Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today’s Reflection
Gospel: Mt 21: 28-32
October 1, 2023 | Sunday
Jesus went on to say, “What do you think of this? A man had two sons. He went to the first and said to him, ‘Son, go and work today in my vineyard.’ And the son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ But later he thought better of it and went. Then the father went to his other son and said the same thing to him. This son replied, ‘I will go, sir,’ but he did not go. Which of the two did what the father wanted?” They answered, “The first.” And Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you: the publicans and the prostitutes are ahead of you on the way to the kingdom of heaven. For John came, to show you the way of goodness, and you did not believe him; but the publicans and the prostitutes did. You were witnesses of this, but you neither repented nor believed him.
Today’s Reflection:
The religious authorities’ knowledge of the Law and social standing did not lead them to the Kingdom of God. They did not hear God in John. They did not see God in Jesus. The publicans and prostitutes, who did not have a place in the temple, were ahead on the way to the Kingdom because they believed in John and repented. The Gospel reminds us that discipleship is essentially about action and not simply words. Our lives may not reflect what we profess. It is not enough to call Jesus our Lord; we need to show it through the practice of our faith and in our desire to be better disciples. Let us persevere in our Christian life, for what we consider righteous before God may not lead us to the Kingdom of Heaven. /Vulnerasti, 2023.
