A call to a life of Synthesis between words and actions! (26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Yr. A)

A call to a Life of Synthesis between Words and Actions!

(Homily for the 26th Sunday of Ord. Time Yr. A)

Ez. 18:25-28; Phil. 2:1-11; Mt.21:28-32

          The conscience of personal responsibility seems to be central and predominant in the readings of today. To the Babylonian exiles who accused God of injustice, God says “Is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his life” (Ez. 18:25b-27). Both of them are responsible for their actions. Interestingly, Jesus teaches us in the Gospel, what true personal responsibility is, and it is manifested not merely in speaking (words), but majorly in action, as the parable reveals. And in the second reading, St. Paul gives us the example of Christ, an example of responsibility and coherence, the Yes of Christ is an operative one, incarnated in actions (works) for the realization of our Redemption.

           The responsibility, we are talking about here, is not a mere responsibility which has as object human duties and responsibilities towards his fellow man, rather its object is man's relation with God. In the context of this responsibility, responsible person is the one that repents and believes. In this sense, the exiles of Babylon did not comport themselves well, when instead of repenting, they murmured and accused God of acting unjustly. So also, the chief priests and elders of the people, because John came to show them the way of salvation, and they neither believed nor converted. Instead, the publicans and the prostitutes responded to the preaching of John with repentance and faith. For this Jesus said “the tax collectors and the prostitutes are going into the Kingdom of God ahead of you” (Mt. 21, 31).

          Among the major prophets of the Old Testament, Ezekiel is known for his insistence on individual responsibility for sin. For as a matter of fact, in the history of Israel the value of communal living is a paramount cultural heritage, to the extent that a man is hardly distinguished from his community. At the heart of this cultural value was communal solidarity, and as such individual guilt was believed to have corporal consequences. For this prophet Ezekiel vehemently warned that “the soul that sins shall die” (Ez. 18:20), and the belief that “the parents have eaten unripe grapes, and the children's teeth are set on edge” (Ez. 18:2) is abhorrent. Little wonder, he emphasized on individual responsibility. And speaking about individual responsibility the prophet equally foresaw the possibility of an individual turning from wickedness to righteousness and vice versa. However, a person is judged by the new life to which he has turned to, and no longer by the previous life.

          The responsorial psalm (Ps. 25) brings to light the consciousness of an individual aware of his own sins, but relying on God's mercy. Interestingly, the first reading and the psalm view a man's life divided into the past and the future in the present moment. While the past is characterized by sin, the future is filled with hope for spiritual maturity. Indeed, the refrain to the psalm “Remember your mercies, O Lord” (Ps. 25:6) calls our attention to an important biblical conception of “remembrance” (“ricordare”-bringing to heart), and when God brings to heart, when He remembers, it is not merely a recalling of an event of the past, rather He brings it out from the past and makes it effective in the present.

          This type of responsibility is measured in the present. God through prophet Ezekiel admonished “when the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done” (Ez.18:26). Jesus explained it with the parable of the two sons in the Gospel. The first son that represents the High priest and the elders, that claim to have impeccable character, but rejected God's call to conversion, and to faith for salvation, they say “yes” in words, but in action “no”. Their act is irresponsible. But the second son, who represents the publicans and prostitutes, lived in an irresponsible way in his relation with God in the past, but even though he said “no” with his words, now with his work of adherence and conversion, has started responding “yes” to God. His previous irresponsibility has been purified through his present responsibility. And in this two categories of people we see the bisection of conventional and anonymous Christians. For in the eyes of God, the past does not count much, even though it is important and merits consideration. More important is the present, our responsible yes daily.

          The gospel above all, is equally suggestive of an appeal to repentance and conversion addressed to backsliders in faith and the so called conventional Christians. For some of us today, our situation as Christians really reflects that of the older son that said Yes, but never accomplished it, conventional and nominal Christians. Whereas the reality of the second son is reflective of the situation of those that have turned to Christ in adherence to His words, and these could be called in the parlance of Karl Rahner: anonymous Christians (tax collectors and prostitutes).

          Above all, the second reading surpasses the incoherence between the past and the present, between yes and no, by showing us in Jesus Christ, an eloquent example of total coherency and responsibility before God, His Father. A perfect synthesis between words and actions! The past of Christ does not differ from his present conduct, nor his “yes” of words different from his “yes” in action. Little wonder, St. Paul exhausts us to have “the same sentiments that were in Christ Jesus” (Phil. 2:5) whose life and existence were a unified “yes” to the Father's will. In the words of Jesus “My food is to do the will of the one who sent me, and to complete his work” (Jn.4:34; cf. Heb. 10:7).

          For this, Paul VI affirmed that, “the modern man listens more willingly to witnesses than to teachers, and if he does listen to teachers, it is because they are witnesses” (Evangelii Nuntiandi, 41), those who are heralds of what they preach. And I would like to add, that every authentic Christian should be able to synthesize these two dimensions in his or her life of faith, that is the spheres of word and actions, for sometimes, the gap between our words and actions may plunge us into spiritual and moral schizophrenia.

 Actio: The story of the two sons in the gospel calls our attention for a deeper and personal reflection, “intus legere”, to read inwardly; to read ourselves from within to know where we fall, whether within the tendencies of the first son or that of the second son. Do my words and profession of faith reflect in my actions?

Oratio: Jesus we thank You for standing as a model for us, in the call to authentic Christian living. Give us abundance of your Grace to be able to live a coherent and sincere life, in adherence to your words, help us to bridge the gap between what we say and what we do. May our existence as Christians be that of an eloquent synthesis between words and actions. Amen!!!

(Fada Vitus M. C. Unegbu)