Readings & Reflections with Cardinal Tagle’s video: Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time A & St. Vincent de Paul, September 27,2020

‘Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God.” Why? Because when they encountered Jesus Christ, who “did not regard equality with God something to be grasped,” they found in him what they formerly had been looking for in sin. And that is what made it easy for them to leave behind their grasping ways and obey the one who himself became “obedient to the point of death.” If someone “turns from wickedness and does what is right and just, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Because it means that the person has found Jesus Christ who is infinitely more attractive than even the most powerful allure of evil.

AMDG+

Opening Prayer

“Lord Jesus, change my heart that I may only desire that which is pleasing to you. Help me to respect your will and give me the strength, joy and perseverance to carry it out wholeheartedly.”  In your Name, I pray. Amen.

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September 27,2020

Reading I
Ez 18:25-28 – By turning from wickedness, a wicked person shall preserve his life.

Thus says the LORD:
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

The word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm
Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14.

R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading II
Phil 2:1-11 –Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.
or

Phil 2:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Alleluia, alleluia. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord;/ I know them, and they follow me. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel
Mt 21:28-32 – He changed his mind and went. Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of heaven before you.

Bishop Robert Barron’s Homily –  What kind of person will you be? click below:

The Gospel of the Lord.

Paul sings a beautiful hymn to the Incarnation. Unlike Adam, the first man, who in his pride grasped at being God, the New Adam, Jesus, humbled himself to become a slave, obedient even unto death on the cross (see Romans 5:14). In this He has shown sinners – each one of us – the way back to the Father. We can only come to God, to serve in His vineyard, the Church, by having that same attitude as Christ.This is what Israel’s leaders lacked. In their vainglory, they presumed their superiority – that they had no further need to hear God’s Word or God’s servants.But this is the way to death, as God tells Ezekiel today. We are always to be emptying ourselves, seeking forgiveness for our sins and frailties, confessing on bended knee that He is Lord, to the glory of the Father. – Read the source: https://stpaulcenter.com/the-humble-path-scott-hahn-reflects-on-the-twenty-sixth-sunday-in-ordinary-time/Reflection 2 – How can I draw others to praise and worship God every Sunday?      

There was a story of an agnostic professor who had rejected his former belief in Jesus. His influence had led many young men and women to renounce the faith they once professed. And we can ask a question, “Why does this happen?” The answer is that his heart is far from Jesus. Some who grow up in Christian homes may say yes to Jesus without truly understanding what they are doing. Later when their faith is challenged, they turn away from the faith to which they had given lip-service. In contrast, others may initially say no to Christ because they realize that to repent and believe means their lives will belong to the Lord, and they don’t like the demands of following Christ. But eventually they do repent and believe and obey. Putting your faith in Jesus is life’s most important decision. Make sure, therefore, of your own allegiance to Him and to His Church’s teachings. Be careful also to instruct others so they understand that saving faith must be a life-changing reality in their hearts. Therefore, faith in Christ is not just a one-time choice but a lifetime challenge to always obey our Father’s will here on earth as it is in heaven (cf. Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

This is the challenged in today’s Gospel (Mt 21:28-32). Jesus asked, “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” (Mt 21:28-31). Jesus did not praise either one of them because they were both very imperfect people. Not one of the sons brings joy to the father. The one who obeyed in the end is better but he comes across as disrespectful. Until he’ll change his attitude, God cannot be happy with him. Jesus attributed the first son as the corrupt tax collectors and the prostitutes (Mt 21:31). When Jesus asked, “Which of the two did his father’s will? They answered, ‘the first.’”  This answer was a slap to the elders and priests who were blinded to the truth that Jesus attributed them as the second son and He pointed out that God’s mercy will include the very people they condemn – the prostitutes and tax collectors (Mt 21:32). As Prophet Ezekiel says, “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Ez 18:26-28).

Is there an ideal son who obeys his father and does so with graciousness and respect, listen to his word and puts it into action? Yes, He is Jesus who “emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness… he humbled himself, becoming obedient to death, even death on a cross” (Phil. 2:7-8). And the Father responded to this extraordinary act by raising his Son to life in the resurrection. Therefore, like Christ we must be obedient to the will of God in all things, even to the point of death. Let us approach this challenge with faith in action by our obedience as Jesus did. How can I be an example and draw others to praise and worship God every Sunday like the obedience of Jesus, the ideal son? For the 7 ways to keep your kids close to Jesus Christ click this link: http://www.pagadiandiocese.org/2016/09/28/7-ways-to-keep-your-kids-close-to-jesus-christ/

Reflection 3 – Who was really the good son?

Jesus compares the son who follows what his father wants and the son who does not. Whatever the sons told the father they planned to do may not be relevant to some but speech is as important as one’s action. “A good person out of the store of goodness in his heart produces good, but an evil person out of a store of evil produces evil; for from the fullness of the heart the mouth speaks.” Luke 6:45

In today’s parable’s reading Jesus effectively refers the church leaders as the son who promises to work as they were not truly right with God having rejected the call of John the Baptist to repentance while scrupulously continuing to follow other laws and rituals. But tax collectors and prostitutes did.

What kind of future are we preparing for?  Today Jesus brings to our hearts the consequences of our choices that will affect and shape our future here on earth as well as the life of the age to come.

Today’s parable reading tells a simple story of two imperfect sons to illustrate the way of God’s kingdom. The father may have amply provided for the needs of his two sons and everything the father had, belonged to them. The father expects them to show gratitude, loyalty, and honor by doing their fair share of the daily work. The “rebellious” son told his father to his face that he will not work for him, but later changes his mind and did what the father commanded him. The “good” son said he would work for his father, but didn’t carry through. He did his own pleasure and went against the father’s will.

Who was really the good son?

Both sons disobeyed their father. One repented and then did what the father told him. The other was only good with his words and not his action.

Today our Lord touches our hearts that good intentions are not enough and promises do not count unless they are performed. God wants to have a conversion of our hearts so we may show by our speech and by our actions that we know, respect and follow His will.

God’s message to us is not only for us to match what we say with what we do as that would mean that the son who said he would do nothing, if he followed through on his promise, would have obeyed our standard.  The challenge to all men is to have the righteousness that is not only obvious but one that is real.  If we fool ourselves that in our self-serving ways, we are also serving God, at journey’s end, we will be surprised to see who will make it into the kingdom far ahead of us-those who actually do what God wants. They truly please Him and will welcome Him into His abode.  We may know the truth but when the chips are down, our “knowing” may not matter to God.  God wants those who are authentic in their thoughts, words and actions, in their motivations and aspirations. They hear Him, abide in Him and are one with Him.

God is not so concerned about polite words and appearances as He is about genuine, heartfelt repentance. To repent means to change both our hearts and our lives. One without the other is incomplete. John the Baptist came preaching repentance. Jesus came preaching repentance. The early disciples came preaching repentance.

The Gospel is about change that goes beyond the change in one’s mind. It is about transformation of our hearts, about being changed to be something more like God, change that requires the power of the Holy Spirit!

Direction

Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.

Prayer

“Lord Jesus, change my heart that I may only desire what is pleasing to you. Help me to respect your will and give me the strength, joy and perseverance to carry it out wholeheartedly.”  Amen.

Reflection 4 – Words and Action

A lady went to the post office to mail a Bible to an old friend. She wrote on the box the warning “Fragile!” The postal clerk asked, “Is there anything breakable in here?” “Yes,” she replied. “It contains the Ten Commandments”.

Sin is always a violation of God’s commandments. It practically means saying no to God. The two sons in the parable disobeyed the father. The first son said ‘no’, but later decided to obey his father. The second son said ‘yes’, but did not do what his father told him to do. In effect, it was also a ‘no’. Both of them offended the father. The ‘yes’ of the second son, though it initially pleased the father, was rendered meaningless by his disobedience. The ‘no’ of the first son hurt the father, but his subsequent repentance and obedience made the father happy in the end. Ultimately, it is not the words that really matter but the deed. Jesus said: “Not everyone who says ‘Lord! Lord!’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only those who do the will of my heavenly Father.”

“Actions speak louder than words.” In fact there is no need for words when there are actions. So when we do not do what we say, as in the case of the second son, our words lose credibility. Hence, it can be said: “Your actions are too loud that I cannot hear your words.”

This parable of Jesus was intended for the religious leaders of Israel in his time, particularly the Pharisees. In their smug complacency, they believe they are assured of entrance into heaven. But Jesus told them: “Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you.” They are the religious leaders who have clearly expressed their ‘yes’ to God. But based on their behavior and attitude, their hypocrisy and pride, their lack of concern for the people and their double-standard lifestyle, they have actually disobeyed God’s will and commands. They are like the second son in the parable.

On the other hand, the tax collectors, prostitutes and other public sinners can be like the first son. They said ‘no’ to God, but eventually, they listened to the teachings of Jesus, and reformed their lives. This is what the prophet Ezekiel pointed out in the first reading: “If the wicked man turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.”

