Today, 13th of January, we celebrate
Saint Hilary
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.
R./ 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.
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people, "What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him: 'Son, today go and work in my vineyard.' And the son answered: 'I don't want to.' But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son replied: 'I will go, sir,' but he did not go.
"Which of the two did what the father wanted?" They answered, "The first." And Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to show you the way of goodness but you did not believe him, yet the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him."
Today’s Gospel continues in the 21st chapter of Matthew. The argument with the “leaders” of the people—those “perfect observers of the Law” (but only paying lip service)—triggered the decision that had been brewing for a while and eventually led to the Cross.
It might seem odd that these readings appear at the beginning of Advent, just when the streets are lighting up and the Advent wreaths are glowing in our churches to announce the Birth. But the truth is, the Child of Bethlehem, meek and humble of heart, was born precisely for this: to offer His life for the salvation of those who, with humble joy, accept that they are creatures who depend on Him, in need of forgiveness and salvation.
The son in the parable who rejects his father’s request but then changes his mind and gets to work represents the tax collectors and prostitutes: the “worst of the worst.” Yet, they were the ones who followed John and believed in the announcement of Christ’s arrival. The one who agrees and puts on a good face, but does nothing, is a hypocrite. The elders and wise men, whom Jesus confronts regarding their hardness of heart, belong to this class. They do not welcome Jesus and do not recognize Him as the Messiah, just as they rejected the Baptist’s announcement. Neither the Precursor nor the Savior fit into their lifestyle. They represented a risk: the risk of losing their social status, their power, their privileges, and their comfort.
It surprises me that Jesus does not threaten them with eternal condemnation; He only says they will not be the first in the Kingdom. And deep down, I think I am glad. Because on many occasions, I act like the son who says one thing and does another, yet the Lord’s patience with me never runs out.
What should we do? We must do something those “wise men” failed to do: believe in Jesus Christ. We must say, like the father of the epileptic boy: “Lord, I believe; help my unbelief!” Make me think as You want me to think, speak as You want me to speak, and act as You want me to act.
Virginia Fernández
