IT IS NOT ENOUGH TO SAY YES
Homily for the Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Readings: Ezekiel 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32 Last Sunday, Jesus spoke about workers invited at different hours to work in the vineyard. The emphasis was on God’s generosity in calling everyone into his Kingdom (Mt 20:1-16). On this Sunday, Jesus takes us a step further. He says that it is not enough to be called; what matters is how we respond to the call. In today’s Gospel, a father asks his two sons to go and work in his vineyard. The first says no, but later changes his mind and goes. The second says yes, but never goes (Mt 21:28-30). When Jesus asks which of the two did his father’s will, the answer is obvious. The one who actually went. With this seemingly paradoxical parable, Jesus is making an important distinction between words and actions. The second son had the right words, but his life and action did not confirm them. The first son had the wrong initial response, but he...