Between the two sons, which of them should we follow? The answer comes from St. Paul’s Letter to the Philippians: we follow neither the first son, nor the second son. Rather, we follow the third son: the one who said “yes” and obeyed the will of the heavenly Father even unto death. He is Jesus Christ. So Saint Paul exhorts us: “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.”

Being a Christian is an infinitely great privilege and honor for us. We become God’s children and inheritors of the heavenly kingdom. But being a Christian does not consist only of receiving honor and privileges. It has its corresponding duties and responsibilities, and these are fulfilled not by talking but by doing, not by words but by action. One time when Jesus was teaching in the synagogue, someone told him: “Your mother and your brothers are here looking for you.” But Jesus looked around and asked, “Who is my mother? And who are my brothers?” And pointing to those seated around him, he said: “These are my mother and my brothers. For anyone who does the will of my Father are mother and brother and sister to me.” Doing and obeying God’s will is what will make us true brothers and sisters of Jesus.

There is a story about an elderly gentleman. He had serious hearing problem for many years. He went to a very competent doctor, and he was given an amazing set of hearing aids that fully restored his hearing faculty. After a month, he went back to his doctor. The doctor was pleased: “Your hearing is perfect! Your family must be really pleased that you can hear again.” The gentleman replied, “Oh, I haven’t told my family yet. I just sit around and listen to their conversations. I’ve revised my last will three times already.”

Words do not mean anything when they are not accompanied by actions. Worse, our words lose their value when our actions contradict them. Nobody will believe our words anymore.

In baptism, we all said our ‘yes’ to God. Every time we come to church, we dip our fingers in the holy water and make the sign of the cross on ourselves. This we do as a renewal of our ‘yes’ to God in baptism. But that is not enough. In fact it is meaningless if we do not support it with actions. Let us make sure our ‘yes’ to God is seen in our actions, behavior and obedience to his commands. And this we have to do every day for the rest of our lives. Then we become like the third son, Jesus Christ, who was obedient to the Father even to death on the cross (Source: Fr. Mike Lagrimas, St. Michael the Archangel Parish, Amsterdam St., Capitol Park Homes, Matandang Balara, Quezon City 1119).

Reflection 5 – I Don’t Feel Like It

He answered and said, “I will not,” but afterward he regretted it and went. —Matthew 21:29

Have you ever faced an unwanted chore and felt as if it were the last thing on earth you wanted to do? Mowing the lawn, doing the wash, cleaning the house, or even preparing a Sunday school lesson after an exhausting week can make us feel like procrastinating.

When this happens, my wife and I have a motto we repeat to each other: “I don’t feel like it—but I’m going to do it anyway.” There is something about recognizing our lack of motivation and then choosing to be responsible that helps us follow through.

God’s value on faith and obedience can be seen in the parables of Jesus. Christ spoke about two sons who were asked to work in the vineyard. The first said no, but “afterward he regretted it and went” (Matt. 21:29). The second said yes but did not follow through. Then the Lord asked His listeners, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” (v.31). The obvious answer is the one who finished the task.

Our Lord’s illustration underscores a key spiritual principle. God is interested in our faith and obedience—not just our good intentions. Next time you are tempted to shirk your duties, why not say, “I don’t feel like it,” and then ask God for the grace to do it anyway.  — Dennis Fisher

O help us, Lord, to heed Your Word,
Its precepts to obey;
And give us strength to quench the urge
To do things our own way.  —Sper

Obedience is faith in action. (Source: Our Daily Bread, RBC Ministries).

Reflection 6 – Which son did the father’s will?

What kind of future are you preparing for? Jesus encourages us to think – to think about the consequences of our choices, especially the choices and decisions that will count not just for now but for eternity as well. The choices we make now will affect and shape our future, both our future on earth as well as in the life of the age to come.

Repaying a debt of gratitude and showing respect where it is due
Jesus tells a simple story of two imperfect sons to illustrate the way of God’s kingdom. The father amply provided for his sons food, lodging, and everything they needed. Everything the father had belonged to them as well. The father also rewarded his sons with excellent work in his own vineyard.  He expected them to show him gratitude, loyalty, and honor by doing their fair share of the daily work.

Converting both heart and will to do what is good and pleasing to God
The “rebellious” son told his father to his face that he would not work for him. But afterwards he changed his mind and did what his father commanded him. The “good” son said he would work for his father, but didn’t follow through. He sought his own pleasure, contrary to his father’s will. Now who was really the good son?  Both sons disobeyed their father – but one repented and then did what the father told him. Jesus makes his point clear – Good intentions are not enough.  And promises don’t count unless they are performed.

A transformed heart filled with gratitude and respect
God wants to change our hearts so that we will show by our speech and by our actions that we respect his will and do it. God offers each one of us the greatest treasure possible – indestructable peace, joy, and friendship with him in his everlasting kingdom. We can lose that treasure if we refuse the grace – the free gift of God’s blessing and strength – which the Lord Jesus has won for us through his victory on the cross. The Lord Jesus fills us with the gift of the Holy Spirit who works in and through us for the glory of God. Do you seek to please God and respect his will and loving plan for your life? Allow the Holy Spirit to to fill your heart with the peace, joy, and righteousness of  God’s kingdom (Romans 14:17).

“Lord Jesus, change my heart that I may only desire that which is pleasing to you. Help me to respect your will and give me the strength, joy and perseverance to carry it out wholeheartedly.” –Read the source: https://dailyscripture.servantsoftheword.org/readings/2020/sep27.htm

Reflection 7 – Not in word only, but also in deed

Purpose: Good thoughts benefit us when they are carried out in action.  Bad thoughts do us no harm if we dismiss them, and do not will them.  It is never too late to begin following the Lord, carrying out the good inspirations he gives us.

“Love ought to manifest itself more by deeds than by words.”  That is a quote from St. Ignatius of Loyola, and it summarizes well the gist of today’s readings, specifically the Gospel.  Our love for God, our faith, must be more than just words. Our love for God must permeate, and manifest itself in, every aspect of our lives. It must affect our every thought, our every word, and most of all, our every action. Often enough, it can be easy to say holy things, and think holy thoughts.  These are good; we definitely need to do them. They can lead us to action.  But these words and thoughts are not enough. They must be carried through into action.  Our words and our actions—or better, the faith we profess and the lives we live—must be in harmony with one another, they ought to reflect one another, and not be in contradiction to one another.

So, in the Gospel, Jesus gives a parable about two sons, two brothers.  Both are told to work in the vineyard. One of them, at first, says “no,” but then has a change of heart, and goes to work.  The second son, at first, says “yes,” but then also has a change of heart, and does not work.  The first is praised for doing the Father’s will, while the second is not, regardless of his words.

There are a few good lessons to take from this parable. The first, as I already said, is that we cannot be Christians in word only. It is not enough to have good thoughts, to have good inspirations, to have plans for doing good, or amending our lives for the better. It is necessary to put these into action.  Maybe I have been feeling pulled to pray more, to read some spiritual reading, go to confession more regularly, to be more generous with the poor, or more patient with the people in my life.  These thoughts are great, but they only do us real good when we carry them through. It is when we put these things into action that we do the will of the Father.

There is a flip-side to this, as well, and this is the second point. Often enough, we are tempted to do things that are wrong. Just as we are sometimes inspired to good things, we are sometimes tempted to sin.  And just as good thoughts do us no good if we don’t act on them, temptations do us no harm if we do not act on them. Temptations come, that is a part of life.  But as long as we don’t invite them in, as long as we dismiss them, we have done nothing wrong.

Again, St. Ignatius has something to say about this. In a letter of his, he says, “(pay) no heed at all to any evil … thoughts … when they are against your will. … For just as I am not going to be saved through the good angels’ good works,” (that is, good inspirations) “so I am not going to be condemned through evil thoughts … that are brought before me.”

The third thing we see in these readings is that it is never too late to respond to the will of God. Even after a first, or a second, or a third “no”—whether we are like the son in the Gospel, or the person who turns from iniquity in the first reading—it is never too late to say “yes” to the Lord, to turn back to him.  Not only is it never too late to begin to follow him, there is nothing in our past that renders us unfit to turn to him. “Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God.”  If they can turn away from their former way of life—no matter how long they have been entrenched in that life—then, I can turn to the Lord as well, and he will receive me with joy. – (Source: Homiletic and Pastoral Review)

Reflection 8 – Religion and Faith
Often the Gospels describe a confrontation between Jesus and certain groups or classes. Generally, those groups represented the religious leadership of Israel. Unfortunately, they seem to have had a hard time accepting Jesus and his message.

Today’s Gospel describes one of those confrontations. When the chief priests and the elders questioned Jesus about his authority he responded with a story and a warning.

The elder son symbolized the religious leaders who rejected Jesus and, in wider sense, the whole nation. The concern of those leaders was more with religion as they understood it than with faith in Jesus. Like the elder son their willingness “to go into the vineyard” was not sincere.

