Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 27 Sep 2026
XXVI Week in Ordinary Time
Eze 18:25-28. Phil 2:1-11. Mt 21:28-32
He Changed His Mind
Today’s first reading is taken from the Book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel was a contemporary of the prophet Jeremiah. He was taken into exile in Babylon together with the people of Jerusalem. He was among those who saw with their own eyes the destruction of their city and Temple.
The exiles believed that their present suffering was caused by the sins of their ancestors, and they complained that God was treating them unjustly. Through Ezekiel, the Lord responds to this complaint. Each person is responsible for his or her own actions. Therefore, each person must accept responsibility and turn back to God.
In the second reading, Paul gives advice to the Church at Philippi, a community very close to his heart. The Christians there were being disturbed by selfish ambition, pride, and rivalry, which were creating divisions and conflicts. Paul gives them two directions. First, they must relate to one another with humility. Second, they must take Christ as their model and stop making excuses for themselves. Paul then uses one of the most beautiful Christological hymns of the early Church. Christ did not cling to His equality with God. He did not remain within His own security. He emptied Himself, left His place of privilege, and became one like us.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus gives the parable of the two sons. This belongs to what we may call a “self-examination parable.” The person who listens to such a parable must identify himself with one of its characters, examine himself, and respond. The parable Nathan told King David about the rich man and the poor man’s little lamb belongs to the same type. After hearing the story, David immediately reacts, saying that the man who did such a thing deserves punishment. Only then does Nathan tell him, “You are the man.”
The parable of the two sons, found only in Matthew, contains some surprising elements.
(a) First, there is the question of the elder and younger son.
Israel cherished a recurring biblical pattern: the younger son is often chosen. Ishmael is set aside and Isaac is chosen. Esau is set aside and Jacob is chosen. Among Jacob’s sons, Joseph, the eleventh, receives special favour. In Luke’s parable of the lost son, the younger son returns home and is received, while the elder son remains outside complaining. Even in Matthew’s genealogy, younger sons appear repeatedly. But in today’s parable, the one who finally becomes pleasing to the father is not the younger son, but the elder son.
(b) Second, Matthew normally prefers the expression “Kingdom of heaven.” Here, however, Jesus speaks of the “Kingdom of God.” This is unusual in Matthew and therefore catches our attention.
(c) Third, Jesus speaks here of “tax collectors and prostitutes.” Usually the Gospels use the expression “tax collectors and sinners.” The word “prostitutes” appears by itself also in the parable of the lost son, when the elder brother accuses the younger son. The expression “tax collectors and prostitutes” may even remind us of Matthew himself and Rahab. Matthew, a tax collector, accepted Jesus and followed Him while many of his contemporaries rejected Him. Rahab, the Canaanite prostitute, welcomed the spies of Israel and accepted the Lord as her God.
All these expressions must have been shocking to the chief priests and elders who were listening to Jesus. Jesus is effectively saying that tax collectors and prostitutes are going ahead of them into the Kingdom of God.
The younger son had words, but no action.
The elder son had no good words at first, but finally had action.
This takes us back to the Sermon on the Mount: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the Kingdom of heaven” (cf. Mt 7:21). Words alone are not enough. Action matters.
What does the parable tell us?
The younger son gives a false promise. He speaks respectfully to his father and says, “Yes, sir,” but then does what he wants.
The elder son does one important thing: he changes his mind.
The father’s will is not what he initially wants. Yet he turns his mind away from his own preference and towards the will of the father.
Jesus says the same thing negatively to His listeners: “You did not change your minds.”
That becomes the central question for us today: Am I ready to change my mind towards the will of God?
Even if at first I say “No” to God, there is still hope. God gives me time to change my mind. Saint Augustine changed his mind. His “No” did not become the last word of his life.
This is the change that leads to greatness.
We all desire greatness in life. But thoughts about greatness and words about greatness are not enough. Action is necessary.
Today’s readings give us three lessons.
First, we must remain in righteousness and goodness with perseverance. If we have moved away from what is good, we must turn back towards it. Ezekiel reminds us that we are responsible for the direction of our life.
Second, the path to greatness is humility. Paul tells us that this is the mind of Christ Jesus. Christ did not cling to privilege. He humbled Himself.
Third, change does not happen through thoughts and words alone. It happens through action.
The son who first said “No” became obedient because he changed his mind.
God does not ask whether our first response was perfect. He asks whether we are willing to turn.
To change our mind towards the will of God is already the beginning of conversion.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
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