REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 15TH DECEMBER 2023

REFLECTION/HOMILY FOR FRIDAY OF THE 2ND WEEK OF ADVENT 15TH DECEMBER 2023

Isaiah 48:17-19; Ps.1; Matthew 11:16:-9

*Rather focus on repentance*

The gospel reading of today reveals one escapist route usually employed by those who do not want to positively respond to God’s invitation to repentance: fault finding. God’s invitation to embrace his life is always extended to us through his instruments/ministers. God has and will always raise up men to speak his mind to the people.

These men are not chosen on account of their perfection but on account of God’s choice. However important the way of life of the minister is, it does not constitute a justification for rejecting the gospel message when it does not tally according to our expectation or the message. We should undergo repentance not because the minister is perfect but because God is perfect and the validity of the message is not dependent on the holiness of the preacher. God’s word is meant to pierce not pacify us. When we go about always complaining about the actions and inactions of God’s ministers, we end up giving ourselves excuses for not repenting.

Fault finding attitude makes us complain and forget all the good the minister has ever done only to focus on that which we think was not well done. In the case of John Baptist, he went about preaching the gospel courageously; yet, all that the people could do was to complain that he was always fasting. For this reason, they will reject the message he preach. When Jesus came, they complained that he was eating and drinking and for that reason, he does not suit the image of the expected messiah they have conceived. Thus, they doubted his source and so could not accept his teaching.

Beloved, we all must struggle to avoid this pitfall. Unrepentance has no justification. On the other hand, we should not expect 100 percent acceptance from the people God inspires us to minister to in one way or the other. Rejection is not a sign of failure. People reject the gospel not because you have not presented it well but because they have understood it so well that they have realized that they are not yet ready to bear the consequences of living it out.

With this understanding, we do not get discouraged by rejection, rather we become more compassionate to the hardened of heart. When you are paid back evil for good, be more compassionate. It is compassion that will preserve the good in you from being corrupted by the evil around you. When we yield to the call of advent, we become compassionate; but when we reject the call, we end up complaining and finding faults. Fault finders are never good achievers.