Change your Minds
Written by Rita Zyber on Tuesday of the Third Week of Advent
It’s pink candle week, the time in Advent when we focus on the joy that awaits us – simply because of God’s great love for us and the super-abundance of gifts he showers on us.
Today’s readings certainly give us cause for joy. Jesus shows us (despite the tricky questions) that we always have a chance to repent – to change our minds and believe.
I am honored to have the job of coordinating our RCIA sessions, which help people to learn and grow in the Catholic faith. We focus a lot on conversion, though we rarely use that word. In reality, our candidates are the ones who show us about true conversion. Somehow, somewhere, they’ve heard God calling. They have responded and are working hard toward greater belief. Their unique stories feed my own faith every year.
St. Paul reminds us that conversion happens when we are able to think and act so much like Christ that we literally “clothe ourselves” in Christ (Galatians 3: 27) and become a new creation. So conversion is about turning away from the distractions of life – from anything that’s an obstacle to God. It’s about slowly shifting our minds – and hearts – so that they are in alignment with God, like a flower that bends toward the sun.
Of course, that’s not always easy. Jesus reminds us that there’s a lot of work to do in the vineyard. In all of our human-ness, we don’t always run willingly to do that work. Conversion is an ongoing process for all of us. Sometimes we get it right, sometimes we don’t. But what joy we have in knowing that we can always try again. It’s simple, Jesus says, “change your minds and believe.”
Questions for Reflection:
Have I failed to follow through on an action that might help someone else?
What distraction can I turn away from today in order to turn closer to God?
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Rita Zyber
Rita joined the staff in June of 2014 to assist with RCIA sessions. Rita has previous staff experience at St. Francis of Assisi Parish in Ann Arbor, as well as years of volunteer service in religious education, stewardship, music ministry and RCIA. She is also a freelance writer. She and her husband, Frank, have two college-age daughters, Claire and Lauren.
Email: rzyber@smspnewman.org