Feast Day of St. Francis of Assisi

October 4, 2017

Dear brothers and sisters,

Peace and all good!

Happy Feast day of our holy father St. Francis of Assisi!

Brother Masseo, wishing to test the humility of the saint, went forth to meet him exclaiming: “Why after thee?  Why after thee?”  To which St. Francis made answer: “What is this?  What meanest thou?”  Brother Masseo answered: “I mean, why it is that the entire world goeth after thee; why do all men wish to see thee, to hear thee, and to obey thy word? For thou art neither comely nor learned, nor art thou of noble birth.  How is it, then, that all the world goeth after thee?”  St. Francis, hearing these words, rejoiced greatly in spirit, and lifting up his eyes to heaven . . . returning thanks to God with great fervor of spirit, and addressing Brother Masseo, said to him, “Wouldst thou know why all men come after me?  Know that it is because the Lord, who is in heaven, who sees the evil and the good in all places – because, I say, his holy eyes have found among men no one more wicked, more imperfect, or a greater sinner than I am; and to accomplished the wonderful work which he intends to do, he has found no creature more vile than I am on earth; for which reason he has chosen me, to confound all strength, beauty, greatness, noble birth, and all the science of the world, that men may learn that every virtue and every good gift cometh from him, and not from any creature, that none may glory before him; but if any one glory, let him glory in the Lord, to whom belongeth all glory in eternity” (The Little Flowers of Saint Francis of Assisi, Chapter IX, pp. 27-28).

 

May our Father and Founder St. Francis of Assisi bless us always.

Fraternally yours,

Fr. Yosi, OFM

26th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)

October 1, 2017

Readings:

First Reading – Ezekiel 18:25-28

Psalm 25

Second Reading – Philippians 2:1-11 [or 2:1-5]

Gospel reading according to Matthew (21:28-32)

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Homily: Working in the Vineyard (Kingdom) of God

All of us are called by God the Father to serve him by working in his vineyard, (his Kingdom), the Church.  God the Father was the first one who came to and looked for us.  “He came to the first son . . .” (Mt. 21: 28).  “The man came to the other son . . .” (Mt. 21:30).  Instead of calling his sons to him, he was the one who looked and came for them.  That is our God; he is always ready to seek us, to look after us, to find us even in our lowliness and sinfulness.  He is always near us and with us.  Also, God is working and continuously creating something new in his vineyard, in his Church.  He does not leave us, his sons and daughters, alone in his vineyard.  He is also there working together with us, to give us an example.

On the one hand, the first son in the gospel said to his father, “I will not, but afterwards he changed his mind and went” (Mt. 21:29).  Here is a son who first disobeyed the will of his father. He did what he wills, but later repented and changed his heart.  He realized that he is going to work in their own vineyard.  As if, this son was referred by the prophet Ezekiel in the first reading, “When someone turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life, since he has turned away from all the sins which he committed; he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Ez. 18:27-28). Jesus representing the first son as tax collectors and prostitutes, those sinners who do not know their left and right hands, who are poor and uneducated, those ignorant of the Law of Moses and their Temple leaders and elders.  On the other hand, the other son said to his father, “Yes, sir; but did not go,” (Mt. 21: 30) to the vineyard.  This other son is unfair to his father.  He responded positively to his father to show to his father that he is a good son, but he disobeyed his father’s will by not going to the vineyard and worked in their property and family business.  We can refer the other son as what the prophet Ezekiel called as “Someone virtuous who turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity that he committed that he must die” (Ez. 18:26).  This other son, whom Jesus representing the chief priests and elders, (the Pharisees and Sadducees, the scribes, the whole Sanhedrin) whom they think they were holy and good chosen people, obeying God’s commands, doing the Law of Moses to the letter, and observing the lives of the prophets, that they were righteous and not sinful; but in reality they violated all the things God has commanded for they are selfish and only interested to their own businesses and showmanship..      

Jesus asked us, “What is your opinion?”  The prophet Ezekiel also is asking us, “Thus the Lord says, You say, The Lord’s way is not fair? Now, is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?  Amen, I say to you, those sinful people who amended their lives, changed their minds, repented and obeyed God’s command will enter the Kingdom of God, his vineyard.