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26th Sunday OT I heard a funny joke the other day. Two snakes slithering along in the undergrowth. One says to the other “Are we poisonous snakes?” The other looked at him and said “Yes, of course, we are poisonous snakes, Why do you ask?” He said, “I’ve just bit my lip.” In life there are many things that make us smile. Things that come out the wrong way. Mistakes that people make, bizarre things that people do. Sometimes people have just a great ability to smile and make us laugh. It is one of the great thing about human beings to smile and laugh. But as human beings we are capable of being serious. One of the things that is no laughing matter or causes us to be more serious is when we are faced with moral decisions. We are faced with these things all the time. We might be tempted to take away someone character – what do we do? Someone offers us something that we know to be stolen – what do we do? We know something and to remain silent would harm a lot of people, but to speak would bring us criticism – what do we do? Temptation to over indulge in drink or whatever – what do we do? We have the chance to overspend on ourselves without any thought for anyone or anything – what do we do? We are faced all the time by moral decisions, to balance things, to decide between right and wrong. In the Gospel we hear of the two sons who are facing up to a decision. The Father asks them to go and work in his vineyard – what are they going to do? We hear their responses. One says he will go and doesn’t go and the other says he won’t go and does go unwillingly. Neither of these things looks too good. We all know that person who promises much and doesn’t come up with the goods and the other who says they won’t do the thing and grudgingly does it, has to be dragged to do it. But that is not the end of the story beyond the sons there are people who are not expected to do the right thing and yet are generous in their response, the tax collectors, the prostitutes, the public sinners. Faced with moral decisions. It is possible to tell right from wrong and to have the moral courage to do the right thing. The people in the Gospel embody different responses – the person who says they’ll do it but never does; the person who doesn’t want to do it but does it out of a sense of duty, has to be dragged to do it - - not the best of reasons but still does it. The people who are not expected to do the right thing, but who decide between right and wrong and follow through. One of the books of the OT says that there is a time to laugh and there is a time to be serious. It is possible to drift through life and avoid that quiet voice of conscience. But where would you be and where would the world be. Evil and tyranny would take control. It is important to be a moral person, to distinguish between right and wrong and to have the moral courage to follow through. That is where our Christian faith it informs and shapes our conscience. We aspire to keep God’s law, we stretch out to what he thinks is right. We are a more complete person if we are a moral person. If we please ourselves, give into everything, do what we want, where do we end up. To struggle with right and wrong and to have the moral strength within us will leave us smiling in the end. Not everything is right and not everything is wrong. God will give us a light to see things clearly. PRAYERS OF THE FAITHFUL 26th SUNDAY IN OT Priest God has placed his law and his spirit in our hearts – we pray that we may rise to the greatness of what he calls us to be Intercessor For those who lead the Church – that they may remind us of what is important and give us a strong desire to be true and faithful to our baptismal calling. We pray to the Lord That we may be Catholics who realise the importance of the Sacrament of Confession – who recognise in ourselves the voice of conscience and the need of forgiveness when our actions have offended our Creator We pray to the Lord For those who will suffer from financial difficulties – that they may find in us support and care for them in their plight. We pray to the Lord For families who are struggling to stay together – that they may re-discover a spirit of unity and common purpose for which they are created by God. We pray to the Lord For those who care for the sick, especially at home – that they may have the grace and strength to see their work through to its end. We pray to the Lord For all who have died, especially Robert Kyle and all whose anniversary that we have been asked to remember. We pray to the Lord Priest Heavenly Father, Give us the strength which comes from the Gospel to live the life of grace. help us to strong before the temptations to do wrong and to give into temptations to confirm to the morality and fashions of the world. Top Comment on this Homily |