The younger son symbolized people who were despised by the religious leaders: tax collectors, prostitutes, and, in a wider sense, Gentiles. They were people not interested in religion as practiced by the religious leaders. They came to accept Jesus in faith and effectively “entered the vineyard.”

In the latter part of the Gospel passage Jesus tells the chief priests and the elders their religious practices are useless without faith. Jesus tells them tax collectors and prostitutes will enter the kingdom of God before them because, in spite of what they had seen and heard, they did not repent and believe.

This Gospel passage points out something very important about faith and religion. Sometimes those terms (faith and religion) are taken to be roughly synonymous. But they are not at all the same. The difference between them be seen more clearly if we speak of religious practices rather than religion.

There is of a close relationship between religious practice and faith. Religious practices have to be based on and animated by faith. Faith has to be lived out in the context of authentic religious practices. One without the other is defective.

The fault Jesus found with the chief priests and elders was they had religion without faith. Unfortunately, that remains a danger for all of us, to have religions without real faith. There are various ways in which people can do that. Example: Some people seem to believe mere initiation into a religious group and simple observance of certain rites are enough to achieve salvation. Concretely, this is the kind of person sometimes described as “the hatched, matched, and dispatched Catholic”—i.e., a person who identifies as Catholic, is baptized, feels the need to be married in church, wants to be buried in church, and goes to church at Christmas and perhaps at Easter. But that’s about it. They recognize few, if any, further demands of faith.

On another level, persons having religion without faith tend to treat rites and symbols as magical rather than truly religious. So conceived, the symbols do not lead to the mystery of God, but substitute for it. Magic and faith are confused.

On the ethical level religion without faith sees only a system of rules and regulations to be observed in a legalistic way, not unlike the Pharisees of Jesus’ time.

The Lord calls us to more than religion/religious practices. We are called to a living faith whereby we enter into a living relationship with God. That involves something more than adherence to a system of ideas or obedience to a collection of rules or the practice of certain rites. It requires an authentic desire to follow Christ, whatever the costs.

That desire is to be confirmed by fidelity. Fidelity shows the desire to be sincere and to involve a deep intention in contrast to fleeting emotion. It is relatively easy to show good will from time to time. The real challenge is to be consistent in manifesting one’s faith commitment in the concrete circumstances of one’s everyday life. – Read the source: http://www.hprweb.com/2017/09/homilies-for-october-2017/

Reflection 9 – The question of self-preoccupation

It is hard to imagine a more disparaging line to a first-century Pharisee than Christ’s words in today’s Gospel: “The tax collectors and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you” (Mt. 22:31). It is as if the entire religious mind of Judaism is being turned over and recast, in a nearly impossible manner. How could the extension of heaven occur to those most incompetent and obstinate in the ways of the Law? Clearly Christ is manifesting deeper currents of grace than the mere external practices of the religious observant.

It begins with the question of self-preoccupation, a perennial human temptation that has gained noticeable prominence in our technocratic age. Self-preoccupation is the application of human thought towards things and relationships which arises first within itself. It is not that others are not accounted for; in fact, they can become objects of obsession in the self-preoccupied mind. The challenge of Jesus is that, to enter into the life of lived discipleship, the framework of self-preoccupation must be dismantled, so that all things can be understood in terms of the mission to service.

“Man exists to praise, reverence, and serve God, and by this means to save his soul,” writes St. Ignatius of Loyola as the “First Principle and Foundation” of his Spiritual Exercises. Everything must begin in relation to God, a relation of dependence and humble service. And hard as it is for our modern ears to hear, the meaningfulness we may or may not derive from such service is not the condition of its truthfulness.

Something found wanting in the Pharisees is present in the tax collectors and harlots. It is something located within the virtue of humility, that distinctively Christian habit made possible by the self-disclosure of the Incarnate God. As St. Paul explains in today’s epistle, humility is diametrically opposed to the conceited posture of the self-preoccupied: “Do nothing from selfishness or conceit, but in humility count others better than yourselves” (Phil 2:3).

Our self-constructed patterns of life, much we impose a priori upon the designs of providence, when broken down, create the space for the other — and the real acknowledgement of their greater importance. Allowing the mystery of the other to present themselves requires the trust to follow the path of non-comprehension; for we are simply incapable of figuring out the other, let alone God. But this relational via negativa is not degenerative, but freeing, for it actually lets things be, a participation in the Marian fiat.

Though the call to humility is in the foundations of Gospel’s call to conversion, it is not the most central aspect of today’s Gospel. The parable of the two sons, which we read today in Matthew 21, reveals the chronic tension between saying and doing, a tension that cuts through the very heart of human existence. The one son lives in the delusion of his own self-righteousness, saying one thing and doing the other. The other, though obstinate and even defiant at first, reveals the truth of Christian conversion: that the correspondence of saying and doing is greater than the objective and assessable exteriors of practice. The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel expresses this in its essence: “Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions which he had committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Ez. 18:28).

The conversion of the son happens first in his mental consideration, what Aristotle called phrónēsis. This is the wisdom to judge the rightness of a decision in practical action, coming to realize that his human flourishing does not always correspond to what is most naturally desirable. Within the tension of saying and doing, the drama of human authenticity in Christ plays out. For this reason, the son “regretted” his first decision (Mt. 21:29). The Greek word for regret, metamelomai, is similar to its cousin noun, metanoia, meaning conversion. The second son’s change of heart and decisive turn of action began in his regret, his metamelomai. Literally this translates as “after-care,” which implies that his conversion began when his prior decision became an anxiety to him. So often we hurry through life, without reflection or examen. We flee from the present because of our wounds in the past, and charge into the world of activity for the sake of distraction. But the joys of newfound assent can only be discovered when we can acknowledge our regrets in Christ.

Jesus delivers the parable of the two sons upon his arrival in Jerusalem, on the cusp of his culminating work of redemption. He is approaching the hour, that moment of absolute culmination upon which all of history waits. Within it we perceive that the heart of God desires not the performing rectitude of the self-preoccupied, but the regretful conversion of the truly humble heart. In these final days of his human life, he draws out once again to us that, above all, he desires a heart meek and humble, after his own. – Read the source: https://www.hprweb.com/2020/08/homilies-for-september-2020/

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Reflection 10 – Are We Faithful and Generous Workers in His Vineyard?

Immediately preceding today’s Gospel story, Jesus has returned to the Temple (23a) and reclaimed this sacred space for his healing ministry (14) and the stage for teaching and challenging his opponents. The chief priests and elders of the people continue to pressure him: “By what authority are you doing these things and who gave you this authority?” (23b).

It is God himself who is the source of Jesus’ authority, but stating this fact clearly would be nothing short of blasphemy on Jesus’ part. Instead of directly answering his opponents, Jesus challenges them with his own question about the baptism of John. Those gathered around Jesus refuse to see God at work in John’s ministry. They therefore reject Jesus in the process. This withholding of faith in God and in Jesus is exemplified in Jesus’ opponents’ reaction to John the Baptist.

Today’s story begins by introducing us to the familiar scenario of a father who asks each of his sons to go out and work in the vineyard (Matthew 21:28-32). To a Jewish listener, familiar with Hebrew Scripture, this would already have been an important clue that there would be problems in the story! We need only recall the stories of Biblical brothers, which are almost always stories of conflict, alienation, misunderstanding, competition and tension. We need only recall Jacob and Esau, Isaac and Ishmael, or Joseph and his brothers. Jesus is truly a gifted storyteller who draws his listeners in to the teaching moment. I can only imagine what the listeners were thinking as Jesus began his story: “What do you think? A man had two sons.”

After giving the command, the father expects an answer from them. Not satisfied with mere words, the father desires a real commitment. Initially the first son responds negatively, but then repents, or has a complete change of heart, and goes out to work. The second son acknowledges with lip service his father’s request and gives in, but does not follow through on his promise.

Blindness to God’s work

The two sons represent the religious leaders and the religious outcasts who followed John’s call to repentance. By the answer they give to Jesus’ question (Matthew 21:31), the leaders effectively condemn themselves. As religious leaders, they claim to be faithfully obedient to God, but they are blind to the fact that authentic obedience includes responding in faith to the new things God is doing. In the end, the sinners in Israel, exemplified by the tax collectors and prostitutes who had carelessly ignored the demands of their religion, will take their place in the kingdom, while Jesus’ adversaries will be shut out. Those who would otherwise be judged as outside the reach of salvation because of their rejection of the outward form of religion, may in fact be those who are most sensitive to their need for God’s grace, and thus repent and serve the Master most meaningfully. This same strange and surprising way of God is found in today’s Old Testament reading in which the ways of God and the ways of God’s people stand in stark contrast (Ezekiel 18:25-28).

