XXVI Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Year A

First: Ezk 18: 25-28; Second: Phil 2: 1-11; Gospel: Mt 21: 28-

THEME of the READINGS

The consciousness of one’s personal responsibility is the prevailing theme in today’s liturgy. To the exiles who accuse God of injustice for treating the "just" who do wrong differently from the "wicked" who act justly, God says, "Is it not your ways that are not just?" The upright dies because of the wrong that he himself has done, and the wicked will live to abandon wickedness. Both are responsible for their deeds. True personal responsibility, as Jesus teaches us in the Gospel, becomes manifest not so much in what we say, but in what we do. Saint Paul presents Jesus Christ to the Philippians as an example of responsibility and consistency. Christ’s "yes" is a concrete "yes," incarnated in his works to bring about redemption (second reading).

DOCTRinal MESSAGE

The responsibility to which the liturgical texts refer is not aimed at the tasks and obligations of human coexistence. Rather, its object is man’s relationship with God. In such a relationship, a responsible person is one who converts and believes. In this sense, the exiles of Babylon do not behave in a responsible way. Instead of converting to God, they complain and blame him for his unjust behavor (first reading). The chiefs of the priests and the elderly (the political and religious authorities of Israel) did not behave in a responsible way either. John showed them the way to salvation but they did not believe him nor did they convert. The tax collectors and prostitutes, however, responded to John’s preaching with repentance and faith, although they had a past of wickedness and sin. The past does not matter in the eyes of God; what matters to him is the present and responsible "yes" to him in one’s everyday life.

Responsibility is measured according to the deeds of the present. Through the prophet Ezekiel, God does not allow us to doubt that, "When a righteous man turns away from his righteousness and commits iniquity, he shall die for it" (Ezk 18: 26). Jesus illustrates this with the parable of the two sons. The first son, who represents the high priests and the elders, has a history of impeccable conduct, but now that God calls him to conversion again and to faith to find salvation, he says "yes" with his words but "no" with his deeds. His past responsibility is of no help, for it has vanished, and now his behavior is irresponsible. The second son, who represents the tax collectors and prostitutes, lived his relationship with God in an irresponsible way in the past. However, although so far he has said "no" with his words, with his deeds of conversion he has started to say "yes" to God’s call. His past irresponsibility has been cleansed and purified by his present responsibility. The second reading goes beyond the inconsistency between past and present, between the "yes" and the "no" by showing us Jesus Christ as an example of total consistency and responsibility before God, his Father. Jesus Christ’s past does not differ from his present attitude, nor is the "yes" of his words any different from the "yes" of his deeds. For this reason, Saint Paul urges us to, "Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus." He did not play with "yes" and "no"; rather his life was a "yes" exclusively. He did not play freely between the past and the present, but each day he drew nourishment, strength and support for his activities from the will of the Father.

PASTOral SUGGESTIONS

The inner life of a parish. A parish is made up of genuine Christians who have lived and continue to live in an attitude of permanent faith and conversion. That is wonderful, and may there be many! Possibly there are also "old" Christians, who are Christian by tradition and inheritance, rather than by their own personal belief. They say "yes" during the liturgy and "no" to certain requirements of Christian morality. Or vice versa, some say "yes" to certain moral values and "no" to the Faith. How many "old" Christians of this type are there in our parish? There are those who have been cold from a religious point of view, who have belonged to another religion, have even been secularists and atheists, but who have then converted and now seek to be fervent Christians. Are there many that belong to this group? And most likely, there are those who have said and continue to say "no" to faith and inner conversion with their words and deeds. I have given you a basic, but rather realistic description of a parish. What can I do as a parish priest, parish vicar, religious man or woman, in such a situation? Do everything that the Holy Spirit inspires you to do, let others do what the same Spirit is asking of them, and always keep your hopes very high.

The need for witnesses. As humans, we learn things, even the most noble and spiritual, through our senses. We learn to be responsible by seeing others behave in a responsible way. The example of others helps and encourages us to continue being responsible. Paul VI said that the Church needs witnesses more than preachers. Here is a lovely task for us to perform in our pastoral duties or office! We must desire and work to become witnesses. We must become actively involved in the formation of active witnesses, to create among Christians the consciousness that being Christian and being a witness are the same thing. There is a lot of good to be done in a parish, in a community, in a diocese with a group of witnesses. Being the witnesses of Christ is a wonderful way to carry out the new evangelization.

Source: http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2004-05/21-13/CICLOA.html by P. ANTONIO IZQUIERDO L.C. (1948-2013)

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].