26TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Ezekiel 18:24-28

Psalm 24:4-9

Philippians 2:1-11

Matthew 21:28-32

A CHANGE OF MIND 

Man is free and has the natural propensity of changing his mind at any time. But it takes humility and great courage to change one’s mind or to move away from bad habits. In today’s first reading, God, through the prophet Ezekiel, makes the Israelites understand that to change one’s mind and do good is to live! For God deals justly with us, forgiving the sinner who repents, and rewarding the one who perseveres in doing good. Each of us is free, and thus responsible for his actions and inactions. And no one can be a prisoner of his past or that of his ancestors: we can change our life situation for better at any time.

In the gospel, we are presented with the parable of the two sons. The parable consists of a father who told one of his two sons to go and work in his vineyard. The son refused but later changed his mind and went. The second son accepted to go but did not show up. Obviously, the first son was the one who did the will of the father, whereas the second one only paid a lip-service.

In fact, our salvation requires a constant obedience to God’s will like Jesus. He was obedient to the Father till death, even death on a cross. Because of this, he has been exalted and given a name above every name, so that at the name of Jesus, every knee should bend and every tongue confess that Jesus is Lord! Consequently, St Paul exhorts us to have the same mind as Jesus Christ, to take him as our model of selfless love and unconditional obedience to God.

We need to avoid greed, selfish ambitions and pride, and remain faithful in doing what is right. Again, as priests, religious, married people, workers in public offices, etc., we make promises or take oaths to express the seriousness we attach to what we want to be or want to do. Should we pause a bit and sincerely ask ourselves if we have been faithful, we will realize that some times, we broke our promises and failed to keep our word. But this is not the end of the story. We can still change and amend our ways! Let us remember: “it is only a fool who does not change his mind.”

 May God bless and keep all of us. Amen

25TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Isaiah 55:6-9

Psalm 145

Philippians 1:20-24.27

Matthew 20:1-16

God: A Generous Landowner

Today’s liturgy presents us with beautiful readings, each of which is pregnant with insightful lessons. In the second reading, St Paul expresses his dilemma as he awaits his sentence in prison. He is eager to be with Christ in heaven in case he is sentenced to death, but at the same time, he wants to continue serving the course of the Gospel so as to bring people close to God.

In the gospel, the parable of the labourers of the last hour defies every human logic, especially in terms of fair wages in the work market. According to human reasoning, a landowner who hires workers at different hours of the day but gives them the same wage can hardly be said to be fair. But the main point in the parable is that God (the landowner) wants all to get “paid”, that is, to receive eternal life. He wants all to be saved, independently of the hour of their call.

This way, this parable illustrates how God’s grace and mercy work in our lives. God is just and generous. He calls us where we are and at different hours of the day. For instance, some of us have been baptized as infants, others as adults, and still others at their deathbed. But what is more important is that we are all welcomed by God: “For the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

In this perspective, God reminds us through the prophet Isaiah that his thoughts are not our thoughts, nor are our ways his ways. He is generous in forgiving. He wants the sinner and wicked man to forsake their evil ways and return to him. He is near to all who search for him. He excludes no one. God owes us nothing, and none of us has any claim to be treated differently from others. Everything comes to us as a generous gift from God. As such, it will be awkward on our part to get upset and envious when others share in God’s generosity. This was the mistake of the first hired labourers who complained because they had received the same wages as the last comers.

Instead of calculating the hours of our being believers, let us pray that all may receive Christ so that we may all have eternal life. May the Lord bless and keep all of us. 

Amen

24TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Ecclesiasticus 27:30-28:7

Psalm 102:1-4, 9-12

Romans 14:7-9

Matthew 18:21-35

THE POWER OF FORGIVENESS 

One of the most difficult things to do as humans is to forgive. We are quick to ask God and others for forgiveness but often fail to forgive. Therefore, today’s readings help us to learn to forgive others after the example of God who does not treat us according to our sins nor repay us according to our faults (cf. Ps 102). As Saint Paul reminds us, whether we live or die, we belong to the Lord. Christ died for our sins so that we may live for God. As such, it would be incongruent to ask God for forgiveness and fail to forgive one’s neighbour.

The gospel reading reports that, after Jesus’ teaching on fraternal correction, Simon Peter asks him: "Lord, how many times must I forgive the offenses of my brother or sister? Seven times?" Jesus answered: "No, not seven times, but seventy-seven times.” In other words, we must forgive indefinitely, without counting. Then, Jesus went on with the well-known parable of the merciless servant. Compared to what the servant owed his master (ten thousand talents), the debt of his fellow servant (hundred denarii) was nothing. And yet, he failed to let go.

In the story, Jesus uses a very striking image, that of a prison, as if to tell us that an unforgiving heart creates a prison for its own. Anytime we fail to forgive, we cast ourselves into prison like the merciless servant. Yes, our inability to forgive hurts us more than anyone else. It builds up walls of bitterness and resentment around us. To forgive is therefore to free oneself from the self-confined prison.

Consequently, Ben Sirach teaches us that resentment, grudges, anger and vengeance are horrible things; they are like cancer that eats up the heart and lungs of the unforgiving person. Moreover, our desire for revenge blocks us from receiving God’s mercy. “Does anyone harbour anger against another and expect healing from the Lord?” he asks. Therefore, he invites us to control our anger, to avoid revenge and to forgive our neighbours for God’s sake.

Indeed, to forgive is not easy, especially when the hurt is deep. But we must remember our own weaknesses and nothingness as well as our need for mercy and forgiveness. Let us pray the Lord to give us compassionate and forgiving hearts so as to be forgiving like him. Amen

23RD SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A

Ezekiel 33:7-9

Romans 13:8-10

Matthew 18:15-20

THE ART OF FRATERNAL CORRECTION 

By our baptism, we have become members of the family of God. As brothers and sisters, we must be concerned about the welfare of one another and promote the stability and peaceful coexistence in our families, work places, parishes, etc. As such, St Paul exhorts us to have no debt, except the debt of mutual love, for love is the summary of all the commandments, or better still, the measure of everything (Rom. 13:8-10). If love consists in seeking the good of the other, then we must seek the good, safety and salvation of our brothers and sisters. We need to become each one's keeper so that none of us goes astray or gets lost. And if one does, we have the responsibility to bring him back to the right path.

Thus, the first reading reminds us that we have been appointed as "sentries", that is guards or watchmen, in our respective communities (Ez. 33:7-9). A sentry is a symbol of security. Day and night, he is concerned about the safety of others. He warns them of an impending danger and the possible consequences of their actions.

In the gospel, Jesus offers us a three-stage procedure for dealing with a brother or a sister who has gone astray or has done "something wrong.” This is what we call the art of fraternal correction. Fraternal correction demands charity, humility and prudence. It excludes arrogance, prying, accusing and condemning attitudes. It aims at helping the wrongdoer to amend his ways and reintegrate the community. Separation and exclusion should be the last resort, when all efforts aimed at winning back the brother or sister prove futile (Matt. 18:15-20).

Unfortunately, we usually adopt diverse attitudes towards the wrongdoer. Either we blow the trumpet around informing everybody about the wrong done or we keep quiet out of fear. Often too we wait for the offender to come and apologize. But as we can see, Jesus is teaching us a different approach. We must make the first step towards reconciliation whenever the bond of love and mutual understanding has been broken. This is not easy, since some people are incorrigible. Only God can assist us; hence the importance of prayer. Therefore, let us implore him to soften our hearts to be open to corrections and be ready for reconciliation. May he teach us to correct one another in truth and justice. Amen