Insight into the kingdom

Today’s parable gives us a glimpse into the radical nature of the Kingdom of God. Although this parable may contain a judgment on Jewish religious leaders, Matthew intended a much wider application of its message, even to us. In this parable each one of us can recognize his or her own personal experience. We ourselves can become blind to what God is doing in the world around us. Could the parable be speaking about those who seem to be very religious and subservient at the start, but in reality may never sufficiently probe the depths of God’s mercy to truly know the heart and mind of God? The parable is a lesson for those who claim to be Christian, but do not worship as Christians or live the Christian life; compared to those who come to Christ later but never claimed to be righteous.

Today many claim to know Christ but do not live the Christian life. It doesn’t matter so much what you say on the outside if it is not matched by your heart on the inside, or your actions. Lip service to Christ that is merely an outward mouthing of polite promises and pious platitudes is empty by comparison with the inward acceptance of the message that prompts people to repentance and action. What God looks for is the final outcome in people’s lives. God is infinitely patient with us and can certainly tolerate our initial “no” on the way to our final, definitive “yes.”

Evangelization, renewal, enthusiasm

How easily our “church efforts” end up being little more than simply maintaining the institution, with no excitement concerning what God’s active grace is doing and consequently no enthusiasm for true evangelization and renewal. We say that we are going to work in the vineyard but instead of harvesting the grapes we spend our time complaining, moaning, ridiculing, despairing collecting the stones along the path and not rejoicing in the abundant growth that is taking place around us.

Humiliation and exultation

Today’s second reading from St. Paul to the Philippians (2:1-11) contains one of the most beautiful Christological hymns of the New Testament. The short rhythmic lines fall into two parts, verses 6-8 Christ is the subject of every verb, and verses 9-11 where God is the subject. The general pattern is thus of Christ’s humiliation and then exaltation.

Although Paul is in prison and no longer can visit and preach to his beloved community at Philippi, they are not without his intercession and assistance. From his prison cell, Paul begs them to make his joy complete by being of “the same mind” and “having “the same love.” Rather than being caught up in the upward mobility and passing things of the world, of society, of all of our broken and sinful ways of life, we are invited to enter into the downward mobility of Jesus Christ who empties himself in order to find fullness and life.

Jesus and the Law

Consider these excerpts from the Catechism of the Catholic Church:
“The perfect fulfillment of the Law could be the work of none but the divine legislator, born subject to the Law in the person of the Son. In Jesus, the Law no longer appears engraved on tables of stone but ‘upon the heart’ of the Servant who becomes ‘a covenant to the people,’ because he will ‘faithfully bring forth justice.’ Jesus fulfills the Law to the point of taking upon himself ‘the curse of the Law’ incurred by those who do not ‘abide by the things written in the book of the Law, and do them,’ for his death took place to redeem them ‘from the transgressions under the first covenant’” (No. 580).

“The Jewish people and their spiritual leaders viewed Jesus as a rabbi. He often argued within the framework of rabbinical interpretation of the Law. Yet Jesus could not help but offend the teachers of the Law, for he was not content to propose his interpretation alongside theirs but taught the people ‘as one who had authority, and not as their scribes.’ In Jesus, the same Word of God that had resounded on Mount Sinai to give the written Law to Moses, made itself heard anew on the Mount of the Beatitudes. Jesus did not abolish the Law but fulfilled it by giving its ultimate interpretation in a divine way: ‘You have heard that it was said to the men of old. … But I say to you.” With this same divine authority, he disavowed certain human traditions of the Pharisees that were ‘making void the word of God” (No. 581).

How do we evangelize?

1. The world around us longs for truly Good News from workers in the vineyard of the Lord — joyful evangelizers who are not dejected, discouraged, impatient or anxious, but from ministers of the Gospel whose lives glow with fervor, who have first received the joy of Christ, and who are willing to risk their lives so that the Kingdom may be proclaimed and the Church established in the midst of the world. Do we approach the new evangelization with a sense of enthusiasm?
2. What prevents us from becoming real communities, true fraternities and a living body, rather than a mechanical thing or enterprise?
3. How have certain events in the world and in the Church helped us to refine and rethink our proclamation? What does the Spirit say to our Church through these events? What new forms of evangelization is the Spirit teaching us and requiring of us?
4. Are we faithful, generous, enthusiastic and hopeful workers in the vineyard of the Lord? (Source: Father Thomas Rosica Zenit.org)

Reflection 11 – Son, go out and work in the vineyard

Both Ezekiel and Jesus present two types of people for our consideration. For Ezekiel, just as the virtuous man can turn from a life of virtue and commit iniquity, so also can the wicked man turn from a life of evil and do what is right and just. Very simply, turning to sin leads to death, while turning away from sin leads to life.

Jesus tells us something similar. We are sons and daughters of the Father, who sends us out to work in his vineyard. One son first says “yes”, but then does not go. The other son first says “no” but then changes his mind and goes. Which of the two, Jesus asks, did the Father’s will?

Conversion is at the heart of both stories. This means a radical reorientation of our entire life away from sin and evil, and toward God. This change of heart brings with it contrition: sorrow and hatred for the sin committed, together with a resolution not to sin again.

As we learned last week, whether we respond early in life to the Father’s call to work in the vineyard, or late in life, we will receive our pay and heavenly inheritance. Mary of Nazareth is a model for us, for she said “yes” from the beginning and worked in the Lord’s vineyard the entire day.

We can read today’s Second Reading as an exhortation of how to work in the vineyard. We work with Christ at our side, we are consoled in love, we are filled with the Holy Spirit. We are merciful with those who respond to the Father’s call as well as with those who refuse to enter into the vineyard. Those who work rejoice since that are of the same mind, have the same love, and are united in heart. They don’t work for selfish gain, but rather to please the Father. They called to be humble and look out for God’s interests as well as the interests of others.

Saint Paul encourages us to imitate Jesus Christ, who responded to the Father’s call to work in the vineyard and invite men and women to join him. He took the form of a slave and humbled himself and became obedient. The work and passion of the Son led to his glorification and exaltation.

Each of us, then, hear the Father’s call: “Go out and work in my vineyard”. If we have been idle all day, then we need a change of heart: we need to believe in Jesus, set out toward the vineyard and work with love and humility. When our labors are finished, we hope to hear the invitation of our Father: “Come, you who are weary and find rest”; “Welcome into my Kingdom, good and faithful servant”. – Read the source: http://www.zenit.org/en/articles/sunday-homily-son-go-out-and-work-in-the-vineyard

Reflection 12 – The Lukewarmness of the Fickle Son

“Now, my dear friends, examine yourselves, and find out upon which side you stand: On the side of the sinner who has given up everything; who thinks no more about the salvation of his soul; who plunges into sin without any remorse of conscience? On the side of those souls who behold God alone, and seek after him? Or do you belong to those poor souls, to those lukewarm, indifferent Christians, that I have just described to you? On which path are you walking? Who can say that he is not a sinner, nor lukewarm, but one of the elect! Alas, my friends, there are many who, in the eyes of the world, appear to be good Christians, but in the sight of God, who knows our intentions, are but lukewarm.

“But you will say to me, what means shall we employ that we may get out of this miserable state? Let me first tell you that those who live in lukewarmness are, in a certain sense, in greater danger than those who live in mortal sin. A sinner laments his condition when his conscience awakens. He even longs to leave his sinful life, and he will leave it some day. But a soul which lives lukewarmness never thinks of quitting that state, because he even thinks that he stands well with God….

“Raise up your thoughts to heaven, and behold the glory of the saints, which is theirs because while they were upon earth they fought and did violence to themselves….

“Let us conclude, dear brethren, by saying that there is no state so much to be feared for a person as that of lukewarmness, because a great sinner is more easily converted than a lukewarm soul. Let us pray to God with our whole hearts, if we find ourselves in this state, that he may grant us the grace to leave it, and to take that path which all the saints have taken, that we may attain to the bliss which they enjoy. This is what I wish you all” (St. John Vianney, the Cure of Ars, +1859).

Reflection 13 – The correct answer isn’t always right

This Sunday’s Gospel story was meant to shock people who think they’re okay spiritually but do not honestly examine how well they do the Father’s will. Jesus said that tax collectors and prostitutes (professions considered to be the most contemptible and unholy) were entering the kingdom of God ahead of religious experts!

These so-called “experts” knew the correct answer to the question that Jesus posed — they knew to say yes to God — but knowing the right answer and actually DOing the right answer is the dividing line between heaven and hell.

God doesn’t want right answers; he wants righteous actions. God doesn’t want dutiful compliance to Church teachings; he wants obedience motivated by love and an enthusiastic attitude of serving in the mission of the Church.

What’s the value of going to Mass every Sunday, for example, if it doesn’t result in deeds of holiness outside the Mass? Do you know someone who’s saying “no” to coming to Mass? If they’re doing good works because they genuinely love God, who’s to say they won’t reach full unity with him sooner than people who attend every Mass but do little to help others?

