another outfit on. “How does this one
look?” Once more he says, “Beautiful!”
Once more she comes out with something else. “Beautiful.” Then we see them going out for a Christmas
party and she has some other outfit on.
People change. People change their outfits and change
their minds.
This gets us to laugh, wonder, scratch our heads, as well
as talk to each other or about each other.
This can give us pause for patience.
I’ve remember hearing 2 priests arguing about something.
The next morning I hear one of them in the same argument
with someone else, but this time they are on the side of the person they were
arguing with the night before.
You have to laugh.
And isn’t prayer often asking God to change his mind?
In the meanwhile we get frustrated - especially when
someone can’t see what we see - and won’t change their minds.
CONCLUSION
The title of my homily is, “Changing My Mind.”
You gotta laugh.
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