Deeds Prove our Love.
The Twenty-Sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time 2020
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September 27, 2020
Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 1:2-11; Matthew 21:28-32
In the final analysis, it is only by deeds that we prove our love, and this is a story of two sons, neither of whom answer their father’s question acceptably, and we have something to learn from it, but let’s first look at the original intent of this parable. Over the past few weeks, the stories we have been hearing have dealt with the judgment of Israel, and this story presents us with two sons that present, one, the religious leaders, and two, the religious outcasts who followed John the Baptist’s call to repentance. Because of the way the religious leaders answered the father’s question, they condemned themselves.
The first son represents tax collectors and the sinners, and up until they met Jesus, their lives have appeared to be a blunt refusal to have anything to do with God. After listening to Jesus, they changed their lives around and began to understand the deeper mystery that Jesus presented to them. The second son stands for the Pharisees and Scribes whose lives was one long profession that they would serve God and obey the commandments, but they refused to have anything to do with Jesus and the message of mercy and right relationships that he brought the world. The people the religious leaders have branded as sinners, though, have changed their minds and have found a place in the kingdom. To the biblical hearer, Israel and the religious leaders, through their own words, place themselves outside of salvation that they presume to be preaching to their flocks.
Words matter. I don’t mean All Words Matter, but your words matter. The words we use have to declare forthrightly our intentions, they must reflect facts and wisdom, and they must be balanced and fair. When we play with words, especially in politics, we become like the religious leaders whose words exclude them from salvation. We must learn to speak the truth in humility, honesty, and compassion. Our words are not for game playing because our words must build up the kingdom of God. Our words dictate whether we belong to the kingdom, and if we do, then we speak words of goodwill and integrity.
Actions matter. Your actions matter. We are our words. Our words represent our thoughts and attitudes, and our actions reveal to others what is in our hearts and minds. Words cannot take the place of our actions, nor can they make anyone trust us unless we back them up in action. It is far better if we openly admit our position where our loyalties really lie than to speak contrariwise and let our actions not match what we speak. The early Christians were called the people of the Way because their lives were more than professions of faith, learning factors, or reciting creeds. Their lives were about actions of hospitality, generosity, mercy, and loyalty to one another. They proved to each other and to the world their loyalty to the kingdom through their deeds.
Both sons hurt the father’s heart. A moral for us is that we have to learn from these two sons, and it is better for us to be like the son who converted his regret into actions. However, it is best if we learn the utmost importance of words and the surpassing value of actions so that we can say “Yes” to God’s will and then obey with fidelity. The one who brings joy to God is the one who willingly hears and gladly obeys. God’s will may feel obscure to us, but to the best of our abilities we must learn to speak rightly and act in accordance with our beliefs. The rest will follow suit.
Scripture for Daily Mass
First Reading:
Monday: (Job 1) One day, when the angels of God came to present themselves before the Lord, Satan also came among them. And the Lord said to Satan, “Whence do you come?” Then Satan answered the Lord and said, “From roaming the earth and patrolling it.”
Tuesday: (Daniel 7) Thousands upon thousands were ministering to him, and myriads upon myriads attended him. The court was convened, and the books were opened.
Wednesday: (Job 9) Job answered his friends and said: I know well that it is so;
but how can a man be justified before God? Should one wish to contend with him, he could not answer him once in a thousand times.
Thursday: (Job 19) Pity me, pity me, O you my friends, for the hand of God has struck me! Why do you hound me as though you were divine, and insatiably prey upon me?
Friday (Ecclesiastes 3) The earth is changed as is clay by the seal, and dyed as though it were a garment; But from the wicked the light is withheld, and the arm of pride is shattered.
Saturday (Job 42) I know that you can do all things, and that no purpose of yours can be hindered. I have dealt with great things that I do not understand; things too wonderful for me, which I cannot know.
Gospel:
Monday: (Luke 9) Jesus realized the intention of their hearts and took a child and placed it by his side and said to them, “Whoever receives this child in my name receives me, and whoever receives me receives the one who sent me.
