I have often thought how difficult it must be for parents to encourage and instill obedience in their children as they grow into puberty and adolescence. Rebellion and independent thinking can often be a knee-jerk reaction, or saying 'yes' to a request and then dodging the bullet as it were afterwards are two common responses in teenage children. Nagging and disagreements may follow.
The parable of the two sons who do their own thing correspond to Jesus listeners at the time, law-abiding Jews and sinners among them. Now 2000 years later, the parable is extended to us.
The second son
There were among the Jews, priest and elders who had heard John the Baptist’s call to repentance and refused to change, even after hearing him. Are we the Pharisees? Are we the proud and disdainful, arrogant Pharisees, casting aspersions, looking down on others, complacent? If so, then we are then in great danger of being overtaken and surpassed on the road to heaven by the very people we dismiss, those who in their humility avail of God’s mercy, turn aside from sin in the past, readily admit to past wrongs in confession, and are prepared to atone and make reparation for them, trusting in the mercy of God, and experienced a complete change of life through God’s grace and mercy.
Have you or I, like the second son, ever resolved to do something and then change your mind afterwards?
The second son who said he was going to do something yet did not do it was only fooling himself that the father would not find him out. What is lacking is the right motivation and perspective.
We all know and can label people like the second son for their double-speak, hypocrisy, contradictions, insincerity and unreliability and untrustworthiness. People who ‘talk the talk’, but won’t ‘walk the walk’. Their reputation quickly spreads before them by word of mouth.
The second son who said he was going to do something yet did not do it was only fooling himself that the father would not find him out.
We all know and can label people like the second son for their double-speak, hypocrisy, contradictions, insincerity and unreliability and untrustworthiness. People who ‘talk the talk’, but won’t ‘walk the walk’. Their reputation quickly spreads before them by word of mouth.
The first son
The first son who undergoes a mature thought process, who thought better of his refusal to listen to his father and changed his mind to work in the vineyard, corresponds to the great public notorious sinners of the day, tax collectors (Matthew among them) and prostitutes, whose sins were so grave, numerous and scandalous that they were written off by the Jews as beyond hope. Yet they are the ones praised by Jesus for ‘making their way’ to the Kingdom.
These latter people underwent a dramatic conversion, accepting and hearing the words of John the Baptist. They underwent a complete transformation a turnaround and dramatic transformation in attitude and action in lifestyle in concrete changes.
Have you or I ever, like the first son, ever resolved NOT to do something and then thought better of it? What is going on? Maybe your conscience was pricked, and some higher value came to mind? There can sometimes be temptations in all of our lives to laziness and comfort, things that distract us and allure us away from doing the right thing - from vigilance to chastity, honesty, sobriety, charity in speech. The temptation is too great it seem to have a cut off someone in gossip, in jest. We let ourselves down and scold ourselves afterwards for having given into temptation, whatever our weakness is, for the joy of a fleeting moment. If we succeed in resisting the temptation at the first instance, in thought, we are rewarded and even feel a certain satisfaction that on this occasion at least, we have overcome temptation even though we can readily recall times we have not been so vigilant.
We can accomplish a great deal in a short time by resisting temptation and go on to great good when we see through the smokescreen that the devil or our weakened will of repeated bad habits due to Original Sin, put up as barriers to virtue, and go on to do what seems at first repugnant to us.
It can be something simple as going to Mass on a rainy morning like this, by not turning over in bed in the morning and grabbing an extra few winks! It may be an unpleasant chore, like a letter or phone call or payment of a bill or returning others’ property we have been putting off, a necessary apology, a visit to a sick relative in hospital some distance away, anything that interferes it seems in our schedule, unpleasant housework, smiling at a colleague we do not easily get in with, having a conversation with someone we strive to avoid, going to the dentist, or even an overdue visit to confession, a fast or abstinence.
We can all recall times when, like the first son, we balked at the performance of an unpleasant duty – whether it was through fear, hesitancy, discomfort, putting ourselves out, inconveniences, or the sense of valuable time taken from us.
