Mass for the school children.
Don’t you hate it when you’re having an argument with someone and they turn out to be right, and you turn out to be wrong? I know I do. But that kind of thinking doesn’t get us anywhere good. That kind of thinking puts up an obstacle to learning what we need to learn because we put up a mental roadblock for the truth to get in. That kind of thinking is also a roadblock in our life with Jesus because we put up a roadblock for him to teach us.
That’s kind of what was going on in today’s Gospel. Jesus had had enough of that generation’s attitude and was complaining about them. He said they complained about John the Baptist because he came across as too strict, but then they complained about Jesus because he looked like he partied with sinners. So neither one of them could please that generation, but the fact was, they were both testifying to the truth, and that generation had put up a mental and spiritual roadblock to the truth.
The problem with the whole story is that when Jesus says “this generation,” it wasn’t just the generation that lived 2,000 years ago. It is this generation: the generation that is hearing it. And that includes us, brothers and sisters. He is saying that we have to stop putting up mental roadblocks to the truth, because otherwise we are just putting up roadblocks to getting into heaven. So we have to stop trying to always be right, and accept the truth of God’s presence in our world.
Here we are, getting close to the end of Advent for us. And so we have to start thinking about how we are getting ready for Jesus. Instead of putting up roadblocks, we have to prepare a space in our heart for him. We have to let him speak to us, let him give us his light.
I read a really short, but good prayer last night that we should pray every day. It goes like this: “Jesus, help me to prepare a space in my heart for you.” It’s a great prayer, and it will help us to tear down those mental and spiritual roadblocks, to stop always trying to be right even when we’re not, and open our hearts and minds up to Jesus and his truth and love for us.
Jesus, help me to prepare a space in my heart for you.