Homily (Reflection) for the Twenty-Sixth
Sunday of the Year (A) (01st October, 2017) on the Gospel
Ezek 18:25-28;
Ps 24:4-9. (R.v. 6);Phil 2:1-11 or 2:1-5;
Matt 21:28-32.
One day, a bible discussion group chose today’s gospel as
the passage for the day. During their discussion, the leader encouraged the
members to continue to strive despite the fact that many might have failed in
so many ways. They listened with keen interest. In his effort to drive the
message home, he used the life of St. Paul as an example. He told them how he
started as Saul who fought against the Church aiming at destroying it to Paul who
indefatigably fought for the same Church.
Before he could finish, a young lady
asked him whether those who canonized Paul knew about all that he did and he
said yes. She maintained that they were ignorance of the life he lived. Every
effort to make her understand the message fell on deaf ears. According to her, if
Paul actually lived such life, those who made him a saint made that in error
and should retrace their steps very fast.
Topic:
Two sides of a saint.
Jesus asked the chief priests and
the elders of the people who wanted from Him the source of His power and authority,
“What do you think? A man had two sons; and he went to the first and said,
‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not’; but
afterward he repented and went” (Matt
21: 28-29). The man later said the same thing to the second who did not
waste time to say yes but never did, cf. v. 30.
Prophet Malachi reminds us that we are from the same father,
cf. Mal 2:10. Jesus confirmed that
we have one father, cf. Matt 23:9.
So like the two sons in today’s gospel, we are of the same father and are all
called to repentance. The preaching of Saint John the Baptist is not less
important today. We must “Bear fruit that befits repentance” and stop parading
ourselves either as members of the Church or as officeholders of one church or
another, cf. Matt 3:8; Lk 3:8. We
are to be known by our fruits and not by our names, cf. Matt 7:16, 20.
Jesus warns,
Truly I tell you, tax collectors and
the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you. For John came
to you in the way of righteousness and you did not believe him, but the tax
collectors and prostitutes believed him; and even after you saw it, you did not
change your minds and believed him (Matt
21:31-32).
We read from the book of Ecclesiastes, “Surely there is not
a righteous man on earth who does good and never sins” (Eccl 7:20). The first letter of Saint John also reads, “If we say
that we have no sin, we deceive ourselves, and the truth is not in us” (1Jn 1:8). Based on these passages among
others, it is evident that every saint has two sides, sinful and saintly. And
every sinner can become a saint only that he/she must repent from saying no to
the will of God to saying yes. These are evident in the first son who first
said “I will not”, his sinful part. But the story did not end there because “afterward
he repented and went”, his saintly part. cf. Matt 21: 29.
God has communicated through His prophet what He wants of
us,
Say to them, As I live, says the Lord
God, I have no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but that the wicked turn
from his way and live; turn back, turn back from your evil ways; for why will
you die, O house of Israel? (Ezek 33:11).
God wants all to repent and avoid death, cf. 2Pt 3:9. Jesus came for sinners, cf. Matt 9:13; Mk:2:15; Lk 5:30. Saint Paul
saw himself as the number one, cf. 1Tim
1:15. Just as the first son moved from saying no to their father’s will to
being the one who did their father’s will, we can still be saints. Only we must
start from now to say yes to the will of God. We must consider ourselves dead
to sin and alive to God in Christ Jesus, cf. Rom 6:11. The target is for us not to sin but if any does sin, we
have an advocate with the Father, Jesus Christ the righteous, cf. 1Jn 2:1.
Bible Reading: Ezek 33:10-20; 1Tim 1:12-17; Jas 3:13-18; 2Pt
3:1-13; Eph 4:25–5:20.
Thought for today: Does your profession manifest in your actions?
Let
us pray: Let us pray: Merciful Father, being aware that I am a sinner I humbly beseech you to
help me leave my old ways that are not pleasing to you. May I live entirely for
you – Amen.
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