My dear brothers and sisters in Christ,
Today the Word of God challenges us with a very simple but profound question: What does God really want from us? Is it enough to call ourselves Christians? Is it enough to come to church, pray, say beautiful words, and make promises to God? Or does God ask something deeper from us?
The readings today give us a clear answer: God is looking for a changed heart and a life that puts faith into action. In today’s Gospel, Jesus tells us the story of a father who has two sons. He goes to the first and says, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” The son replies, “I will not.” But later, he changes his mind and goes. The father approaches the second son and gives him the same instruction. This son answers, “Yes, sir.” But he does not go. Jesus then asks a very simple question: “Which of the two did his father’s will?” The answer is obvious: the first one. Notice something important. The first son initially said “No,” but eventually said “Yes” through his actions. The second son said “Yes,” but his actions ultimately said “No.” This is where the Gospel touches our own lives. Sometimes we can be like the second son. We say the right things. We say, “Yes, Lord.” We come to Mass. We pray. We know the commandments. We may even speak very strongly about our faith. But the question Jesus asks is: Does our life correspond to what we say? Our Christianity cannot remain only on our lips. It must reach our hands, our feet, our relationships, our choices, our workplace, our families and our communities. It is possible to say, “Lord, I love you,” and yet refuse to forgive someone. It is possible to say, “Lord, I trust you,” and yet live constantly in fear and anxiety. It is possible to say, “Lord, I am your servant,” and yet refuse to serve others. It is possible to come to church every Sunday and still have a heart that has not been converted. The Gospel therefore invites us to examine the difference between religious words and Christian action.
The first reading from the prophet Ezekiel gives us tremendous hope. The people complain that God’s ways are unfair. But God reminds them that what matters is the direction of a person’s life. If someone has lived wrongly but turns away from sin and begins to do what is right, that person can live. This tells us something beautiful about God: God does not imprison us in our past. Our past mistakes do not have to determine our future. Perhaps someone has made serious mistakes. Perhaps someone has wandered far from God. Perhaps someone has neglected prayer, hurt another person, broken a relationship, or lived in a way that is not pleasing to God. Today’s first reading says: Come back. Change direction. Begin again. God is not simply interested in who we were yesterday. He is interested in the person we are becoming today.
The first son in the Gospel is therefore a sign of hope. His first response was wrong, but he did not remain trapped in it. He changed his mind and went to work. That is conversion. Conversion does not mean that we have never said “No” to God. Conversion means that, having said “No,” we are humble enough to turn around and say, “Yes, Lord.”
The second reading takes us even deeper. St. Paul tells the Philippians: “Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves.” He then presents Christ as our model. Christ humbled himself, became obedient, and emptied himself for our sake. Here we discover what the “work in the vineyard” actually looks like. It looks like humility. It looks like a service. It looks like a sacrifice. It looks like putting the needs of others alongside our own. It looks like becoming less concerned with being noticed and more concerned with doing what is right. Jesus does not merely tell us, “Be good people.” He says, in effect: Have the same mind and heart that I have. And what is the mind of Christ? It is the mind that does not ask, “What will I get?” but rather, “How can I serve?” It is the heart that does not ask, “Who will recognize me?” but rather, “Who needs my help?” It is the spirit that does not ask, “Why should I forgive?” but rather, “How can I bring healing?”
In the Gospel, the father tells his sons, “Go out and work in the vineyard.” The vineyard is not only the church building. Our vineyard is wherever God has placed us. For parents, the vineyard is the family. For husbands and wives, the vineyard is the marriage and family life. For young people, the vineyard is school, friendships and the choices they make. For workers, the vineyard is the workplace. For priests and religious, the vineyard is the people entrusted to their care. For all of us, the vineyard includes the poor, the lonely, the sick, the stranger, the person who has hurt us, and even the person we find difficult to love. Every morning God continues to say to us: “Go and work in my vineyard today.” And perhaps we sometimes answer, “Not today, Lord. I am too busy.” But the vineyard is waiting. Someone needs encouragement. Someone needs forgiveness. Someone needs a listening ear. Someone needs our generosity. Someone needs us to stop judging and start understanding. Someone needs us to be the presence of Christ.
One of the most beautiful aspects of today’s Gospel is that Jesus does not tell us that the first son’s initial “No” is the end of the story. He changed his mind and went. That is very important. Perhaps we have said “No” to God many times. But God’s invitation remains. Maybe we stopped praying, Begin again. Maybe we have fallen into a serious sin, Return to the Lord. Maybe we have become bitter toward someone, Take the first step toward forgiveness. Maybe we have neglected someone who needs us, Reach out. Maybe we have been living Christianity only externally, Ask God for a conversion of heart. The Christian message is not: “You have failed, therefore there is no hope.” The Christian message is: “Get up. Turn back to God. Begin again.” The God revealed to us in Jesus Christ is a God who gives us the grace to change.
The challenge of today’s Gospel is very practical. Let us ask ourselves: What have I said “Yes” to God about, but failed to put into practice? Have I said “Yes” to forgiveness, but continue to hold resentment? Have I said “Yes” to love, but continue to exclude someone? Have I said “Yes” to generosity, but remain unwilling to share? Have I said “Yes” to prayer, but never make time for God? Have I said “Yes” to Christ, but allow pride, selfishness or anger to control my actions? The Lord is not asking for perfect people. He is asking for people who are willing to change. The first son teaches us that a wrong beginning does not necessarily lead to a wrong ending. And the second son warns us that beautiful words without action are empty
My dear brothers and sisters, the three readings give us one beautiful message. Ezekiel tells us: Turn away from sin and choose life. St. Paul tells us: Have the humble and self-giving mind of Christ. Jesus tells us: Do not merely say “Yes”; go and do the Father’s will. Christianity is not simply about what we profess with our lips. It is about what we become through God’s grace. Today, perhaps the Lord is standing before each one of us and saying: “My child, go and work in my vineyard today.” Maybe our first response has been, “No.” But it is not too late. Let us change our minds. Let us open our hearts. Let us leave behind what keeps us away from God. And let us say our “Yes” not merely with our lips, but with our lives. May our prayer today be: “Lord, give me the humility of Christ, the courage to repent, and the grace to turn my ‘Yes’ into action. Send me into your vineyard, and help me to serve you faithfully.” Amen.