3rd TUESDAY OF ADVENT - Gospel (Matthew 21:28-32) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

“Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” (Mt 21:31)

FIRST READING - Zeph 3:1-2, 9-13

"You will not be ashamed of all your deeds, when you rebelled against me."

A reading from the Book of Zephaniah

¹ Thus says the LORD:

Ah! Rebellious and polluted,

    the tyrannical city!^[a]

² It listens to no voice,

    accepts no correction;

In the Lord it has not trusted,

    nor drawn near to its God.

⁹ For then I will make pure    

the speech of the peoples,

That they all may call upon the name of the Lord,    

to serve him with one accord;

¹⁰ From beyond the rivers of Ethiopia    

and as far as the recesses of the North,    

they shall bring me offerings.

¹¹On that day

You will not be ashamed    

of all your deeds,    

when you rebelled against me;

For then I will remove from your midst    

the proud braggarts,

And you shall no longer exalt yourself    

on my holy mountain.

¹² 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—

¹³ 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 lie down    

with none to disturb them.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 21:28-32

"When John came to you in the way of righteousness, tax collectors and prostitutes did believe him."

✠From the Gospel according to Matthew

²⁸ “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.’ ²⁹ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went. ³⁰ The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. ^31 [a]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. ^32 [b]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.

3rd TUESDAY OF ADVENT - Gospel (Matthew 21:28-32)

THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE

Dear People of God,

In today’s Word of God, God calls His children to obey His holy will, from words to actions, not merely to speak in theory without putting it into practice.

If we do that, it will not please God, and He will not choose us to enter His Kingdom of Heaven.

God teaches His children that when someone says they live righteously, both their soul and body must practice according to God's righteousness.

Righteousness comes from God: when professing faith, it must be practiced in life by abandoning one's sinful ways and living a life of meekness and humility, loving and forgiving, obeying God's will in all places and at all times, trusting absolutely in His power, and entrusting everything to God, the master of our souls and bodies.

If we cannot practice these things, but only profess them with our lips, that person is hypocritical.

Living like that, our souls are gradually stolen by Satan from the loving embrace of God.

Today's Gospel presents the parable of a father who loves his two sons equally, and he gives each a different mission, but ultimately they are the same task of working in his vineyard.

The image of the father assigning work to his two sons is also an image of God entrusting and calling His children today to go forth and work for God, sacrificing and dedicating ourselves to serve in God's plan of salvation: to help the souls of our brothers and sisters escape the captivity of Satan.

He calls upon His children, saying that having received God's command, we have to obey His holy will in all places and at all times, from the greatest to the least, we must go forth to fulfill the mission that God has entrusted to us.

If we only say "yes" with our lips, without the courage to live and practice God's teachings, we are like the younger son in the Gospel.

Initially, the younger son accepted his father's invitation to work in the vineyard, but later rejected his father's call.

The older son, when called by God to go forth, initially refused; but later repented and went. This is how God teaches His children: those who practice God's word will inherit happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

Otherwise, we will fall into Satan's trap, into hell, where the fire never goes out.

This is also a warning to those who consider themselves righteous, moral, and holy, but do not practice God's loving ways, for they too will fall into Satan's temptation.

But those who acknowledge themselves as sinners before God and their brothers and sisters, and who repent, abandon their sinful ways, and return to God, will attain happiness in the Kingdom of Heaven.

That is why Jesus Christ said that tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the Kingdom of Heaven before the scribes and Pharisees.

God's word always brings life to humanity. Therefore, all children living in God’s light to be mindful of this: when you profess obedience to God with your mouths, practice what God teaches; do not deny His word anymore; do not consider yourselves righteous, holy, and pleasing to God while failing to practice charity, love, and forgiveness towards your fellow human beings.

Thanks be to God. Amen.

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