God wants us to do both: Know the right answers and be righteous. Go to Mass faithfully and be changed by it. Say yes to his calling to make the world a better place by uniting ourselves to Christ in church and following out him out the door, taking him to everyone we meet.

Questions for Personal Reflection:
What opportunities to serve God in your parish or out in the community have you said “no” to? Spend some time praying to understand whether or not that was an invitation from Christ himself. What can you say “yes” to now?

Questions for Community Faith Sharing:
What types of people today are despised the most? Who seems least likely to get into heaven? (A terrorist perhaps? An ex-spouse?) How is it possible (to our surprise) that we might be greeted by them when we arrive in heaven? How would you feel about it? – Read the source: http://gnm.org/good-news-reflections/?useDrDate=2017-09-30

Reflection 14 – Obedience is love put into practice

To obey God the Father means to do his will, to love good, to choose good, to want good, to do good

1) Obedience to love is freedom.

The first and instinctive reaction that we have reading the parable of the Father who sends his two sons to work in the vineyard, is to identify ourselves with the son who says yes but then disobeys or with the son who rebels against his father’s request but then obeys. In fact, these two brothers make the same basic mistake: both consider the Father a master.

The first son agrees immediately to go to the vineyard because he wants the father to believe what he is not but then doesn’t fulfill his commitment. The second son clearly answers “I do not want”. He considers the work in the vineyard too heavy, would prefer to do something else and has other projects, but then” regrets” what he has done[1]. The love of the Father wins over him and he walks into the vineyard.

If the Father is seen and treated as a boss, we tend to live as slaves of a superior will with which we do not agree and to which we subdue with fear. With this parable, Christ shows us that, if we repent, we can follow the will of the Father by attraction of love and not by coercion. God is a father, not a master. God is the Father who loves and invites to accept his love.

Love is not easy, especially when it gives us orders we do not understand and consider a limit to our freedom. In this regard, Jesus teaches us that our freedom demands to reject our own selfishness and to put an end to sin so that, by adhering to God, our life in God may unfold in the world. The journey of the soul in real life is a relationship of obedience. At first, it is certainly a renounce of self (cf. Mk 8:34) and self-denial to come back from the alienation in which sin has placed us and to return to the full possession of being in God. Adhering to God our soul can experience more and more divine freedom and expand and broaden in the immensity of the life of God. For this reason, obedience is the way of life! To exempt ourselves from obedience to God is to exempt ourselves from life; it is to remain shrunken in our little world, closed and suffocated by sin, alienated from ourselves and from our true self which is loved by God from whose Love our love is born.

The son who had said “no” to the Father converted to this Love. What has disarmed the refusal of this child? Repentance caused by a change in heart and mind. His repentance (see note 1) meant “a change of mentality, a change in the way to see” the father and the vineyard. The father is no longer a master to obey or even worse to deceive. He is the head of the family who sends his son into the vineyard, which is also his, for a plentiful harvest and for a wine of celebration for the whole house. And the labor becomes full of hope and love.

The obedient son who “repented” (cf. Mt 21, 30) had understood that the basic alternative was (and is) between a sterile existence and fertile one that turned (and turns) a corner of the desert into a vineyard and his family in a fragment of the paradise of God. Far from diminishing his dignity of the child, obedience makes his freedom grow and puts it in order, as a kind of religious ordination for the mission to cultivate the vineyard of the world. It is like the imposition of hands on the day of the priestly ordination in which the mission of the priest begins. In the name of God, the Bishop sends the new priest into the vineyard of the Lord. Obedience is an imitation of Christ and participation in his mission. Those who obey, take care of doing what Jesus has done, and, at the same time, what he would do in the situations in which we find ourselves today.

2) Obedience[2] and freedom are not contradictory.

God “dares” to entrust His vineyard to us; He gives us his “property;” He “orders” us to work entrusting to our freedom his plan of goodness and to make it happen. The obedience of the Virgin Mother “realized” God, gave flesh to God, and had an experience of great freedom. God asks us the same thing. Obedience is our response to his love. Obedience is the fruit of love and service to Love. There is no love without obedience and love without obedience becomes servile.

The Son of God took on the human condition for every child of God, rebellious but repented and capable of love. He lived among us as a servant, faced the judgment of the arrogant, rose on the cross, and died. In his death, all sins have been washed away. In his resurrection, every sinner is resurrected, becomes able to love God again, and to listen and to obey to His Word that tells words that challenge each of us every day.

Jesus warns us not only from a religiousness empty, cold, and formal that consumes itself in external practices but also invites us to cultivate a deep faith and a genuine filial relationship with God firmly rooted in the love that welcomes, listens, and humbly obeys.

Among the brothers, Jesus is the third one, the one who says “yes” right away and also does what he is told. This third brother[3] is the only begotten Son of God, Jesus Christ, who, coming into the world, said “Behold, I come […] to do, O God, thy will” (Heb 10.7). He has not only spoken this “yes”, but has accomplished it, obeyed it, and suffered it up to death and a death on the cross (cf. Phil 2: 6-8).

In humility and obedience, Jesus fulfilled the will of the Father, died on the cross for his brothers and sisters – for us – and has redeemed us from our pride and stubbornness.

These two virtues, together with chastity and poverty, make the cross that every day we are “ordered” to carry to save us and the world. “Obedience consecrates our hearts, chastity our bodies, poverty our goods to the love and service of God: they are the three arms of the spiritual cross and rest on the fourth which is humility “(St. Francis de Sales, Philothea, chap. 10).

Humility does not enjoy – nowadays, and perhaps has never enjoyed – a great consideration, but the consecrated Virgins in the world know that this virtue makes fruitful the work in the vineyard of God. Humility comes from the Latin word humilitas, which has to do with humus (earth), that is, with adherence to the ground, to reality. These women, who have donated themselves entirely to God, live as humble people because, living in Him and for Him, they humbly listen to Christ, the Word of God. They tend to have the same feelings of their loved Spouse (“Have among yourselves the same attitude that is also yours in Christ Jesus”) (Philippians 2.5). St. Augustine said, “There is no love without humility” (Prologue to the Commentary on the Epistle of St. John), and in another book, he wrote: “The keeper of virginity is charity, the house where this guardian lives is humility “(On Holy Virginity, 51, 52).

Their vocation of consecrated virginity as a complete gift of self to Christ and as the sign of the Bride Church is expressed in their complete trust in the love of their Bridegroom, in the intensity of communion with Him, and in humble charity that becomes selfless service to the Church and luminous testimony of faith, hope, and charity in the context of ordinary life.

As requested by the Rite of Consecration, each member of the Ordo Virginum takes the commitment of constantly keeping in mind that prayer is not only a personal, generous response to the voice of the bridegroom and a humble plea for help so to remain faithful to her holy purpose and the gift that she has received, but it is also intimate participation in the life of the Mystical Body of Christ and tireless intercession for the Church and for the world.

Patristic Reading: The Golden Chain

ON MATTHEW 21,28-32

Jerome: Thus much prefaced, the Lord brings forward a parable, to convict them of their irreligion, and show them that the kingdom of God should be transferred to the Gentiles.

Pseudo-Chrys.: Those who are to be judged in this cause, He applies to as judges that condemning themselves they might be shown to be unworthy to be acquitted by any other. It is high confidence of the justness of a cause that will entrust it to the decision of an adversary. But He veils the allusion to them in a parable that they might not perceive that they were passing sentence upon themselves; “A certain man had two sons.” Who is he but God, who created all men, who being by nature Lord of all, yet would rather be loved as a father, than feared as a Lord. The elder son was the Gentile people, the younger the Jews, since from the time of Noah there had been Gentiles. And he came to the (p. 725) first, and said, Son, go work today in my vineyard. Today,” i.e. during this age. He spoke with him, not face to face as man, but to his heart as God, instilling understanding through the senses. To work in the vineyard is to do righteousness; for to cultivate the whole thereof, I know not that any one man is sufficient.

Jerome: He speaks to the Gentile people first, through their knowledge of the law of nature; “Go and work in my vineyard;” i.e. “What you would not have done to you, that do not you to others.” (Tb 4, 16) He answers haughtily, “I will not.”

Pseudo-Chrys.: For the Gentiles from the beginning leaving God and his righteousness, and going over to idols and sins, seem to make answer in their thoughts, we will not do the righteousness of God.

Jerome: But when, at the coming of the Savior, the Gentile people, having done penitence, labored in God’s vineyard, and atoned by their labor for the obstinacy of their refusal, this is what is said, “But afterward he repented, and went.” The second son is the Jewish people who made answer to Moses, “All that the Lord hath said unto us we will do.” (Ex 24, 3)

Pseudo-Chrys.: But afterwards turning their backs, they lied unto God, according to that in the Psalms, “The sons of the strangers have lied unto me.” (Ps 18,44) This is what is said, “But he went not.” The Lord accordingly asks “which of them twain did the will of his father? They say unto him, The first.” See how they have first sentence upon themselves, saying, that the elder son, that is, the Gentile people, did the will of his father. For it is better not to promise righteousness before God, and to do it, than to promise, and to fail.