But afterwards, have you noticed the consolation and joy and satisfaction as well as a sense of achievement in carrying out what we would rather not do?
Are we sinners who have experienced God’s mercy and are here today because we have had an experience of God’s forgiveness? Are we, however, still in need? Do we trust God that he will have mercy on us? That our sins are not too great and too awful and too embarrassing to be forgiven?
What is never mentioned in the parable is the distinct possibility that the father may later check up on the sons – and to his surprise will see the unexpected – the son who repented and acted, not the son who made the verbal commitment, at work in the vineyard.
We are also called in the First Reading from Ezekiel, to take responsibility for our actions, and those actions and our attitudes, have eternal consequences. The door of God’s mercy is open to us.
Every saint had a past, every sinner has a future. We are nit the first nor will we be the last, to struggle with moral precepts. The history of the Church is filled with saints who were reformed sinners – St Matthew, St Mary Magdalene, St Augustine who fathered a child outside marriage, St Margaret of Cortona who converted after the death of her lover, a married man, Matt Talbot who turned to sobriety, and many more..
Who, then, will make it heaven, and who will be pleasing in God’s eyes – the self-righteous who perform lip-service only, or the sinner who repents and proves himself or herself in actions?
Which one am I? Which one are you?
25th Sunday of the Year A
IF YOU HAVE EVER WORKED OUTDOORS IN THE SUN IN A FOREIGN CLIMATE, YOU KNOW HOW RELENTLESS HEAT AND HUMIDITY CAN WEAR YOU DOWN. WITH MONOTONOUS TEDIOUS WORK, YOUR THOUGHTS INEVITABLY WANDER AND DRIFT. RECURRING THOUGHTS OF A WATER BREAK, THE END OF THE DAY, HOW MUCH THE WORK IS WORTH – HOW MUCH YOU EARN PER HOUR, AND WHAT YOU WILL DO WITH THE MONEY EARNED.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN A VINEYARD OR ORCHARD, OR IN MY CASE PAINTING HOUSES IN THE SUBURBIA OF CHICAGO, THE THOUGHT OF OTHERS EARNING AT A HIGHER RATE IS BOUND TO FILL YOU WITH THOUGHTS OF RESENTMENT AND ALL THE EXTRA HOURS SPENT TOILING FOR THE SAME PAY AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED ONLY ONE HOUR.
THIS WOULD NOT WORK IN THE ‘REAL WORLD’ OF TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE BROKERED PAY AGREEMENTS.
SO IT IS A VERY CHALLENGING PARABLE, BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VERY UNREASONABLE, INEQUITABLE AND UNWORKABLE OVERALL ARRANGEMENT.
THIS MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DISTURBING OF PARABLES POINTS TO A HIGHER TRUTH – THAT OF GOD’S GENEROUS MERCY – TO DO AND SEE AS HE SEES FIT – OR AS IN THE WORDS OF THE FIRST READING FROM ISAIAH – ‘MY WAYS ARE NOT YOUR WAYS’.
THE LANDLORD IS FAIR INSOFAR AS HE PAYS THE AGREED RATE WITH EACH PERSON, BUT GENEROUS TO A FAULT IN GIVING LATE-COMERS A BETTER RATE PER HOUR.
TO THE JEWISH AND EARLY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES THE PARABLE POINTS TO THE SALVATION OFFERED TO THE JEWS – WHOSE RELIGION AND HISTORY DATES BACK 1200 YEARS TO ABRAHAM AND 600 YEARS TO MOSES. NOW, WITH THE COMING OF CHRIST, SALVATION IS OFFERED TO PAGANS, GENTILES –AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. JEWISH FAITHFULNESS ALL ALONG SEEMS TO AVAIL LITTLE, IF ANY, ADVANTAGE.
