The Pontiff commented on the Sunday Gospel.
Vatican City (09/28/2020 15:31, Gaudium Press) — During yesterday’s Angelus, the Pontiff commented the Sunday gospel, speaking of the patience of God, who “anxiously awaits our “yes”, so as to welcome us anew in His fatherly arms and to fill us with His boundless mercy.”
“To the father’s invitation to go and work in the vineyard, the first son impulsively responds “no, I’m not going”, but then he repents and goes; instead the second son, who immediately replies “yes, yes dad”, does not actually do so; he doesn’t go. Obedience does not consist of saying “yes” or “no”, but always of acting, of cultivating the vineyard, of bringing about the Kingdom of God, in doing good.”
In order to act in conformity with God’s law, one must open to grace and be converted to Him.
What we must do is build the Kingdom of God
The Holy Father went on to acknowledge that ” In today’s Gospel, the one who makes the best impression is the first brother, not because he said “no” to his father, but because after his “no” he converted to “yes”, he repented. “
“God is patient with us: he does not tire, he does not give up after our ‘no’; he also leaves us free to turn away from him and to make mistakes.
But to think of God’s patience… is wonderful! As the Lord always waits for us; always at our side to help us, but respecting our freedom. And he anxiously awaits our ‘yes’, to welcome us back into his fatherly arms and fill us with his boundless mercy”.
Every day, with faith in God and his grace, we must choose good over evil, truth over lies, love of neighbour over selfishness. Pope Francis reminds us of the promise of beatitude, to the one who, after having experienced sin, gives his yes to God and is converted. He will go to the Kingdom of Heaven, ” where there is a greater joy for a single sinner who converts than for ninety-nine righteous people.”
It is necessary to change the heart, in a process “that purifies us from moral encrustations. And at times it is a painful process because there is no path of holiness without some sacrifice and without a spiritual battle.” The Pontiff invited us to follow the path of good, “battling so as not to fall into temptation; doing for our part what we can, to arrive at living in the peace and joy of the Beatitudes.”
“Today’s Gospel passage calls into question the way of living a Christian life,” emphasized Francis, “which is not made up of dreams and beautiful aspirations, but of concrete commitments, in order to open ourselves ever more to God’s will and to love for our brothers and sisters.”
“Even the smallest concrete commitment, cannot be made without grace. Conversion is a grace we must always ask for: “Lord, give me the grace to improve. Give me the grace to be a good Christian”.
Docile to the action of the Holy Spirit
Finally, the Holy Father invited us to pray to Mary Most Holy to “help us to be docile to the action of the Holy Spirit”, who melts the hardness of hearts and disposes them to repentance.
Related Images:
