THE parable of the two sons (Mt
21,28-32) is very
instructive about a particular aspect of our human condition, weakened
as it is by sin. Yes, we tend to be inconsistent, and with that, are
prone to other related anomalies like deceit, hypocrisy and
pretension.
But we can also change. There is always hope in spite of
that tendency. We have to continually remind ourselves that while we
may be beset with all sorts of crazy anomalies, there is always hope,
there is always some cure, there’s a good chance for conversion and
transformation.
As the parable narrates, the first son said ‘no’ to his
father’s request to work in the vineyard, but later on changed his
mind and worked. The other son said ‘yes’ but did not go.
When Christ asked his listeners who between the sons did
the father’s will, they answered the first, and Christ told them they
were correct in saying so. That, of course, tells us that more than
words, it is deeds that would fulfil God’s will or the will of
anybody, for that matter.
We have to be ready to tackle this particular and, sad to
say, very common problem of ours, making use of every opportunity we
can be true to our words that in turn should be true to the will of
anyone who has lawful authority over us and ultimately to God, the
very source of authority.
Consistency has to be viewed in the context of our
relation to God, since it is in that relation that the proper
delineation of all our other relations, either to persons or to
things, events and issues would be properly developed and lived.
God is the source of all good things, of truth and unity.
He is the vine from which we as branches grow. Separated from him,
there’s no other consequence but to be fragmented, to wither and die
eventually.
So, if we are truly interested in developing a strong
consistency or unity of life, we need not look further to see where we
can have it or where we can start. It’s in our relation with God,
nourished by faith, hope and charity that God himself gives us in
abundance.
And for this faith, hope and charity to effectively shape
our life, we have to dispose ourselves to them properly by being
humble, by realizing that we by ourselves, no matter how brilliant or
powerful our natural talents and powers may be, can only go so far
without God.
We need to deepen our humility, something that we should
never take for granted. We can never think that we are already humble
enough. We need to realize that deep in our consciousness, there is
always a tendency of ourselves to assert ourselves over God and over
any other authority.
Christ himself has shown us the way by emptying himself.
Let’s listen again to what St. Paul once said about the self-emptying
(kenosis) of Christ: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God.
“But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He
humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of
the cross.” (Phil 2,5-8)
This self-emptying is indispensable in our life. We need
to do everything to be able to achieve that, obviously doing it also
with utmost naturalness, the way Christ himself did it.
He did not go around announcing he was the Redeemer. He
just let his deeds and his miracles do the talking more than his words
which were not lacking either. When some people wanted to proclaim him
king, he escaped. When he had enter Jerusalem to claim his kingship,
he rode on a donkey.
We have to see the indispensable value of humility to
nourish our faith, hope and charity that in turn would nourish our
strong unity of life. It is this humility that enabled Christ to
accept the will of his Father to offer his life on the cross for our
salvation.
“Father,” he said in the agony in the garden, “if it is
your will, let this cup pass by me, but not my will but yours be
done.” This submission of one’s will to God’s will is the ultimate
expression of humility that allows faith, hope and charity to flourish
and a unity of life to come as a consequence.
instructive about a particular aspect of our human condition, weakened
as it is by sin. Yes, we tend to be inconsistent, and with that, are
prone to other related anomalies like deceit, hypocrisy and
pretension.
But we can also change. There is always hope in spite of
that tendency. We have to continually remind ourselves that while we
may be beset with all sorts of crazy anomalies, there is always hope,
there is always some cure, there’s a good chance for conversion and
transformation.
As the parable narrates, the first son said ‘no’ to his
father’s request to work in the vineyard, but later on changed his
mind and worked. The other son said ‘yes’ but did not go.
When Christ asked his listeners who between the sons did
the father’s will, they answered the first, and Christ told them they
were correct in saying so. That, of course, tells us that more than
words, it is deeds that would fulfil God’s will or the will of
anybody, for that matter.
We have to be ready to tackle this particular and, sad to
say, very common problem of ours, making use of every opportunity we
can be true to our words that in turn should be true to the will of
anyone who has lawful authority over us and ultimately to God, the
very source of authority.
Consistency has to be viewed in the context of our
relation to God, since it is in that relation that the proper
delineation of all our other relations, either to persons or to
things, events and issues would be properly developed and lived.
God is the source of all good things, of truth and unity.
He is the vine from which we as branches grow. Separated from him,
there’s no other consequence but to be fragmented, to wither and die
eventually.
So, if we are truly interested in developing a strong
consistency or unity of life, we need not look further to see where we
can have it or where we can start. It’s in our relation with God,
nourished by faith, hope and charity that God himself gives us in
abundance.
And for this faith, hope and charity to effectively shape
our life, we have to dispose ourselves to them properly by being
humble, by realizing that we by ourselves, no matter how brilliant or
powerful our natural talents and powers may be, can only go so far
without God.
We need to deepen our humility, something that we should
never take for granted. We can never think that we are already humble
enough. We need to realize that deep in our consciousness, there is
always a tendency of ourselves to assert ourselves over God and over
any other authority.
Christ himself has shown us the way by emptying himself.
Let’s listen again to what St. Paul once said about the self-emptying
(kenosis) of Christ: “Let this mind be in you, which was also in
Christ Jesus, who being in the form of God, thought it not robbery to
be equal with God.
“But he emptied himself, taking the form of a servant,
being made in the likeness of men, and in habit found as a man. He
humbled himself, becoming obedient unto death, even to the death of
the cross.” (Phil 2,5-8)
This self-emptying is indispensable in our life. We need
to do everything to be able to achieve that, obviously doing it also
with utmost naturalness, the way Christ himself did it.
He did not go around announcing he was the Redeemer. He
just let his deeds and his miracles do the talking more than his words
which were not lacking either. When some people wanted to proclaim him
king, he escaped. When he had enter Jerusalem to claim his kingship,
he rode on a donkey.
We have to see the indispensable value of humility to
nourish our faith, hope and charity that in turn would nourish our
strong unity of life. It is this humility that enabled Christ to
accept the will of his Father to offer his life on the cross for our
salvation.
“Father,” he said in the agony in the garden, “if it is
your will, let this cup pass by me, but not my will but yours be
done.” This submission of one’s will to God’s will is the ultimate
expression of humility that allows faith, hope and charity to flourish
and a unity of life to come as a consequence.
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