Sunday, December 15, 2024: when we fall down,

we should not be afraid to get back up again.



Gospel Lk 3:10-18

The crowds asked John the Baptist, “What should we do?” He said to them in reply,

“Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise.” Even tax collectors came to be baptized and they said to him,

“Teacher, what should we do?”He answered them, “Stop collecting more than what is prescribed.”


The gospel for today’s mass confronts us with a very practical question – What should we do? The crowds ask this of John the Baptist. Teacher, what should we do? After this, tax collectors and soldiers ask him, What should we do?

And the answer the Baptist gives us is daunting: We need to change the way we live our lives… and we need to change our lives in ways that are specific, concrete and demanding.


To the crowds, he says,

Whoever has two cloaks should share with the person who has none. And whoever has food should do likewise. To the tax collectors, he says, Stop collecting more than what is prescribed. And to the soldiers, he says, Do not practice extortion, do not falsely accuse anyone, and be satisfied with your wages.



John the Baptist is not speaking in generalities. He is not simply exhorting us to “be nice” or “do good and avoid evil.” 


He is placing specific demands on each group – the crowds, the tax collectors and the soldiers. I shudder to think what the Baptist would have said to me if I had asked him, “what should I do?”


It’s easy to love people in theory and from a distance. But love in actual practice can be “a harsh and dreadful thing,” as Dostoevsky, the great Russian novelist, wrote. The same is true of our faith. The actual, daily practice of our Christian faith can be difficult, confusing and demanding.





What must we do to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah? The Baptist is saying that we are required to change the way we live our lives in ways that are concrete and specific and hard.


I do not want you to lose heart. I certainly don’t want you to give up on your daily practice of the faith. So, let me offer some practical advice. My advice is just this: remember that faith is not a matter of never falling down. Living our faith means always getting back up.


Let me be clear – we have all been called to a life of holiness. We are to do our best as we strive for spiritual perfection. But the Lord does not expect us to be saints. He only asks us to remember that we are sinners who have been completely forgiven.


So, what should we do? This is the question that the people posed to John the Baptist as he preached in the wilderness. What should we do to prepare for the coming of the messiah?


We should live lives rooted in the Evangelical virtues: faith, hope and charity towards all. We should live lives that are gentle and generous, patient and compassionate. We should be kind and honest. We should do the best we can for our children. We should also try our best to forgive those who have sinned against us. This is hard.


What should we do to prepare the way for the coming of the Messiah? First, we should remember that the Gospel of our Lord Jesus Christ places a moral demand on us that is

very high. But above all else we should remember that our sins have been forgiven – all of them. 


And so, when we fall down, we should not be afraid to get back up again.

The birth of the Messiah is drawing near. This is what we should do.



I shall say it again: rejoice!

Your kindness should be known to all.


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