Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent -Today's Readings
Today's Gospel is about integrity. Through a parable, Jesus is asking the chief priests and elders to practice what they preach. It is not enough to say good things, but we must do them as well. This is a poignant reminder for a blog writer! It's easy to read the scripture, reflect on it and ask others to reflect on how they prepare themselves for Christ, but it is much more difficult to make time in own my life to do the same.
There are so many times when I set aside time for prayer or focused reflection and then find myself watching TV. Sometimes sleep or busyness even creeps in the way of the things I said I would do for my relationship with God. I do not intentionally disregard my promises to God, but I've failed to show up in the vineyard.
Instead of feeling overly guilty for these times when I have failed to authentically live my faith, I am asking God to help me identify the things that get in the way and to help me find workable solutions. So, here is my prayer today:
God, help me to identify the things that are standing in the way of living my faith authentically. If it's exhaustion, help me find rest. If it's will power, give me strength. Help me to remove whatever barriers that prevent me from working in your vineyard. Amen.