Before I get into this weekend’s Gospel, how about the beautiful week ahead of us?! We will celebrate the Feasts of The Archangels (Tuesday), then Saint Jerome and Saint Thérèse, The Little Flower, both doctors of the Church (Wednesday and Thursday), then the Feast of the Guardian Angels on Friday! Let us be sure to praise God for His Saints and Angels!

Matthew’s Gospel this Sunday presents a parable in the form of a question: Two sons are asked by their father to go into the vineyard; one says “no,” but later goes, the other says “yes,” but never goes out. Jesus asks: “Which one actually does the work of the Father?”

His listeners answer, as we might, “The first son!” Which son are we?

We need to follow the repentance and actions of the first son, because we often say “no” to God with our words and actions, and later regret those failures; we can see ourselves as the first son, especially when we start out our decisions guided by the secular demands on our lives. We heap all kinds of things on our calendars before we ask, “What is the Father asking me to do for Him today?”

We also often freely choose the path of the second son. It is our intention to say “yes,” and to follow the Gospel teaching at every moment.  One commentator mentioned that even as we are vocally saying yes to God, we know that we have interior intentions that won’t allow that to happen. Our internal guide is real, but we deny it to ourselves even as we are offering a hopeful answer to God. So what is really needed?

We need to be both sons! We need to admit that sometimes, perhaps often, we begin our plans as the second son, actually planning to do the will of God, but then we realize that we did not follow through. It is then that we need to allow the first son to take over, to say, “OK, God, I wanted to do your will, I really did, but I have failed to do so. Now, let my actions return to Your good grace, to be reconciled, by actually taking up my cross and following You.”

What Jesus is teaching in this parable is that even when our good intentions fall short, we should not give up on our plans. Not following through on those plans immediately does not mean that won’t follow through with them eventually. Over the past six months, I have been increasingly intrigued by the theological implications of the little word, “yet.”

Father, I have not done your will yet, but give me the grace and humility to seek your forgiveness, and to follow your commands now!