Saying yes with our lives

 

Sunday 27 September 2026

Lectio Divina:*

Ezekiel 18:25-28 Psalm 25(24) Philippians 2:1-11 Matthew 21:28-32

Meditatio:

“Which of the two did the will of his father?” (Matthew 21:31)

Commentary:

An old Latin phrase says, dictum meum pactum -  ‘my word is my bond’.  Ideally, a person's word should be trustworthy. Yet experience teaches us that promises are often made in moments of enthusiasm, only to be tested when difficulties arise. Like the seed in Jesus' parable of the Sower, our good intentions can be threatened by worries, trials, distractions, and changing circumstances. Doubts emerge, enthusiasm fades, and the clarity we once possessed can become obscured.

This Sunday’s readings from Ezekiel, Philippians and Matthew invite us to reflect on the relationship between words, actions, repentance and true discipleship.

This is true not only in ordinary human relationships but also in our relationship with God. At certain moments, perhaps during a retreat, a pilgrimage, a sacramental celebration, or a profound experience of prayer, we may feel moved to give God our wholehearted ‘yes’. Yet months, years, or even decades later, we may find that same yes challenged by disappointment, suffering, or spiritual dryness. What once seemed obvious now requires perseverance and renewed trust.

The Gospel parable of the two sons speaks directly to this reality. One son initially refuses to work in his father's vineyard but later changes his mind and goes. The other readily agrees but never follows through. Jesus asks a simple question: Which son did the father's will?

The answer is obvious. The son who actually went to the vineyard did the father's will, despite his initial refusal.

However, the deeper lesson is not simply that actions speak louder than words. Rather, Jesus highlights the transforming power of repentance. The first son is not praised because he said no. He is praised because he changed. He allowed himself to be converted. He moved from resistance to obedience.

This theme resonates strongly with the prophet Ezekiel. Speaking to a people tempted to believe that their past failures defined their future, Ezekiel proclaims a message of hope: if the wicked turn away from sin and do what is right, they shall live. Conversely, if the righteous abandon righteousness, they place themselves in spiritual danger. God's judgment is not arbitrary. His desire is always for conversion, repentance and life.

This is an important point in Catholic spirituality. We are never trapped by our past. No sin places us beyond the possibility of God's mercy when we repent sincerely. Equally, no one can rely merely on past faithfulness while neglecting present discipleship. The Christian life is a continual response to grace, a daily turning toward God.

Psalm 25 expresses this beautifully. The psalmist prays, “Make me to know your ways, O Lord; teach me your paths.” The prayer is one of humility and dependence. Rather than trusting solely in personal strength or good intentions, the believer asks God to guide, instruct, and lead. The psalm reminds us that conversion is not a one-time event but an ongoing journey of learning God's ways.

This understanding helps us avoid two opposite errors. The first is despair, believing that our failures define us forever. The second is presumption, assuming that verbal profession or past accomplishments guarantee our fidelity. The Gospel challenges both attitudes. What matters is our present openness to God's grace and our willingness to act upon it.

Saint Paul deepens this reflection in the second chapter of his Letter to the Philippians . He urges Christians to be united in love, humility, and concern for one another. Then he presents Christ Himself as the supreme example. Though equal with God, Christ emptied Himself, taking the form of a servant and becoming obedient even unto death on a cross.

Here we discover the ultimate harmony between word and action. Jesus does not merely teach obedience; He lives it. He does not merely speak of humility; He embodies it. He does not simply tell others to do the Father's will; He accomplishes it perfectly. In Christ there is no gap between profession and practice.

For Christians, this passage is especially significant because it reveals the pattern of authentic Christian living. Discipleship is not primarily about appearances, status, or impressive religious language. Rather, it is about conforming our minds and hearts to the self-giving love of Christ. Every act of charity, every effort to forgive, every work of mercy, and every faithful fulfilment of duty becomes a participation in His obedience.

Jesus directed the parable of the two sons to the chief priests and elders in the Temple. His message was challenging: those who appeared righteous could become so confident in their status that they failed to recognise God's work before them. Meanwhile, tax collectors and prostitutes, whose lives had been marked by public sin, responded to John's call to repentance and entered the Kingdom ahead of those who refused to believe.

The lesson remains relevant today. It is easy to compare ourselves favourably with others or to assume that outward religious observance is sufficient. Yet Christ continually calls His Church to humility. The question is not whether we appear faithful but whether we are allowing God to transform us. Genuine righteousness is measured not by superiority over others but by conformity to Christ.

We should therefore be cautious about judging who is close to God and who is not. God's grace is often at work in unexpected places and unexpected people. Those who seem far away may be taking courageous steps toward conversion, while those who appear secure may be neglecting the ongoing call to holiness.

The encouraging truth running through all four readings is that God never ceases to invite us back. The Lord's patience is greater than our failures. His mercy is stronger than our sins. He seeks not perfect people, but repentant hearts willing to cooperate with His grace.

Perhaps the challenge for us today is simple: not merely to say ‘yes’ to God with our lips, but to say ‘yes’ with our lives. Like the first son, we may have resisted, delayed, or wandered. Yet if we turn back and enter the vineyard, we discover anew the mercy of the Father, who patiently teaches us His ways and forms within us the mind and heart of Christ.

Postscript

The Gospel of Matthew ..

was written at a particularly difficult moment among the first Jewish Christians, many of whom were faced with exclusion, rejection and excommunication from the closely-knit community centred around the Synagogue (or Temple a decade or so earlier).  Many of the first ones presented to God had rejected the One God had sent but many of the second ones (sinners, tax-collectors, prostitutes and the gentile who were, by definition, unclean) accepted Jesus. Such were the times in which the Good News had to be refined and communicated to a new generation of believers who had not seen the Lord in the flesh some 50 years previously. The audience, according to Matthew, for this passage were the chief priests and elders and the location was the Temple in Jerusalem (which would be destroyed some 40 years later or 10 years before Matthew Gospel was written from various oral and other written sources).

Some extras:

Collect of the Word for this Sunday (Church of Ireland)

 Grant, O merciful God, that your people may have that mind that was in Christ Jesus,
who emptied himself, and took the form of a servant, and in humility became obedient even to death.  For you have exalted him and bestowed on him a name that is above very name, Jesus Christ, the Lord; who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.

Post-Communion prayer (Roman Catholic missal of 1970)

Lord, may this eucharist in which we proclaim the death of Christ bring us salvation and make us one with him in glory, for he is Lord for ever and ever.

Private prayer after Holy Communion

(from The Family Missal and Prayer Book of the Church of the Holy Spirit, Ballyroan, Dublin, 1976)

My risen Saviour, you are Lord to the glory of God and your Father. Your state was divine, yet you did not cling to your equality with God but emptied yourself.  You emptied ourself to raise us up.  I thank you.  More than words will be my response.  I will fair heave myself up and force my way into your kingdom leaving those prostitutes standing.

Lord, how often did I say 'Yes' to you but did nothing. Give me a second chance and I will, this time, work for you.  All are my brothers who have received Communion with me today:  one family sharing the one meal at the same table.  May we be friends.  May we help one another.  No clenched fist, no smarting words among us; especially at home. Never to take the name of Jesus in vain.