The readings for this Sunday place before us a very concrete question: What does it truly mean to say “yes” to God? In the Gospel, Jesus tells the parable of a father who asks his two sons to go and work in the vineyard. The first replies, “I do not want to,” but later changes his mind and goes. The second replies, “Yes, sir,” but then does not go. Jesus is not simply contrasting an obedient son with a rebellious one. He is contrasting words with actions. For it is possible to say “yes” with our lips while saying “no” through our choices; just as it is possible to go through a period of rejection, struggle, or distance and later turn back and change our course.

This is precisely the message that emerges from the First Reading. God does not consider a person to be a prisoner of his past. The prophet Ezekiel declares that if the wicked person turns away from the evil he has committed and practices what is right and just, “he shall surely live.”

This is a message of profound hope. In God’s eyes, we are not permanently defined by our mistakes. Our story can change. We can repent. We can begin again.

Sometimes, however, we are the ones who believe that we already know people: “That is just the way he is.” “She will never change.” “He has made too many mistakes.” But the Gospel invites us to make room for the possibility of conversion. God sees not only what a person has been, but also what that person can become when he or she opens the heart to His grace.

A “Yes” That Becomes Life. The parable of the two sons also challenges us personally. How often have we said “yes” to the Lord, but then kept putting it off? “Yes” to prayer, but without making time to pray. “Yes” to forgiveness, while continuing to nurture resentment. “Yes” to charity, while passing by when we encounter another person’s need. “Yes” to the Christian community, but without truly being willing to become involved. The problem is not simply whether we speak beautiful words. Faith becomes authentic when it enters into our lives. But there is also another temptation: to identify faith with perfect outward observance while forgetting that the heart can always be converted.

The first son in the parable says no. His initial response is certainly not exemplary. And yet something happens within him: he repents and goes. This short phrase contains a profound spiritual truth: what matters is not only how we begin, but also the direction in which we choose to go. Perhaps someone today feels far from God, unable to live up to what is expected, burdened by mistakes and inconsistencies. The Gospel tells that person: you can still change direction.

And perhaps someone else already feels that he or she is “doing well” because of many religious practices. To that person the Gospel asks: Has your outward “yes” truly become love, service, forgiveness, and mercy? “Have in You the Same Mind as Christ Jesus”.

Saint Paul gives us the deepest key to understanding all of this. In his Letter to the Philippians, he does not simply tell us to behave better. He points us toward a model: Christ Jesus. “Have in you the same mind as Christ Jesus.” And what are these attitudes? Humility, self-giving, and a willingness to serve. Christ “emptied himself,” taking the condition of a servant. He did not seek his own interests, prestige, or self-affirmation. He chose the path of love that gives itself.

Here, then, the Gospel of the two sons becomes even more profound. The true “yes” to God does not simply consist in doing something because we have been commanded to do it. It means entering into the way of Jesus and learning to live without constantly placing ourselves at the centre.

That is why Paul writes: “Do nothing out of rivalry or vainglory, but, with all humility, regard others as more important than yourselves, looking not only to your own interests, but also to those of others.” These words are particularly relevant today. We live in a society in which we are often taught to assert ourselves, defend our image, prove that we are right, and seek recognition.

The Gospel proposes another path: not the path of self-assertion, but the path of self-giving.

The Vineyard Is the World to Which God Sends Us. The vineyard in the Gospel can also be understood as an image of our concrete, everyday lives. God continues to say to each one of us: “Go today and work in my vineyard.” He does not necessarily ask us to accomplish great things. His vineyard is our family, our workplace, our school, our Christian community, our neighbourhood, and our everyday relationships. Going into the vineyard may mean having the courage to ask for forgiveness. It may mean listening to an elderly person who needs companionship. It may mean patiently educating a child. It may mean doing our work well even when no one is watching. It may mean noticing the person who is lonely. It may mean stopping ourselves from judging and beginning instead to accompany others. God’s vineyard is the concrete place where we are called to transform our “yes” into acts of love. Conversion Is Always Possible

The liturgy today therefore leaves us with a simple yet demanding question: Is my “yes” to God only on my lips, or has it become a way of life? And together with this comes another, even more consoling question: Am I willing to begin again? The first son reminds us that even a “no” can become a “yes.” And the First Reading assures us that God does not close the door to those who return to Him. We are not condemned to remain what we were yesterday. Every day, the Lord says to us again: “Go into my vineyard.” We may have a thousand hesitations. We may be tired. We may have made mistakes. But we can also rise again, repent, and continue on our journey.

And Saint Paul shows us the truest way to do this: to look to Christ. He chose humility instead of vainglory, service instead of domination, and self-giving instead of self-assertion. Let us therefore ask the Lord not simply to give us beautiful words, but a heart capable of saying yes through our lives. A “yes” that becomes service. A “yes” that becomes forgiveness. A “yes” that becomes attentiveness to others. A “yes” that becomes conversion. Because, in the end, the decisive question will not be how often we have said, “Lord, Lord,” but how much our hearts and our lives have made room for Christ. Lord, when You call us into Your vineyard, give us the courage to respond with our lives. And when we realize that we have said no, give us the humility to turn back and retrace our steps. May the same mind and heart of Christ Jesus take shape within us.

HAVE A BLESSED SUNDAY EVERYONE!