The 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time – year A – 1st October 2023
Lectionary Readings: Ezek. 18:25-28; Ps. 24 (25):4-9; Phil. 2:1-11; Matt. 21:28-32
Theme: Justice, freedom and dignity
The gospel was clear about three things when he communicated to us the parable, they were carefully laid out in the succession of events. Such as the invitation to work in the field, for one can notice through it that the Lord is always true to his words when he gives us the grace of free will. In allowing one to exercise his freedom and his intellect. One is able to notice the respect that he showed to his created being, however, because he has respected us. One must demand of himself to reciprocate the way the Lord has treated him. One should in turn respect his fellow created beings in the same manner the Lord has treated him.
Second, He invited us to work in his field, through which what we reap belongs to us, not to others. This would mean two things, the first is how much value we have put onto ourselves, and the second is how much we value our neighbor. The first talks about the dignity we show ourselves and the second is how much dignity we equate with others. All these things are worth more than any precious stones, for no one can take them away from us. Dignity is the wage we gain after working in our father’s field. Third is the manner one responds to his invitation. While cultural convention and conformity dictate the answer of the public. They dictate the answers of many individuals. One can ask oneself if he is only following the public conformity, convention, and opinion on answering the invitation of the Lord, for by doing so, he is lying to none other than himself, for he took an answer that does not belong to him but to the other. In doing so, there is no way for that individual to correct himself. For he did not answer the invitation at all. In turn, he will put the blame on the other. For he can only reflect on the things that others thought and said about it. That individual is too lazy to take on himself the responsibility to think. and he has also failed to exercise his freedom and freewill
It is clear in Ezekiel 18:25 to the extent that the individual will have to blame heaven for the fault that he himself had done. On the other hand, the youngest who said no to the invitation was able to turn 360 degrees like Paul for his action and answer allowed him to reflect on his own fault, because it is he, who is the one who did so, and not the other individual and/or the populace. This reflects the justice of the Lord that was written in Ezekiel 18: 28-29.
For Reflection and Discussion: 1. How much do I exercise my free will 2. How much do I value my dignity and that of others? 3. How many times have I conformed to society in dealing with my everyday existence?
Bibliography: McKenzie, J.L. Dictionary of the Bible (New York: 1965)
This week’s Sunday Liturgy Commentary was prepared by
Jefferson Philip Jacob Reyes, France, Bat Kol Alumnus:2019
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