Origen: Whence we may gather, that in this parable the Lord spoke to such as promise little or nothing, but in their works shine forth; and against those who promise great things but do none of these things that they have promised.

Jerome: It should be known that in the correct copies it is read not “The last,” but The first,” that they might be condemned by their own sentence. But should we prefer to read, as some have it, “The last,” the explanation is obvious, to say that the Jews understood the truth, but dissembled, and would not say what they thought; just as though they knew that the baptism of John was from heaven, they would not say so.

Pseudo-Chrys.: The Lord abundantly confirms their decision, (p. 726) whence it follows, “Jesus said unto them, Verily I say unto yon, that the publicans and harlots shall go before you in the kingdom of God;” as much as to say, Not only the Gentiles are before you, but even the publicans and the harlots.

Raban.: Yet the kingdom of God may be understood of the Gentiles, or of the present Church, in which the Gentiles go before the Jews, because they were more ready to believe.

Origen: Notwithstanding, the Jews are not shut out that they should never enter into the kingdom of God; but, “when the fullness of the Gentiles shall have entered in, then all Israel shall be saved.”

Pseudo-Chrys.: I suppose that the “publicans” here are to represent all sinful men, and “the harlots” all sinful women; because avarice is found the most prevailing vice among men, and fornication among women. For a woman’s life is passed in idleness and seclusion, which are great temptations to that sin, while a man, constantly occupied in various active duties, falls readily into the snare of covetousness, and not so commonly into fornication, as the anxieties of manly cares preclude thoughts of pleasure, which engage rather the young and idle.

Then follows the reason of what He had said, “For John came unto you in the way of righteousness, and ye believed Him not.”

Raban.: John came preaching the way of righteousness, because he pointed to Christ, who is the fulfilling of the Law.

Pseudo-Chrys.: Or, because his venerable conversation smote the hearts of sinners, as it follows, “But the Publicans and harlots believed on him.” Mark how the good life of the preacher gives its force to his preaching, so as to subdue unsubdued hearts. “And ye, when ye had seen it, repented not afterward, that ye might believe him;” as much as to say, They have done that which is more by believing on Him, ye have not even repented, which is less.

But in this exposition which we have set forth according to the mind of many interpreters, there seems to me something inconsistent. For if by the two sons are to be understood the Jews and Gentiles, as soon as the Priests had answered that it was the first son that did his father’s will, then Christ should have concluded His parable with these words, Verily I say unto you, that the Gentiles shall go into the kingdom of God before you. But He says, “The Publicans and harlots,” a class rather of Jews (p. 727) than of Gentiles. Unless this is to be taken as was said above; So much rather the Gentile people please God than you, that even the Publicans and harlots are more acceptable to Him than you.

Jerome: Whence others think that the parable does not relate to Gentiles and Jews, but simply to the righteous and to sinners. These by their evil deeds had rejected God’s service, but after received from John the baptism of repentance; while the Pharisees who made a shew of righteousness, and boasted that they did the law of God, despising John’s baptism, did not follow his precepts.

Pseudo-Chrys.: This He brings in because the Priests had asked not in order to learn, but to tempt Him. But of the common folk many had believed; and for that reason He brings forward the parable of the two sons, showing them therein that the common sort, who from the first professed secular lives, were better than the Priests who from the first professed the service of God, inasmuch as the people at length turned repentant to God, but the Priests impenitent, never left off to sin against God. And the elder son represents the people; because the people is not for the sake of the Priests, but the Priests are for the sake of the people.

Read the source: https://zenit.org/2020/09/25/archbishop-follo-obedience-is-love-put-into-practice/

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[1] The Greek text of the Gospel uses the aorist participle of μεταμέλομαι (metamélomai = I regret), which literally should be translated “having changed his mind he had the heart to do something,” that is, to go to work in the vineyard. In short, “to change the way to see, to think”. This verb, in addition to being used in verse 30 of chapter 21 of Matthew for the obedient son, is also used in verse 32.

[2] The verb to obey comes from Latin, and means to listen, to hear each other. “To obey God is listening to God, to have an open heart to go on the road that God shows us. Obedience to God is listening to God. And this makes us free. “(Pope Francis).

On August 19, 2012 for the XX Sunday of Year B I wrote: “To obey to God is” to realize “God. The Virgin Mary with her” yes” made Jesus.  Her “Fiat” gave flesh to the Word of God.  With my” yes “to Christ’s command ” Do this in memory of me “, I make him. When in the Mass I say,” This is my body, “I make Him and I give flesh to the Word of God. Loving obedience to God is liberating; it is freedom because his command is not an imposition of an arbitrary and capricious God, but a word (logos) with which He reveals his heart and our future.

[3] It is an intuition of the pope emeritus Benedict XVI

Reflection 15 – A Father, Two Sons and the Vineyard

With His preaching on the Kingdom of God, Jesus opposes a religiosity that does not involve human life, that does not question the conscience and its responsibility in the face of good and evil. This is also demonstrated by the parable of the two sons, which is offered to us in the Gospel of Matthew (cf. 21:28-32). To the father’s invitation to go and work in the vineyard, the first son impulsively responds “no, I’m not going”, but then he repents and goes; instead the second son, who immediately replies “yes, yes dad”, does not actually do so; he doesn’t go. Obedience does not consist of saying “yes” or “no”, but always of acting, of cultivating the vineyard, of bringing about the Kingdom of God, in doing good. With this simple example, Jesus wants to go beyond a religion understood only as external and habitual practice, which does not affect people’s lives and attitudes, a superficial religiosity, merely “ritual”, in the ugly sense of the word.

The exponents of this “façade” of religiosity, of which Jesus disapproves, in that time, were “the chief priests and the elders of the people” (Mt 21:23), who, according to the Lord’s admonition, will be preceded in the Kingdom of God by “tax collectors and prostitutes” (see v. 31). Jesus tells them: “the tax collectors, meaning the sinners,  and the harlots go into the kingdom of God before you”. This affirmation must not induce us to think that those who do not follow God’s commandments, those who do not follow morality, saying “In any case, those who go to Church are worse than us”, do well. No, this is not Jesus’ teaching. Jesus does not indicate publicans and prostitutes as models of life, but as “privileged of Grace”. And I would like to underscore this word, “grace”. Grace. Because conversion is always a grace. A grace that God offers to anyone who opens up and converts to Him. Indeed, these people, listening to his preaching, repented and changed their lives. Let us think of Matthew, for example. Saint Matthew, who was a publican, a traitor to his homeland.

In today’s Gospel, the one who makes the best impression is the first brother, not because he said “no” to his father, but because after his “no” he converted to “yes”, he repented. God is patient with each of us: He does not tire, He does not desist after our “no”; He leaves us free even to distance ourselves from Him and to make mistakes. Thinking about God’s patience is wonderful! How the Lord always waits for us; He is always beside us to help us; but He respects our freedom.  And He anxiously awaits our “yes”, so as to welcome us anew in His fatherly arms and to fill us with His boundless mercy. Faith in God asks us to renew every day the choice of good over evil, the choice of the truth rather than lies, the choice of love for our neighbor over selfishness. Those who convert to this choice, after having experienced sin, will find the first places in the Kingdom of heaven, where there is greater joy for a single sinner who converts than for ninety-nine righteous people (see Lk 15: 7).

But conversion, changing the heart, is a process, a process that purifies us from moral encrustations. And at times it is a painful process because there is no path of holiness without some sacrifice and without a spiritual battle. Battling for good; battling so as not to fall into temptation; doing for our part what we can, to arrive at living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes. Today’s Gospel passage calls into question the way of living a Christian life, which is not made up of dreams and beautiful aspirations, but of concrete commitments, in order to open ourselves ever more to God’s will and to love for our brothers and sisters. But this, even the smallest concrete commitment, cannot be made without grace. Conversion is a grace we must always ask for: “Lord, give me the grace to improve. Give me the grace to be a good Christian”.

May Mary Most Holy help us to be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit. He is the One who melts the hardness of hearts and disposes them to repentance, so we may obtain the life and salvation promised by Jesus. – Read the source: https://zenit.org/2020/09/27/angelus-pope-recalls-a-father-two-sons-and-the-vineyard-full-text/

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Reflection 16 – St. Vincent de Paul (1580?-1660 A.D.)

The deathbed confession of a dying servant opened Vincent’s eyes to the crying spiritual needs of the peasantry of France. This seems to have been a crucial moment in the life of the man from a small farm in Gascony, France, who had become a priest with little more ambition than to have a comfortable life.

It was the Countess de Gondi (whose servant he had helped) who persuaded her husband to endow and support a group of able and zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers and country people in general. Vincent was too humble to accept leadership at first, but after working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley-slaves, he returned to be the leader of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the Vincentians. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages.

