01 October 2023 – 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A)

by Fr Francis Anthony

Today is a great day for us. Not the things that are happening around us but what God is doing for us.

In the Responsorial Psalm, the third verse that we had:-
The Lord is good and upright.
Yes, we claim that so often. Yes the Lord is good but what He does? He shows the path to those who stray. He is not there waiting to punish. No. Those who stray, He shows the path and He guides the humble. He shows the path, He is a guide to the upright and teaches the way.

So we will see in today’s reading the goodness of God not just in the abstract but in very concrete way how He is reaching out to all of us. And how are we to respond to this great kindness and goodness of God?

And we had it in today’s acclamation, the Gospel Acclamation that we read just now:
Anyone who loves me will keep my word.
That is our part of the deal, that I want that blessing but I have to do something.

And in the Gospel text, we will see the father going to his two sons asking them to go and do some work in the vineyard. The first one said “No, I wouldn’t go.” He could have been rough with his father but later he thought the better of it and he went. Father, since the first son said no he wouldn’t go, he went to the other son and asked him. And he was very spontaneous: “I will go.” but he did not go.

Which did the will of the father? The one who said ‘No‘ first and then thought better of it and went.

And that is what is happening in our lives. So easily we say ‘No‘ to God and ‘Yes‘ to ourselves and we are getting involved in all our evil ways, in our thoughts, in our action, in our words. And God is not going to say ‘You are gone.‘. No.

The First Reading from Ezekiel, it gives us the true understanding of what it is to be a Christina. This is an Old Testament book. Personal, integrity and responsibility. I have to be responsible for my ways. Yes. I am not going to say I leave it in the hands of God. “Oh God, you forgave me.” No. I have to have the self responsibility to be able to say “I have to go according to the teachings of the church.” Yes. God shows the path. He guides but I have to follow.

And today we begin the month of October, the month of the Rosary. After Mass, Father will bless the statues and they will be given to all the leaders.

Let us get together to pray. Yes, praying is not just uttering words but to be able to listen to what is God telling us. What is God telling me in today’s situation? Am I willing or wanting to come and abandon myself to God? And that is in the Second Reading.

Jesus did not cling on to his power. He emptied himself and became one of us and died for us. Yes. Let us ask God in the process of changing, “I have to die to myself.“

Let us pray the whole month of the Rosary in the various ways that you will be in your BECs that it is not just praying but also listening.

And as I said earlier, those who are going to take part in the First Assembly of the Synod which is beginning on the 4th of this month. They went into retreat to pray just today. Let us be with them to pray for the outcome of this First Assembly of the Synod. Yes. The Synod is not something that is happening way down in Rome but they have got all the things that we have proposed and we have prayed for and that will be coming into light.

Let us pray that all of us would be responsible people like in the Second Reading to be able to say ‘Yes’ to God and ‘No’ to ourselves and to build the kingdom of God.

Click below to listen to homily and watch video:-

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