to follow

Dec 14, 2021

.

“What is your opinion? A man had two sons:. Mt 28:28-32

I imagine the father standing with his two sons surrounded by many workers. One son sought to keep the peace and lied to his father “yes I will go”, but had no intention of going to the vineyard. The second son honestly said would not do what his father wanted.

Christians are often accused of being hypocrites, saying one thing and doing another. But I know I am a bit like this since I profess belief in Christ and too often fail to live this. There is some integrity in acknowledging this resistance to the will of the father.

Note that the turning point in this encounter was when the second son, moved with repentance, changed his mind and decided to do what the father asked.

In this turning he becomes an example of what it is to have faith by living in harmony with our deepest desire which is not to follow our own whims but to follow God’s desire for us.

And an encouragement from St. John of the Cross whose feast we celebrate today:

“God has to work in the soul in secret and in darkness because if we fully knew what was happening, and what Mystery, transformation, God and Grace will eventually ask of us, we would either try to take charge or stop the whole process.”
St. John of the Cross

Click the candle image below to share a prayer or to pray in response to another reader’s request.

1 Comment

  1. That’s a very insightful comment from St John of the Cross. Can definitely relate. Must read more about him.

    Reply

Submit a Comment

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Latest Posts

I AM

I AM

I try not to repeat these daily Lenten posts year to year but there are times when the same scriptures pop up annually and I realise that I can’t write it better than I did last year. Today is one such day, not only because of the thought I share but even more in the comments that are added by FFF readers. Today I have left some of last year’s comments helping us to appreciate the power of today’s readings.

my word your home

my word your home

The heart of the home in years past was the hearth.
It was at the hearth that the family gathered for the warmth and light of the flame and the food that was prepared there.
The fire was treated with respect since the same flame which provided energy for the home could just as easily destroy it.

stand up look up

stand up look up

The Israelites in their forty years in the desert were journeying from captivity to freedom, but the struggle of their desert years made them vulnerable to attack from every temptation as today’s first reading continues

confident in God

confident in God

I’m not sure if children today are told the great story of the Emperor’s New Clothes, but if not let’s make sure that the parable is taught at all schools of higher learning.

the teenagers

the teenagers

A few years ago I discovered the wonderful way that God uses my imagination in my prayer.
Such openness to imagination when seeking God does not take us away from reality into fantasy but instead brings me into what is most real and inescapably personal and intimate.