Later, Vincent established confraternities of charity for the spiritual and physical relief of the poor and sick of each parish. From these, with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity, “whose convent is the sickroom, whose chapel is the parish church, whose cloister is the streets of the city.” He organized the rich women of Paris to collect funds for his missionary projects, founded several hospitals, collected relief funds for the victims of war and ransomed over 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. He was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries.

Most remarkably, Vincent was by temperament a very irascible person—even his friends admitted it. He said that except for the grace of God he would have been “hard and repulsive, rough and cross.” But he became a tender and affectionate man, very sensitive to the needs of others.

Pope Leo XIII made him the patron of all charitable societies. Outstanding among these, of course, is the Society of St. Vincent de Paul, founded in 1833 by his admirer Blessed Frédéric Ozanam (September 7).

Comment:

The Church is for all God’s children, rich and poor, peasants and scholars, the sophisticated and the simple. But obviously the greatest concern of the Church must be for those who need the most help—those made helpless by sickness, poverty, ignorance or cruelty. Vincent de Paul is a particularly appropriate patron for all Christians today, when hunger has become starvation, and the high living of the rich stands in more and more glaring contrast to the physical and moral degradation in which many of God’s children are forced to live.

Quote:

“Strive to live content in the midst of those things that cause your discontent. Free your mind from all that troubles you, God will take care of things. You will be unable to make haste in this [choice] without, so to speak, grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have the fulfillment of what your heart desires” (St. Vincent de Paul, Letters).

Vincent was born of a humble peasant family in Gascony, France in 1581 A.D. After completing his studies, he was ordained a priest when he was not quite twenty and went to Paris where he served in a parish. He found his calling in the ministry to the poor, first among the country estate of the Gondhi family and later in Paris. Eventually he came under the influence of Cardinal Pierre de Berulle, with his emphasis on the humanity of Christ, and Saint Francis de Sales, who taught of God’s tender mercy. He founded the Congregation of the Mission to supervise the formation of priests and to give support to the poor. He sent the priests of the Congregation of the Mission to bring Christ to rural populations. With the help of St. Louise de Marillac, he also founded the Congregation of the Daughters of Charity to give their lives to the care of the marginalized. In his letters, he wrote, “Strive to live content in the midst of those things that cause your discontent. Free your mind from all that troubles you, God will take care of things. You will be unable to make haste in this [choice] without, so to speak, grieving the heart of God, because he sees that you do not honor him sufficiently with holy trust. Trust in him, I beg you, and you will have the fulfillment of what your heart desires” (St. Vincent de Paul, Letters). He died in Paris in 1660 A.D. He is the patron of the parish-based Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, founded in 1883 A.D. by Frederic Ozanam.

10 Quotes from St. Vincent de Paul that will rock your spiritual world

By Philip Kosloski | Sep 27, 2017

FLLL | Wikipedia

San Vincenzo de Paoli (1581-1660) “La carità è il cemento che lega le comunità a Dio e alle persone

Attention to the poor and a healthy dose of humility were hallmarks of his spirituality.

While St. Vincent de Paul is widely known for his countless charitable works, he also had a deep spiritual life that formed everything he did. In fact, the “Apostle of Charity” was only able to do what he did through a profound devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus that propelled him to see others as Christ sees them.

Two hallmarks of Vincent’s spirituality are attention to the poor and a healthy dose of humility. These two staples of the spiritual life are very challenging, and if adopted into everyday life can entirely change a person’s trajectory.

Here are 10 powerful quotes from St. Vincent de Paul that provide much to think about as we consider ways that we can grow in holiness.

1. The poor are your masters. You are the servant. 
2.  Humility is nothing but truth, and pride is nothing but lying.
3. Be careful to give no credit to yourself for anything; if you do, you are stealing from God, to whom alone every good thing is due.
4. The most powerful weapon to conquer the devil is humility. For, as he does not know at all how to employ it, neither does he know how to defend himself from it.
5. Go to the poor: you will find God.
6. We should spend as much time in thanking God for his benefits as we do in asking him for them.
7. Make it a practice to judge persons and things in the most favorable light at all times and under all circumstances.
8. Fear not; calm will follow the storm, and perhaps soon.
9. Virtue is not found in extremes, but in prudence, which I recommend as strongly as I can.
10. There is nothing good that does not meet with opposition, and it should not be valued any less because it encounters objections. – Read the source: https://aleteia.org/2017/09/27/10-quotes-from-st-vincent-de-paul-that-will-rock-your-spiritual-world/

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia:   https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vincent_de_Paul

“St Vincent de Paul” redirects here. For other uses, see Vincent de Paul (disambiguation).

ST. VINCENT DE PAUL, C.M.
A portrait of St. Vincent de Paul by Simon François de Tours (17th century)
PRIEST AND FOUNDER
BORN	24 April 1581 Saint-Vincent-de-Paul, Guyenneand Gascony, Kingdom of France
DIED	27 September 1660 (aged 79) Paris, Kingdom of France
VENERATED IN	Catholic Church, Anglican Communion
BEATIFIED	13 August 1729, Rome, Papal States by Pope Benedict XIII
CANONIZED	16 June 1737, Rome, Papal States by Pope Clement XII
MAJOR SHRINE	St. Vincent de Paul Chapel, 95, Rue de Sèvres, Paris, France
FEAST	27 September 19 July (Roman Calendar, 1737-1969)
PATRONAGE	charities; horses; hospitals; leprosy; lost articles;Madagascar; prisoners;Richmond, Virginia; spiritual help; Saint Vincent de Paul Societies; Sacred Heart Cathedral Preparatory; Vincentian Service Corps; volunteers

Ranquines, birthplace of Vincent

St. Vincent de Paul (24 April 1581 – 27 September 1660) was a French Roman Catholic priest who dedicated himself to serving the poor. He is venerated as a saint in the Catholic Church and the Anglican Communion. He was canonized in 1737.^[1] He was renowned for his compassion, humility, and generosity and is known as the “Great Apostle of Charity”.

Contents

 [hide] 

• 1Life
• 2Abduction and enslavement
• 3Return to Europe
• 4Foundation of Religious Congregations
• 5Veneration
• 6Patronage
• 7Legacy
• 8In popular culture
• 9See also
• 10References
• 11External links

Life[edit]

Vincent was born in 1581 in the village of Pouy in Gascony, in the Province of Guyenne and Gascony, the Kingdom of France, to peasant farmers, father Jean and mother Bertrande de Moras de Paul. There was in the vicinity, a stream named the “Paul” and it is believed that this might have been the derivation of the family name. He wrote the name as one word – Depaul, possibly to avoid the inference that he was of noble birth, but none of his correspondents did so.^[2] He had three brothers – Jean, Bernard and Gayon, and two sisters – Marie and Marie-Claudine.^[3] He was the third child. At an early age, he showed a talent for reading and writing but during his childhood, his work was as a herder of his family’s livestock.^[2] At 15, his father sent him to seminary, managing to pay for it by selling the family’s oxen.^[4]

Vincent’s interest in the priesthood at that time, was largely with the intent to establish a successful career and obtain abenefice, with which he could retire early and support the family.^[5]

For two years, Vincent received his education at a college in Dax, France adjoining a monastery of the Friars Minor where he and others resided. In 1597, he began his studies in the Faculty of Theology at the University of Toulouse. The atmosphere at the university was anything but pious or conducive to spiritual contemplation. Fights broke out between various factions of students which escalated into armed battles. During the course of the unrest, an official was murdered by two students. Nevertheless, he continued his studies and was able to help pay for his education by tutoring others. He was ordained on 23 September 1600 at the age of nineteen in Château-l’Évêque, near Périgueux. This was against the regulations established by the Council of Trent which required a minimum of 24 years of age for ordination, so when he was appointed parish priest in Tilh, the appointment was appealed against in the Court of Rome. Rather than respond to a lawsuit in which he would probably not have prevailed, he resigned from the position and continued his studies. On 12 October 1604 he received his Bachelor of Theology from the University of Toulouse. Later he received a Licentiate inCanon Lawfrom the University of Paris.^[2]

Abduction and enslavement[edit]

In 1605, Vincent sailed from Marseilles on his way back from Castres where he had gone to sell some property he had received in an inheritance from a wealthy patron in Toulouse, and was taken captive by Barbary pirates, who brought him to Tunis.^[6] De Paul was auctioned off as a slave to the highest bidder, and spent two years in bondage.

