THE PATH TO ETERNAL LIFE

GOSPEL

Are we on the path to eternal life or not? Jesus seems to imply

that it is possible that we may not, unless we are truly obedient to
His will. We live in a world where the focus on the self is a chronic
problem. It seems to lead to increasing levels of selfishness and,
thus, destruction in the strength of our understanding of the
common good. Let us obey God’s will in our lives even when it is
others who will benefit more than ourselves from our obedience.

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
Come, O Lord, do not delay; forgive the sins of your
people.
Matthew 21:28-32
28Jesus said to the chief priests and the 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.’ He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but
29

afterwards he changed his mind and went. The man 30

came to the other son and gave the same order. He said
in reply, ‘Yes, sir,’ but did not go. Which of the two did his
31

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. When John 32

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.”
think: Let us pray that we will never grow tired of living with
integrity.

T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST

Thank You Lord for: __________________

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God’s special verse/thought for me today_

_____________________________________

READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Joel 1-4

Didache | Companion | Sabbath | Top

SABBATH

A FAITH GOD CAN SEE

There was a father who called his three children together.
As they sat together in a circle on the floor, the dad placed
a toy in the middle. He explained to them that he won the
toy as a door prize and he wanted to give it to one of them
but with a condition. He asked them, “Who is the most
obedient?” The children just stared at him. Sensing that
they didn’t understand the word, he then asked, “OK, who
always obeys Mommy and does everything she says?”
One of the children picked up the toy and handed it to
the father. “You win!” exclaimed the child.
The children may not have understood the word
obedient but they saw it in the actions of their father.
It is plain in the Parable of the Two Sons that
obedience, i.e., acting on the Word of God, is a condition
for entry in the Kingdom. In the parable, we saw a son
who said yes but did not do his father’s command and
another who said no but eventually did his father’s
command. Obedience is not something God wants to hear
from us. It is something God wants to see. God wants
children whose faith He can see and not just a faith He
can hear.
Isn’t that what happens every Sunday or every time
we gather at Mass to worship? We profess our faith and
God hears it. I’m sure it is something sweet to the ears of
God, but there is something sweeter — candy to the eyes
of God – when we put actions to back up our faith. How
many times in the Scriptures have we read, “When Jesus
saw their faith….” precede a miracle?
When you continue to smile at difficult people at the
office, when you say no to personal TV time to attend to
your children, when you continue to understand an erring
spouse, when you continue to give in times of scarcity,
when you struggle to get off your bed and go to Church for
Mass — that is the kind of obedience that God wants to
see. That is putting actions behind your faith. Fr. Joel Jason
REFLECTION QUESTION: Is your faith life audiovisual?

Bless me with the strength to obey You today, O Lord — that I

may gain favor in Your eyes and a place in Your Kingdom.