Son, Go Out and Work In the Vineyard Today"

Through this Sunday’s Gospel, Jesus tells us about two sons. The father asks both of them to work in his vineyard. The first says,“I will not,” but later changes his mind and goes. The second says, “Yes, sir,” but never goes. Jesus asks a simple question: Which one actually did the father’s will?

This Gospel speaks personally to each of us because sometimes there is a gap between what we say and how we live. We may say, “Lord, I believe in you,” but then struggle to forgive. We may say, “I love my family,” but fail to give them our time. We may promise to pray, change a habit, reconcile with someone, or become more generous—and then postpone it.

This Sunday’s first reading from Ezekiel gives us wonderful hope: our past does not have to determine our future. A person can turn around. We can begin again. God is more interested in the direction we are walking today than in where we were yesterday.

St. Paul, in the second reading, tells us what that act of love should look like: “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus.” Christianity is not simply saying the right prayers or believing the right things. It is gradually allowing the mind and heart of Christ to become our own.

Perhaps we have said “no” to God in some area of our lives. Perhaps we have resisted forgiving someone, changing something, serving someone, or returning more deeply to prayer. The beautiful message of this coming Sunday is: it is not too late to change our answer. God is still inviting us into His vineyard.

This week in the spirit of St. Francis de Sales, let us not worry about doing something extraordinary. Let us simply do the ordinary things of today with extraordinary love. Perhaps we should ask ourselves: “What is one concrete ‘yes’ that God is asking from me this week to do in his vineyard?”

May our lives—not merely our words—become our answer to God: “Yes, Lord, I will go.”

Written by: Fr. Shaju

Want to prepare your heart and mind for Mass this weekend? Click here to find the readings for this Sunday's Mass.