His first master was a fisherman, but Vincent was unsuitable for this line of work due to sea-sickness and was soon sold. His next master was a spagyrical physician, alchemist and inventor. He became fascinated by his arts and was taught how to prepare and administer his master’s spagyric remedies. ^[7]

The fame of Vincent’s master became so great that it attracted the attention of men who summoned him to Istanbul. During the passage, the old man died and he was sold once again.^[2] His new master was a former priest and Franciscan from Nice, named Guillaume Gautier. He had converted to Islam in order to gain his freedom from slavery and was living in the mountains with three wives. The second wife, a Muslim by birth, was drawn to and visited Vincent in the fields to question him about his faith. She became convinced that his faith was true and admonished her husband for renouncing his Christianity. He became remorseful and decided to escape back to France with his slave. They had to wait ten months, but finally they secretly boarded a small boat and crossed theMediterranean, landing in Aigues-Mortes on 28 June 1607.^[2]

Return to Europe[edit]

After returning to France, Vincent went to Rome. There he continued his studies until 1609, when he was sent back to France on a mission to King Henry IV. Once inParis, he made the acquaintance of Pierre de Bérulle, whom he took as his spiritual advisor. André Duval, of the Sorbonne introduced him to Canfield‘s “Rule of Perfection”.^[5]

In 1612 he was sent as parish priest to the Church of Saint-Medard in Clichy. In less than a year Bérulle recalled him to Paris to serve as a chaplain and tutor to theGondi family.^[6] Preaching a mission to the peasants on the Gondi estates persuaded him that he should direct his efforts to the poor. It was the Countess de Gondi who persuaded her husband to endow and support a group of able and zealous missionaries who would work among poor tenant farmers and country people in general.^[8]

Foundation of Religious Congregations[edit]

In 1617, Vincent founded the “Ladies of Charity” (French: Dames de la Charité) from a group of women within his parish. He organized these wealthy women of Paris to collect funds for missionary projects, found hospitals, and gather relief funds for the victims of war and to ransom 1,200 galley slaves from North Africa. From these, with the help of St. Louise de Marillac, came the Daughters of Charity of Saint Vincent de Paul (French: Filles de la Charité).^[1]

In 1622 Vincent was appointed chaplain to the galleys.^[3] After working for some time in Paris among imprisoned galley-slaves, he returned to be the leader of what is now known as the Congregation of the Mission, or the “Vincentians”. These priests, with vows of poverty, chastity, obedience and stability, were to devote themselves entirely to the people in smaller towns and villages.^[8]

Vincent was zealous in conducting retreats for clergy at a time when there was great laxity, abuse, and ignorance among them. He was a pioneer in clerical training and was instrumental in establishing seminaries.^[8] He spent twenty-eight years serving as the spiritual director of the Convent of St. Mary of Angels.^[9]

Vincent died in Paris on 27 September 1660.^[6]

Veneration[edit]

In 1705, the Superior-General of the Lazarists requested that the holy process of Vincent’s canonization be instituted. On 13 August 1729, he was declared blessed byPope Benedict XIII. He was canonized nearly eight years later by Pope Clement XII on 16 June 1737.

Vincent’s body was exhumed in 1712, 53 years after his death. The written account of an eyewitness states that “the eyes and nose alone showed some decay”. However, when it was exhumed again during the canonization in 1737, it was found to have decomposed due to an underground flood. His bones have been encased in a waxen figure which is displayed in a glass reliquary in the chapel of the headquarters of the Vincentian fathers in Paris. His heart is still incorrupt, and is displayed in a reliquary in the chapel of the motherhouse of the Daughters of Charity in Paris.^[10]

The waxen mask and hands encasing Vincent’s bones

In 1737, Vincent’s feast day was included in the Roman Calendar for celebration on 19 July, because his day of death was already used for the feast of Saints Cosmas and Damian. It was given the rank of “Double”, which was changed to the equivalent rank of “Third-Class Feast” in 1960.^[11] The 1969 revision of the General Roman Calendar transferred his memorial to 27 September, moving Cosmas and Damian to 26 September to make way for him, as he is now better known in the West than they.^[12]

Vincent is honored with a feast day on 27 September in the Church of England and the Episcopal Church (USA).

One of the feasts celebrated by the French Deist Church of the Theophilanthropy was dedicated to Vincent.

Patronage[edit]

In 1885, Pope Leo XIII named Vincent patron of the Sisters of Charity.^[6] He is also patron to the Brothers of Charity.

Vincent is the patron of all works of charity. The Society of Saint Vincent de Paul, a charitable organization dedicated to the service of the poor, was established by French university students in 1833, led by the Blessed Frederic Ozanam. The Society is today present in 132 countries.^[13]

St. Vincent de Paul Roman Catholic Church in New York City

Legacy[edit]

Niagara University in Lewiston, NY, St. John’s University in New York, New York, and DePaul University in Chicago, Illinois were founded in 1856,^[14] 1870^[15] and 1898,^[16] respectively, by the Congregation of the Mission in the United States.

Parishes are dedicated to Vincent in Los Angeles, CA;^[17] Washington, DC;^[18] Syracuse, New York; Chicago, Illinois;^[19] Omaha, Nebraska;^[20] Mays Landing, New Jersey;^[21] Mt. Vernon, Ohio.^[22]Houston, Texas;^[23] Delray Beach, Florida; Wheeling, West Virginia,^[24] Coventry, Rhode Island, Churchville, New York,^[25] Peryville, Missouri,^[26] Lenox Dale, Massachusetts,^[27] Girardville, Pennsylvania,^[28] Arlington, Texas, and elsewhere.

Schools are also dedicated in Vincent’s name. A high school, Vincent High School, in Wayne, New Jersey; Los Angeles, CA^[29]

A long-term care 1,200 bed facility for elderly people is dedicated to St. Vincent de Paul in Malta. In the Philippines, a church is dedicated to him located in Ermita, Manila, and Adamson University adopted him as their Patron Saint after the Vincentian Priests took over the University.^{[citation needed]}

In popular culture[edit]

Pierre Fresnay portrayed Vincent in the 1947 biographical film, Monsieur Vincent.

See also[edit]

• Biography portal
• Catholicism portal
• Saints portal
• France portal

• List of Catholic saints
• List of slaves
• Union chrétienne de Saint-Chaumond (Poitiers) – Cofounded by St. Vincent de Paul

References[edit]

1. ^ Jump up to:^a b Attwater, Donald (1982) The Penguin Dictionary of Saints p 337, Aylesbury
2. ^ Jump up to:^{a b c d e} Coste, Pierre (1932) Monsieur Vincent: Le Grand Saint du grand siècle, Desclée de Brouwer, Paris, France
3. ^ Jump up to:^a b Butler’s Lives of the Saints, (Michael Walsh, ed.), (1991) p 304, HarperCollins Publishers, New York
4. Jump up^ “St. Vincent de Paul, Seton Health Care
5. ^ Jump up to:^a b O’Donnell C. M., Hugh. “Vincent de Paul: His Life and Way”, Vincent de Paul and Louise de Marillac: Rules, Conferences, and Writings, (Frances Ryan and John E. Rybolt, eds.), Paulist Press, 1995, ISBN 9780809135646
6. ^ Jump up to:^a b c d Dégert, Antoine (1912) “St. Vincent de Paul”, The Catholic Encyclopedia. Vol. 15, Robert Appleton Company, New York, accessed 9 Jan. 2013
7. Jump up^ Pormann, Peter E.; Savage-Smith, Emilie (2007). Medieval Islamic Medicine. Edinburgh University Press. ISBN 0-7486-2066-4.
8. ^ Jump up to:^a b c Foley OFM, Leonard, “St. Vincent de Paul”, Saint of the Day, Lives, Lessons, and Feast, (revised by Pat McCloskey OFM), Franciscan Media, ISBN 978-0-86716-887-7
9. Jump up^ “Temples in Paris: Catholic churches and other places devoted to Protestant worship after the Concordat in 1801”. Musée virtuel du Protestantisme.
10. Jump up^ Joan Carroll Cruz (1977) The Incorruptibles pp. 248–9, Tan Books and Publishers, Inc.
11. Jump up^ General Roman Calendar of 1960
12. Jump up^ Calendarium Romanum p. 140 (1969) Libreria Editrice Vaticana
13. Jump up^ Herbert Hewitt Stroup (1985) Social Welfare Pioneers p. 185, Rowman and Littlefield ISBN 0-88229-212-9
14. Jump up^ Niagara University History
15. Jump up^ St. John’s University Quick Facts
16. Jump up^ History, DePaul University
17. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul Church, a Roman Catholic parish founded in 1887, and Los Angeles Historic-Cultural Monument completed in 1925, in the University Park section just South of Downtown Los Angeles and just North of USC (University of Southern California).
18. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul, Navy Yard/Southwest Waterfront, Washington, D.C.
19. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Lincoln Park, Chicago
20. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul Catholic Church, Omaha, Nebraska
21. Jump up^ Parish of St. Vincent de Paul, Mays Landing, New Jersey
22. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul Parish, Mt. Vernon, Ohio
23. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul, Houston, Texas
24. Jump up^ St. Vincent de Paul, Wheeling, West Virginia
25. Jump up^ St. Vincent’s, Churchville, New York,
26. Jump up^ St. Vincent De Paul Parish, Perryville, Missouri
27. Jump up^ St. Vincent’s, Lenox Dale, Massachusetts
28. Jump up^