IT REMINDS US OF THE RESENTMENT AND THE ENVY OF THE OLDER BROTHER AS WELL AS THE UNDUE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OFFERED TO THE YOUNGER WAYWARD BROTHER IN THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. THERE THE FATHER REJOICES THAT HIS SON HAS RETURNED, WHILE THE OLDER BROTHER COMPLAINS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE LITTLE MERIT IN HIS STAYING AT HOME FAITHFUL TO HIS DUTY.
THE LESSON IS THAT GOD’S MERCY (REPRESENTED BY THE CURRENCY OF THE TIME – A DENARIUS) IS INFINITE AND WAY BEYOND OUR STANDARDS OF WHO DESERVES WHAT. GOD’S MERCY IS FOR ALL WHO WOULD TURN TO HIM AND LISTEN TO HIS INVITATION TO REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN, EVEN AT THE 11TH HOUR.
WE IN TURN, HAVING BEEN THE RECIPIENTS OF MERCY, ARE ALSO CALLED TO A GREATER SENSE OF MERCY OURSELVES – IN THOUGHT WORD AND ACTION, TO THOSE IN OUR LIVES WHO WE CONSIDER UNDESERVING – TO THINK ‘OUTSIDE THE BOX’ AS IT WERE. ARE THERE PEOPLE I NEED TO MAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS RECONCILIATION? WE MUST ALSO MEDITATE OFTEN ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN BY GOD OUR MANY FAULTS AS WELL AS PONDERING WHERE IN MY OWN LIFE I MUST SEEK THE FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS.
GOD WRITES NO-ONE OFF, AND NEITHER SHOULD WE.
SO AT THE END OF THE DAY, ESPECIALLY WORKING IN A VINEYARD OR ORCHARD, OR IN MY CASE PAINTING HOUSES IN THE SUBURBIA OF CHICAGO, THE THOUGHT OF OTHERS EARNING AT A HIGHER RATE IS BOUND TO FILL YOU WITH THOUGHTS OF RESENTMENT AND ALL THE EXTRA HOURS SPENT TOILING FOR THE SAME PAY AS SOMEONE WHO WORKED ONLY ONE HOUR.
THIS WOULD NOT WORK IN THE ‘REAL WORLD’ OF TRADE UNIONS AND EMPLOYER-EMPLOYEE BROKERED PAY AGREEMENTS.
SO IT IS A VERY CHALLENGING PARABLE, BECAUSE IT DESCRIBES WHAT APPEARS TO BE A VERY UNREASONABLE, INEQUITABLE AND UNWORKABLE OVERALL ARRANGEMENT.
THIS MOST THOUGHT-PROVOKING AND DISTURBING OF PARABLES POINTS TO A HIGHER TRUTH – THAT OF GOD’S GENEROUS MERCY – TO DO AND SEE AS HE SEES FIT – OR AS IN THE WORDS OF THE FIRST READING FROM ISAIAH – ‘MY WAYS ARE NOT YOUR WAYS’.
THE LANDLORD IS FAIR INSOFAR AS HE PAYS THE AGREED RATE WITH EACH PERSON, BUT GENEROUS TO A FAULT IN GIVING LATE-COMERS A BETTER RATE PER HOUR.
TO THE JEWISH AND EARLY CHRISTIAN DISCIPLES THE PARABLE POINTS TO THE SALVATION OFFERED TO THE JEWS – WHOSE RELIGION AND HISTORY DATES BACK 1200 YEARS TO ABRAHAM AND 600 YEARS TO MOSES. NOW, WITH THE COMING OF CHRIST, SALVATION IS OFFERED TO PAGANS, GENTILES –AT THE ELEVENTH HOUR. JEWISH FAITHFULNESS ALL ALONG SEEMS TO AVAIL LITTLE, IF ANY, ADVANTAGE.
IT REMINDS US OF THE RESENTMENT AND THE ENVY OF THE OLDER BROTHER AS WELL AS THE UNDUE PREFERENTIAL TREATMENT OFFERED TO THE YOUNGER WAYWARD BROTHER IN THE PARABLE OF THE PRODIGAL SON. THERE THE FATHER REJOICES THAT HIS SON HAS RETURNED, WHILE THE OLDER BROTHER COMPLAINS THAT THERE SEEMS TO BE LITTLE MERIT IN HIS STAYING AT HOME FAITHFUL TO HIS DUTY.
