26th Week in Ordinary Time
01st October 2023 (Sunday) Readings and Reflection
Psalter: Week 1
Reading of the Day
First Reading: Ezekiel 18:25-28
Thus says the Lord: “Yet you say, ‘The way of the Lord is not just.’ Hear now, O house of Israel: Is my way not just? Is it not your ways that are not just? When a righteous person turns away from his righteousness and does injustice, he shall die for it; for the injustice that he has done he shall die. Again, when a wicked person turns away from the wickedness he has committed and does what is just and right, he shall save his life. Because he considered and turned away from all the transgressions that he had committed, he shall surely live; he shall not die.
Psalm 25:4-5, 6-7, 8-9 (R. 6a)
R/. Remember your compassion, O Lord.
Second Reading: Philippians 2:1-11
Brethren: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any comfort from love, any participation in the Spirit, any affection and sympathy, complete my joy by being of the same mind, having the same love, being in full accord and of one mind. Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit, but in humility count others more significant than yourselves. Let each of you look not only to his own interests, but also to the interests of others. Have this mind among yourselves, which is yours in Christ Jesus, who, though he was in the form of God, did not count equality with God a thing to be grasped, but emptied himself, by taking the form of a servant, being born in the likeness of men. And being found in human form, he humbled himself by becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. Therefore God has highly exalted him and bestowed on him the name that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus every knee should bow, in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.
Alleluia
V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia
V/. My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; and I know them, and they follow me.
R/. Alleluia
Gospel : Matthew 21:28-32
At that time: Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, “What do you think? A man had two sons. And he went to the first and said, ‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’ And he answered, ‘I will not,’ but afterward he changed his mind and went. And he went to the other son and said the same. And he answered, ‘I go, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did the will of his father?” They said, “The first.” Jesus said to them, “Truly, I say to you, the tax collectors and the prostitutes go into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you in the way of righteousness, and you did not believe him, but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him. And even when you saw it, you did not afterwards change your minds and believe him.
Daily Gospel Reflection
Highlight: Change the mindset!
Guidlines: Life will look different and the person will become changed when he puts on the same attitude of Christ and acts with the same mindset of God{alertSuccess}
1. Last Sunday, the parable of the workers in the vineyard, through the generosity of the owner, invited us to put on and act with the mindset of God. This Sunday’s first reading from the prophet Ezekiel continues the same theme.
2. This text is also a clear example of the mindset and the ways of God, in contrast to that of the world. Specifically, it is the contrast between God’s way of assessment and retribution.
3. In ordinary human standards, God’s way is unfair, because punishing and condemning a righteous person who falls to sin, looks an excessive severity, and a gross disregard for all his past good.
4. On the other hand, forgiving and granting life and salvation to a wicked who turns away from evil to good, looks like an exaggerated indulgence and a net disregard for the principle of justice which holds every culpable act to be punishable.
5. The focus here is the contrasting mindset of God. The point is not so much about ignoring one’s good or indulging one’s bad. It is a beautiful indication of the blend between God’s justice and mercy, in contrast to the ordinary dichotomy between human justice and mercy:
6. Often there is a tension and disharmony between the principles of justice and mercy, so much so justice excludes mercy, and mercy excludes justice. Consequently, one is either rigid and punitive, in the name of justice, or one is flexible and lenient, in the name of mercy.
7. In the divine perspective under justice, the righteous who turns away from the right path, deliberately and willingly, in all freedom and intelligence, is punishable for his rushing into evil.
8. And in the divine perspective under mercy, the wicked who turns away from evil, repenting and regaining the lost grace, is pardonable for his new espousal with good.
9. While humans are inclined to condemnation and punishment, God is inclined to transformation and reward. Besides, human life is not a mere collection of good and bad actions, but a matter of fundamental choice which leads to either of actions.
10. Life is not to be taken in a quantitative sense, which calculates the number of good or bad actions, but life must be understood in a qualitative sense, which considers the quality and perseverance of good actions.
11. This is the same attitude, seen in Jesus, an epitome of kenosis or self-emptying. As per divine justice, he atoned for our sins, being crushed on the cross on behalf of us; and as per divine mercy, he obtained and gifted salvation for us, even though we are unworthy and undeserving.
12. We as God’s children and followers of Christ, ought to put on the same mindset of God and the same attitude of Jesus. A concrete testimony of this is a profound sense of repentance and conversion.
13. Jesus drives home this message very powerfully through his simple story of the two sons in the gospel. Quite evidently, the first son who says no at first to the father’s command but then repents and goes to work, stands for the gentiles: they repent as God offers His salvation, and turn to a new way of life through faith in Jesus.
14. But the second son, who says yes but does not do, stands for the Jews: they were the first ones, to whom God offered salvation through His only Son, Jesus; but by rejecting to believe in him, they turn unfaithful.
15. Perhaps, a little sincere reflection may make it clear to us that we are very much similar to the righteous person turning to evil in the first reading, and the second son in the gospel. 16. God has been abundantly gracious to us, blessing us with the greatest gift of faith in Jesus, and enriching us with every spiritual blessing. What is expected from our part is a life of authenticity and loyalty. 17. This is possible only when we imitate Christ’s own way of self-emptying. This needs a deep and consistent conversion. This implies what Paul exhorts in his letter to the Philippians: be humble and do nothing out of selfishness or vainglory. 18. How much do we persevere in God’s path of righteousness? How much we are self-emptying and self-giving? How often do we easily fall to vainglory and arrogance? How often do we deceive God with mere words and promises which are so tall and loud? 19. How often do we say one thing and do exactly the opposite? How often do we deliberately forfeit God’s grace, being presumptuous and complacent? It is a time to check and control!Practice: The quality of our faith and Christian living does not consist of mere words and promises, even fantastic; What is the use of a bundle of sweet-sounding "yes"s, when the concrete life is a series of "no"s, negation of what we believe?{alertSuccess}