Reflection for Monday, Dec. 13
“Teach me your ways, O Lord”
In today’s gospel, Jesus’ authority is being questioned by the chief priests and elders. Their intention in questioning Jesus is not to have true dialogue with Jesus, but to entrap him based on their own “truth” or “information.” Does that not sound like the so many conversations that are happening today in our nation, in our Church, in our communities, and in our families?
Many times, we tend to enter a conversation with the ultimate goal of proving our point, which most certainly does not lend itself to engaging in true dialogue. So long as we continue in this vein, division, hatred, mistrust, and discord will continue to dominate. But as the psalm proclaims, “Teach me your ways, O Lord”, Jesus shows us another pathway. No doubt that the interaction presented in today’s gospel fits into the category of difficult conversations. Nearly every confrontation or difficult conversation can be broken down to some sort of authority being questioned, whether it be a position of authority, a sense of righteous authority, or even an expression of our own opinion having authority over the right information. When authority is questioned, a typical response tends to involve the mindset of “how dare you question me” or “I’ll prove to you who is in charge.” That is certainly true for me. But none of that is present in Jesus’ response. Instead, he calmly asks a question. His approach does not contain judgment or contempt. His goal is not to flex his muscles, proving his authority, rather Jesus’ way is to open minds and hearts through true dialogue with compassion and nonjudgment.
Today we also remember St. Lucy on her feast day. St. Lucy, whose name is a derivative of the Latin word for “light”, lived in 3rd-century Roman times (284-304 AD) and was martyred for her faith. It is quite fitting that the feast of St. Lucy, often portrayed as a bringer of light in the darkness, is on December 13, during Advent and in winter for the Northern Hemisphere. So, as I continue on in my day, I pray that in my conversations and interactions with others, I enter with an open mind, with an open heart, with compassion, and without judgment or agenda, as Jesus did. May I be a bringer of light into this world.
“Teach me your ways, O Lord”
Andrea Melanson Wlochowski