DAILY- HOMILY

October 1, 2017 - 26th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Green

Ez 18: 25- 28 I Phil 2: 1 - 11 I Mt 21: 28- 32

1st READING:     Ex 18: 25- 28

     But you say: Yahweh's way is not just! Why, Israel! Is my position wrong? Is it not rather that yours is wrong? If the righteous man dies after turning from his righteous deeds and sinning, he dies because of his sins. And if the wicked man does what is good and right, after turning from his sins he committed, he will save his life. He will live and not die, because he has opened his eyes and turned from the sins he had committed.

FROM THE 2ND READING:            Phil 2: 1 - 5

     If I may advice you in the name of Christ and if you can hear it as the voice of love; if we share the same spirit and are capable of mercy and compassion, then I beg of you make me very happy: have one love, one spirit, one feeling, do nothing through rivalry or vain conceit. On the contrary let each of you gently consider the others as more important than yourselves. Do not seek your own interest, but rather that of others. Let what was seen in Christ Jesus be seen in you.

GOSPEL READING:           Mt 21: 28- 32

     Jesus went on to say, "What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him, 'Son, today go and work in my vineyard.' And the son answered, 'I don't want to.' But later he thought better of it and went.

     "Then the father went to the second and gave him the same command. This son replied, 'I will go, sir,' but did not go.

     "Which of the two did what the father wanted?" They answered, 'The first."' And Jesus said to them, "Truly, I say to you, the publicans and prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came to show you the way to goodness but you did not believe him, yet the publicans and prostitutes did. You were witnesses to this, but you neither repented nor believed him."

REFLECTION

     The Gospel reading presents us two scenarios; each scenario had two ironic responses. In the first, a son initially said no to his father but later did what was asked of him, while in the second a son initially said yes, but for some reason did not do what he agreed to do.

     This offers a stark contrast to the common thinking that those who say yes will indeed follow through and those who say no will be defiant. It offers stories of change, in one's circumstances, in one's personal response, a change of heart.

First, let us consider the change in circumstances. Although we do not know the particular circumstances that led to the first son doing what he had initially refused to do and the second son not doing what he said he would, we can imagine that something must have led to the change of behavior. What were those circumstances? Similarly for us in our dealings with God, what are the circumstances that lead us to follow or not to follow his will?

     Second, regarding the change in one's response, differences in circumstances can bring us to different ways of responding to the Lord's will. But what would lead us to respond as the Lord instructs or wishes? What made the first son respond to work in his father's vineyard?

     We can also consider change in our hearts. We have to see not so much what we did or what changed in us but how we have allowed the Lord to change us. We could realize that it was probably the Lord's loving gaze which led to our change of heart. Change happens not from without but from something within.

     The Gospel reading then challenges us to appreciate the stories of change in our lives: How are we changed by our circumstances? How do we change upon hearing the Lord's call?

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY 

     ANDRIANA CABUCOS

     ANGEL (TYNEE) ANDEN

     JOSE ALFONSO POBLETE

     RANDY LIM

IN MEMORIAM (†) 

     GLORIA LIM HEJAZI (JULY 26, 1957 ·OCT. 1, 2008)

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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