Tuesday: (John 1) Jesus saw Nathanael coming toward him and said of him, “Here is a true child of Israel. There is no duplicity in him.” Nathanael said to him, “How do you know me?”
Wednesday (Luke 9) “I will follow you wherever you go.” Jesus answered him,
“Foxes have dens and birds of the sky have nests, but the Son of Man has nowhere to rest his head.”
Thursday (Luke 10) “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest. Go on your way; behold, I am sending you like lambs among wolves.
Friday (Matthew 18) “See that you do not despise one of these little ones, for I say to you that their angels in heaven always look upon the face of my heavenly Father.”
Saturday (Luke 10) Behold, I have given you the power ‘to tread upon serpents’ and scorpions and upon the full force of the enemy and nothing will harm you.
Saints of the Week
September 27: Vincent de Paul, priest (1581-1660), was a French peasant who selected to be chaplain at the Queen's household after his ordination. He provided food and clothing to the poor, including prostitutes, the sick, disabled, and homeless. He founded the Congregation of Missions (Vincentians) to preach and train clergy and he co-founded the Daughters of Charity with Louise de Marillac.
September 28: Wenceslaus, martyr (907-929), was raised a Christian by his grandmother while his mother and brother were opposed to Christianity. His brother opposed him when he became ruler of Bohemia in 922. He introduced strict reforms that caused great dissatisfaction among nobles and political adversaries. His brother invited him to a religious ceremony where he was killed in a surprise attack.
September 28: Lawrence Ruiz and 15 companion martyrs (seventeenth century), were killed in Nagasaki, Japan during 1633 and 1637. Most of these Christians were friends of the Dominicans. Lawrence, a Filipino, was a husband and father. He and these other missionaries served the Philippines, Formosa, and Japan.
September 29: Michael, Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels are long a part of Christian and Jewish scripture. Michael is the angel who fights against evil as the head of all the angels; Gabriel announces the messiah's arrival and the births of Jesus and John the Baptist; and Raphael is a guardian angel who protects Tobias on his journey. Together, they are venerated to represent all the angels during a three-day period.
September 30: Jerome, priest and doctor (342-420), studied Greek and Latin as a young man after his baptism by Pope Liberius. He learned Hebrew when he became a monk and after ordination he studied scripture with Gregory Nazianzen in Constantinople. He became secretary to the Pope when he was asked to translate the Bible into Latin.
October 1: These of Lisieux, doctor (1873-1897), entered the Carmelites at age 15 and died at age 24 from tuberculosis. During her illness, Pauline, her prioress, asked her to write about her life in the convent. These stories are captured in "The Story of a Soul." He focused on her "little way" of pursuing holiness in everyday life.
October 2: The Guardian Angels are messengers and intermediaries between God and humans. They help us in our struggle against evil and they serve as guardians, the feast we celebrate today. Raphael is one of the guardians written about in the Book of Tobit. A memorial was added to the Roman calendar In 1670 in thanksgiving for their assistance.
October 3: Francis Borgia, S.J. became a duke at age 33. When his wife died and his eight children were grown, he joined the Jesuits. His preaching brought many people to the church and when he served as Superior General, the Society increased dramatically in Spain and Portugal. He established many missions in the new territories.
This Week in Jesuit History
· Sep 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which established the Society of Jesus.
· Sep 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college.
· Sep 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere, the Jesuits began to keep Choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This practice lasted less than a year, until the pope's death in August, 1559.
· Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.
· Oct 1, 1546. Isabel Roser was released from her Jesuit vows by St Ignatius after eight months.
· Oct 2, 1964. Fr. General Janssens suffered a stroke and died three days later. During his generalate, the Society grew from 53 to 85 provinces, and from 28,839 to 35,968 members.
· Oct 3, 1901. In France, religious persecution broke out afresh with the passing of Waldeck Rousseau's "Loi d'Association."
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