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Readings for Sunday September 25^th 2011              

Our Privilege is Service

Ever get so caught up in your day-to-day routine that you don’t take time to reflect and pray? This lack of taking time is an epidemic in our culture, but Jesus wants us to reconsider our rushed-lifestyle. Here’s how He makes His point: Our Gospel passage describes Jesus testing the hypocrisy of the religious leaders of His day. He uses a parable to illustrate His point of true devotion and love of God. It’s not those who ‘say’ that will be righteous before God – it’s those who ‘do’ that will be righteous. In the story, the first son originally disobeyed his father, telling him that he would not do the work his father asked of him. Think of the times when your parents asked you to do something for them, and your gut reaction was, ‘why are they trying to take my fun away?’ The first son would have fallen into this trap as well, except that he did something most people in today’s world forget to do: He examined His actions. He listened to the voice inside of him that said, ‘you know, you really should obey dad’, and without telling his father, he just went ahead and did what he was supposed to do. The second son was all lip service: He told his dad the ‘right things’ so dad would think his son was being good, but in actuality the second son was a coward: He did not have the guts to say the truth to his father that he really didn’t want to work. He was also stubborn, and did not take the time to reflect on the ‘wrongness’ of his actions. Jesus uses this parable to show a powerful point about the hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders, the religious leaders of Jesus’ day. They choose not to follow St. John the Baptist even though they told society they would follow God and be spiritual leaders.  By contrast, the tax collectors and prostitutes had told society that they would not follow God, but upon reflecting on St. John the Baptist, decided to change their ways. Our challenge from Jesus in this Gospel is to be Catholic all of the time, always open to the Holy Spirit and willing to change to be more like Jesus. When you feel stressed and under a time crunch, do not allow yourself to make excuses for not praying. By not praying, you may miss God working and calling in your life, and that’s a call you can’t afford to miss. Summary of the Gospel YM Central

          The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 18:25-28. A notion very prevalent among the Jews, all through their history, was that the sins of parents were punished in their children. Ezekiel tells his audience that each man is responsible for his own sins. As each man has a free will, the good man may foolishly turn to sin, and likewise the sinner may repent and live a good life.

Reading 1              Ezekiel 18:25-28

25 Thus says the LORD: You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!" Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair? 26 When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die. 27 But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, he does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; 28 since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Questions for Discussion:

1.   Does it seem unfair to you that God would pardon those who have been wicked all their lives.

2.   If your good and bad works were weighed in the balance, which way would the scales tip?

3.   Is repentance hard or easy for you?

 The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2:1-5. St. Paul is urging his new converts to live in unity of love and mutual charity. Each one must esteem his neighbor as of more importance than himself and help him in every way. In doing this, they are only imitating their Savior Christ Jesus who although Creator became a creature, though Master He made Himself a slave—all for love of us.

Reading II             Philippians 2:1-11

1 Brothers and sisters: If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace in love, any participation in the Spirit, any compassion and mercy, 2 complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. 3 Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, 4 each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others. 5 Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus, 6 Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. 7 Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; and found human in appearance, 8 he humbled himself, becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross. 9 Because of this, God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, 10 that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, 11 and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Questions for Discussion:

1.   What does it mean to regard someone “more important than yourself”?

2.   How do you balance meeting the needs of others with meeting your own needs?

3.   How does humility differ from being a doormat?

Gospel                   Matthew 21:28-32

28 Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: "What is your opinion?
A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, 'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.' 29 He said in reply, 'I will not, ' but afterwards changed his mind and went.
30 The man came to the other son and gave the same order. He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go. 31 Which of the two did his father's will?" They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you, tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God before you. 32 When John came to you in the way of righteousness, you did not believe him; but tax collectors and prostitutes did. Yet even when you saw that, you did not later change your minds and believe him." 

Questions for Discussion:

1.   What is the Father’s request?  What does each son say and do?

2.   How do you suppose the religious leaders felt about this story?

3.   Which son’s story is most like your own? Why?

4.   How willing are you to ‘change’ your life? Describe. What kinds of ‘change’ are the most difficult to adapt to and accept?