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 26th Sunday, Year A: Homily by Fr. Isaac Chima

THEME: OPTION FOR GOD REQUIRES CORRESPONDING ACTIONS

Readings: Ezek 18:25–28; Phil 2:1–11 (or Phil 2:1–5); Mt 21:28–32

Dear friends, the profession of faith in God which we made on the day of our baptism—and which we continue to make at Mass and in our daily prayers—is very important and necessary. However, this profession of faith alone is not sufficient to lead us to heaven if it is not supported by corresponding actions. It is, therefore, possible that someone who has chosen to follow and serve God may still fail to enter the Kingdom of God on the last day. It is also possible that a person whose initial choices and actions showed a rejection of God may, in the end, enter heaven. What matters greatly for eternal life are the choices and actions that are active at the moment of a person’s death. Today’s readings teach us the real possibility of these situations.

In the Gospel, Jesus presents a clear example of a change of heart that transforms an initial decision. The first son in the parable initially refused to obey his father, but later experienced a change of heart that reversed his bad decision; in the end, he did his father’s will. The second son began well, saying “yes”, but along the way had a change of heart that led him from good to bad; he failed to carry out his father’s will. In other words, he did not follow his good initial choice with good actions.

Neither son is perfect, because a perfect son would be the one who says “yes” at the beginning and remains faithful until the end. Nevertheless, the first son—who began with a “no” but later repented and did his father’s will—is better than the second son, who began with a “yes” but did not follow through.

Jesus uses the image of the second son to represent the Pharisees and other leaders of Israel, who were regarded as righteous. The image of the first son represents the tax collectors and prostitutes, the publicly known sinners of the community. The purpose of the parable is to give a wake‑up call to the Pharisees and elders.

On one hand, the parable teaches that the privileged position of the Pharisees and elders as leaders of God’s chosen people does not guarantee them entry into the Kingdom of God. If they continue to disobey God’s will and refuse His call to repentance, they will not enter heaven.

On the other hand, it teaches that the tax collectors and sinners—despised because of their sins—will be welcomed into the Kingdom of God if they repent sincerely and obey God. A genuine change of heart opens the door to salvation.

As Christians, we said “yes” to the will of God at baptism, and we continue to renew this “yes” through our daily profession of faith. In doing so, we make a fundamental option for God. However, this “yes” will not save us if we do not live according to it by doing God’s will in our daily lives. Heaven will not be ours if we say “yes” before God and then say “no” to His will when we are with our friends. If we continue to take the mercy of God for granted, those we refer to as sinners—those who do not come to Church—may be better than us on the day of judgment. Whenever we model our lives in ways that contradict our Christian calling and faith, we change the fundamental option we once made for God.

Therefore, today we are called to allow the “yes” we have said to God and before the Church to shape the concrete choices we make every day of our lives.

In the first reading, the prophet Ezekiel presents a clear and sobering picture of the power of this change of heart. He invites us to consider what a shift from good to evil can do to our former good works for God and humanity. He teaches that if an upright man abandons his uprightness, turns to an evil life, and dies in that state, his former uprightness will be forgotten on the day of judgment. He will be judged instead for the evil he embraced after abandoning the good.

Conversely, if a wicked man renounces his wickedness, begins to do good, and dies while doing good, his former wickedness will be forgotten on the day of judgment.

We certainly do not want God to forget all the good we have done in life on the day of judgment.

Dearest friends, the prophet Ezekiel is telling us that the option that is active on the last day of our lives will determine where we will go. Although it is wonderful to decide to follow God from the beginning of our lives, the final decision—whether for Him or against Him—is decisive on the day of judgment. However, this is not a call to wait until the last days of our lives to abandon evil and begin doing good, nor is it an invitation to postpone our decision to follow God. It is clear that we do not know when the last days of our lives will come. Let us remember that for some people, the last day arrived at age 10; for others, at 20, 30, 50, 70, or beyond.

Rather, today’s message is a call to decide for God now, and to accompany that decision with good actions from the beginning of our lives until the end. In the second reading, Saint Paul urges us to accompany our decision to follow God with a life of humility, placing others before ourselves. All of us who have said “yes” to God must remain steadfast in doing good until the end.

The prophet Ezekiel also reveals the power of God’s mercy. We have a God who is ready to forgive us and wipe away the guilt of our sins—even if we turn to Him on the last day of our lives. Therefore, let no one think he is too stained or too far gone to return to God; no sin is too great for God to forgive. The merciful heart of God is calling us to make this change of heart, to abandon our evil ways, and to begin the journey back to Him. He will erase our evil past and open a new page for us.

Let us join the Psalm of today in saying, “Remember your compassion and your love are from of old, O Lord. The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not; in your kindness remember me, because of your goodness, O Lord.”

May you have a blessed Sunday.

Fr. Isaac Chinemerem Chima