26th Sunday (English)

My Sunday Homily

Last Sunday we mediated on the divine mercy and how God is just while remaining merciful. Continuing with the same spirit, realizing the divine mercy, the Gospel of the day invites us to convert and follow the law of love. Once again God takes pain to remind us of His mercy and justice. He assures us that He does not look at the sins of our fathers, not our past. Yet personal responsibility is highly demanded. He is asking us to discern and choose according to the divine will. If our choice was not good, we can always come back, for our God is merciful.

If the wicked turn away from his wickedness

to practice law and justice,

he will save his life.

As the prophet Ezekiel has told us, 'He will put in every man a new heart and spirit,' and He will open this alliance broadly to the just as well as to the sinners. For God desires neither death nor punishment. All are invited to work in his vineyard.

In fact, through dramatic experiences, cries of anguish and revolt that men gradually discover the importance of their freedom, and the necessity to apply the intelligence and the heart in his personal and social discernment. Both sons are invited to work and the master will leave them free without making any comments.

The man who is free, makes his own choice, for God created him in his image, a free man. Very often in his ignorance and from time to time savagely, he does it without looking at the others around him, he even forgets God. This natural and purely human behaviour provokes the division and opposition that threaten the social equilibrium in our society.

One is faithful and the other unfaithful, one is the oppressor and the other a victim. How can both live together? In the second reading Paul invites the people of Philippi to imitate and see Christ in the faces of brothers and sisters. In the Spirit they are called to live in communion that comes from God, founded on brotherly love. May we be humble before God (in front of men).

The parable of two sons is addressed to those who close themselves to the Good News in the name of their justice. God looks not good words and good intentions, but positive acts and commitments. The prodigal son (the eldest son), the envoys to the vine-growers of the vineyard or the invited ones of the wedding, already show us the refusal of the chosen people. We must evaluate our own behaviour and our positive commitment to the Christian vocation. How did we receive the messengers of the Father? It should never be forgotten that the doctors of the law, the Pharisees, or the Jewish authorities are not excluded from salvation. If we want, our 'no' to the divine will before ignorance can always change into a great YES, before wisdom.

"My son, go and work today at my vineyard! "This vineyard is the Kingdom of love, justice and peace. It is also in a way an invitation to participate in the work of God that brings us together around the Eucharist. We can well reduce a simple message of this gospel: To convert. Conversion is a process of re-establishing a divine alliance, unconditional love, unlimited forgiveness, openness to Divine mercy. On this Sunday I wish that we take the invitation of the Lord as a personal and salutary call. "Change your hearts, believe in the Good News! Change your life, believe that God loves you, Amen