THE LESSON IS THAT GOD’S MERCY (REPRESENTED BY THE CURRENCY OF THE TIME – A DENARIUS) IS INFINITE AND WAY BEYOND OUR STANDARDS OF WHO DESERVES WHAT. GOD’S MERCY IS FOR ALL WHO WOULD TURN TO HIM AND LISTEN TO HIS INVITATION TO REPENT AND TURN AWAY FROM SIN, EVEN AT THE 11TH HOUR.
WE IN TURN, HAVING BEEN THE RECIPIENTS OF MERCY, ARE ALSO CALLED TO A GREATER SENSE OF MERCY OURSELVES – IN THOUGHT WORD AND ACTION, TO THOSE IN OUR LIVES WHO WE CONSIDER UNDESERVING – TO THINK ‘OUTSIDE THE BOX’ AS IT WERE. ARE THERE PEOPLE I NEED TO MAKE THE FIRST STEP TOWARDS RECONCILIATION? WE MUST ALSO MEDITATE OFTEN ON THE EXTENT TO WHICH WE HAVE BEEN FORGIVEN BY GOD OUR MANY FAULTS AS WELL AS PONDERING WHERE IN MY OWN LIFE I MUST SEEK THE FORGIVENESS OF OTHERS.
GOD WRITES NO-ONE OFF, AND NEITHER SHOULD WE.
23rd Sunday of the Year A
The Sign of Peace at Mass is not always the most popular part in certain quarters. While Irish people are shy about the sign of peace. Some people in my parish go to great lengths to avoid sitting near others to avoid it. One lady even leaves the church and re-enters as The Lamb of God is being recited or sung. One year on a pilgrimage to Fatima, one day after Mass my Dad said: ‘I’m coming back here’. When my Mum and I asked him why he said: ‘at the sign of peace I got a kiss on both cheeks from a beautiful Portuguese girl!’
According to the first reading from Ezekiel, as a sentinel, a sentry would be remiss in his role and failing in his duty as a preacher of God’s word if he neglected the call to repentance for all people. This applies to all preachers, and I must include myself among the sinners in need of hearing God’s word when I preach God’s message. What is worse I would be punished for failure to preach. I am not however guilty if people fail to repent. Repentance ultimately means being at rights with God.
St Paul makes it clear that this entails fidelity to God’s commandments in love. To be a Christian is a new way of life. If we truly love, we will not hurt. And therefore love is the answer to all questions of morality.
Reconciliation with one’s brother (neighbour) is also a crucial part of faithful discipleship and a pre-condition for true prayer and worship. Where there is harmony in the community and in the Church, the more pleasing we are to God and the more effective will be our prayer.
Can you think of anyone you are at odds with - a family member or a work colleague, a relative with whom you are not on speaking terms or where there is a long-standing grievance? It is time to reconcile as best you can. If you have made every effort to restore the relationship and they still refuse to speak or forgive, you have done your best. Keep praying and keep the lines of communication open. Then you can come before the Lord in prayer in confidence and with a clear conscience.
Jesus is our Brother too and He wants us to be reconciled with Him. We need to be reconciled with one another and Him. In marriage, misunderstandings and disagreement are part and parcel of life, but a good line of Scripture says: ‘we should never let the sun go down on our anger’.
If I have any hatred, animosity, lack of forgiveness, anger, resentment – these must be weeded out and healed in my life – in my strained relations with others, if my prayer is to be heard – i.e. to be on speaking terms with others is a necessary quality in my life if I am trying to be on speaking terms with God in prayer! I must be honest and humble and admit wrong for my part.
If we are at peace with one another we will be at peace with God and enjoy the peace that the world cannot give. Jesus says ‘I leave you peace, my own peace I give you.’
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