Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21,28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: “What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, ‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?” They answered, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
Doing God’s will
1) He who repents: that’s the attitude of the first son. When there is true repentance there is a change in direction. This is what must happen in your life; you can’t always live being stubborn. In life, there are moments of crisis and those are the moments that define you and make you grow and mature. Maturity involves repenting and changing; it’s not just wanting to, but also, making an effort to repent and change so that you can follow God’s will and not your own.
2) Falseness: that’s when we say “yes” but deep down it’s a “no”. It’s being hypocritical; no true repentance. This is also a problem of identity: for fear of what others might say about us, we show a false attitude. It’s typically immature because we want to look good in front of everyone else. That’s why you say “yes” to everything even though later you do not comply with what you have said. We are all a little like this; it’s hard for us to accept responsibility. Even in our religious life we sometimes use God as an escape valve to get what we want… and like a political campaign we promise things, but then we never do them. Deep down we are only looking for our own personal satisfaction .
3) Our will: Question yourself and look at your identity. Life is marked by commitments and fidelity to the Word of God, and the decisions we make. No one can oblige anyone to make a decision, but each of us must take responsibility for what we decide to do and what we say. Before making decisions we must think, pray, and trust. If you’re doing God’s will, it might be hard, but you will have peace. Be confident because as Saint Teresa of Avila said: “Let nothing disturb you, nothing frighten you; all things are passing and God is unchanging. Patience gains all; and nothing is lacking to those who have God. God alone is sufficient ! God-bless you and be with you, in the name of the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. I’ll pray for you – please pray for me. Remember, Heaven is our goal!
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