Bible
Study: Zephaniah 3, 1 to 13 and Matthew 21, 28 to 32.
The saying
that “talk is cheap” is what characterizes the story in our Gospel passage this
morning. When we come to church, it is very easy for us to say “Yes” or “I do”
to God but when we get home, when words are no longer necessary, then and then
alone do we actually discover whether or not our words were meaningful.
According
to Jesus, a man had two sons, and he asked one to work in his field but the
young man bluntly refused but later on, he thought about it and went but the
second did not hesitate at all, only to refuse to go for the work eventually.
Do not
serve God only with your lips, do not serve God only in public, let your
worship begin from the inner recesses of your heart. Let your actions even in
secret profess your faith and not just your words. As James said, “Show me your
faith apart from your works, and I by my works will show you my faith.” James
2,18.
By the way
what could have prevented the second son from saying he would go only to later
change his mind and refuse to go.
One: He
might have accepted to go and made plans to do the work but felt there was
still time. He soon got deceived by time that he kept postponing the work
endlessly. Eventually, by the time he was ready to go, it was now too late.
Dear friends, when it comes to serving God, procrastination is dangerous.
Whatever God has put in your heart to do, begin immediately. If there is
something in your life which you know God is not happy with, repent today.
Never keep until tomorrow, that which you can do today because tomorrow does
not belong to you.
Two: He
might have said “Yes” just to make his father happy and look at him as a good
son but had no intentions at all to do the work. Perhaps, he said “yes” to give
an impression to his father that he was better than the first son who had
honestly said he would not go. Some of us are like that, we love to make a good
impression of ourselves before authority. God cannot be deceived by the
impression we give outwardly.
In the
final analysis, it is not our past that counts before God. If as Jesus noted,
tax collectors, and harlots were making their way into the kingdom of God
before the chief priests, it means that your case is not yet hopeless! The
moment we decide to change our ways, God completely forgets our past. This
works vice versa, meaning if we stop being righteous and change from our good
ways, God also forgets our past and treats us like sinners.
Today we
remember St. Lucy, a Virgin and Martyr. The
glorious virgin and martyr St. Lucy, one of the brightest ornaments of the
church of Sicily, was born of honourable and wealthy parents in the city of
Syracusa, and educated from her cradle in the faith of Christ. She lost her
father in her infancy, but Eutychia, her mother, took singular care to furnish
her with tender and sublime sentiments of piety and religion. By the early
impressions which Lucy received and the strong influence of divine grace, Lucy offered
to God the flower of her virginity. This vow, however, she kept a secret, and
her mother, who was a stranger to it, pressed her to marry a young gentleman
who was a pagan. Hereupon she disclosed to her mother her desire of devoting
herself to God in a state of perpetual virginity.
The young
nobleman, upon realizing her vow became extremely infuriated with her and
condemned her to persecution. The judge commanded the holy virgin to be exposed
to prostitution in a brothel house; but God rendered her immovable, so that the
guards were not able to carry her inside. He also made her an over-match for
the cruelty of the persecutors, in overcoming fire and other torments. After a
long and glorious combat she died in prison of the wounds she had received – about
the year 304.
Let us
Pray: Lord Jesus, may my life be worthy of the name I bear as a Christian.
Amen.
Be Happy. Live Positive. Have Faith.
It is well with you. God bless you.
Fr. Abu.
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