Don Bosco Philippines South Province

Homily on the 26th Sunday in OT, 1 October 2023, Saint John Bosco Parish, Cotcot

There was once a little boy named Junior who liked to play with his toys but many times he could not because he had to do the house chores and run errands for others. Every day his Dad would call him and ask him to do some tasks or run some errands. His elder siblings too would do the same. They would ask their youngest brother to do something for them, like bringing their bag to the room, or buying for them their personal needs at the sari-sari store. He would even be told to clean up the pooh of their dog inside the house. But it seems he had no other choice but simply to obey his elders.

One day, however, when the burden of tasks and errands began to pile up, Junior thought of giving up and just running away from home. Feeling like he was only a house boy or maybe an adopted child he started packing up his clothes in order to leave. However when his elder sister noticed what was going on and heard him say in between tears “Lalayas na ako, kasi ampon lang naman yata ako dito sa bahay na ‘to eh.” (I’ll just walk away because I feel I’m being treated in this house like an adopted child.) She talked with her little brother heart to heart and managed to stop him from running away from home. And then everyone else came in and they all hugged him assuring him he was not an adopted child but their true blood brother.

Have you had a similar experience as a child? Have you gone through the same difficulties of obeying your elders, or maybe your very own grown up children who are now in authority, or perhaps your very own spouse who keeps dictating on you?

Dear brothers and sisters, thank you for setting aside time this Sunday morning to be here to worship & thank God, our almighty Father who created us, redeemed us & made us his beloved children.

If you recall, last Sunday we heard the parable of an owner of a vineyard who went out several times during the day to hire workers for his vineyard. And at the end of the day all of them received a full day’s wage (just and fair), including the last batch who worked only for one hour. With that parable Jesus wanted to show us how God can truly be an amazingly generous God even to those of us who do not really deserve his abundant blessings and heavenly rewards.

Today Jesus narrates another parable to us, this time addressed mainly to the chief priests and the elders of the people. It is the story of a man who had two sons both of whom he sent to work in his vineyard. But only one of them obeyed and actually went to do his father’s will. The other son never really went even if he gave a “yes” response to his father.

I believe Jesus narrated this parable because of the joyful news that many tax collectors and sinners who used to disobey God’s law were beginning to repent and become his followers. On the other hand however he must have noticed that the religious authorities, who have given their “yes” to God’s call to serve, never really fulfilled the Father’s will as they obstinately refused to recognise and believe the Messiah whom he sent.

Let us reflect: are there times in our lives when like those chief priests and elders we utter many prayers, attend many Masses and even say “Amen” but we actually fail to live faithfully according to God’s will and commands? Marami and nagpupuri sa Panginoon pero hanggang “lip service” lang. Ang ating mga ginagawa ay hindi naman sang-ayon sa kalooban niya. (Maybe we should spend some quiet and prayerful moments to reflect.)

Moreover as I was reflecting on this parable I realized the principal message of Jesus here. He wants us to understand and appreciate above all the truth that Christian life is a filial relationship with God. Our life will have a meaning only if we are intimately in a relationship with God. While last Sunday’s parable reveals to us the generosity of God despite the kind of worker-employer relationship that many of us are content to have with him, on the other hand however, the parable today emphasizes more the Father-son or Father-daughter relationship we are blessed to have with Him, our loving Father. Hence, our greatest blessing on earth is to have become a son/daughter of God.

It is in this context, therefore, that Jesus teaches us today the value of obedience even if there is seemingly no mention of a corresponding reward. If God, who is a super generous Father, loves us so much, then we, on our part as His children, should be super obedient to Him, not out of constraint out of love and reverence. Our obedience to God should be motivated not anymore by reward or punishment but rather by LOVE, the filial love and reverential fear we should have for Him, convinced as we are that He is our loving Father with such a compassionate and magnanimous heart.

My dearly beloved brothers and sisters, especially the children and young people who are present here, Jesus is challenging you to obey your parents, to honour and respect them for if you do so, God will keep you always safe and bless you.

Don Bosco used to say that the first virtue of the young is obedience. Why? Here are some very solid reasons. First, obedience to parents is part of the fifth commandment from God: “Honour your father and your mother.” Second it is usually difficult and challenging to obey one’s parents. If it were easy then it would not be a virtue anymore. In fact based on experience the older we grow, the more difficult it becomes to obey those who have authority over us. Third, young people who honour and obey their parents are actually honouring and obeying God whom their parents represent. And fourth, if the young can obey their parents, whom they see, no matter how difficult it may be to obey them, then it would be much easier for them later on to obey the will of God whom they do not see.

Therefore, I invite you to cultivate the virtue of obedience while you are still young. Above all strive to be always obedient to the will of God who certainly wants only what is best for us. In the second reading St. Paul tells us that we Christians should have the same attitude of Christ, that is, though he was in the form of God he did not regard himself as equal to God. Never did he brag about his true identity as God’s only begotten Son. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, being born like us. And he humbled himself becoming obedient to the point of death, even death on a cross.

I would like to end with another story. It is the story of a fifteen year old girl who made a decisive choice to enter Carmel even if she was underage. As soon as she was accepted inside the monastery she obeyed whatever her superior told her to do. She did her daily chores well and she willingly took up other menial tasks as well. Later on after her profession she had to face a lot of trials, mostly inner struggles in her emotional and spiritual life. Yet despite all the difficulties and challenges of life within the four walls of the monastery she managed to persevere in her Carmelite vocation.

One day she suddenly had that consuming desire to go out of her comfort zone and become a missionary for the Lord in foreign lands. But after intense prayer and reflection she soon realized that that big task was not really for her. Her true calling as a nun was to remain inside the monastery and obey. And the only way for her to save many more souls was to offer prayers and sacrifices for sinners. And so she offered everything she did including her smallest deeds for love of Jesus and for the salvation of souls, esp. those about to die and those souls in purgatory. While striving to follow the spirituality of St. Teresa of Avila, she found her own little unique way to holiness: by doing little deeds with great love. I’m sure by now you would know who this girl is. She is St Therese of Lisieux or better known as St Therese of the Child Jesus. She was only 24 years old when she died in 1897, and in 1925 only 28 years after her death she was already canonized a saint. She is known today as a Doctor of the Church and the Patroness of the Missions.

If you want to know more about her little way, try to read her autobiography entitled “The Story of a Soul.” You can download a copy for yourself from the internet for free. I read that book when I was in high school and it made a big impact on me.

Let us pray in this Eucharist that we, especially the young people who are here, may be courageous and generous like St Therese in responding to the call of the Lord. May we strive to be super obedient to our super generous Father and do everything even the smallest kind deeds with great love for Him – for the salvation of souls and for our own sanctification. Let us not forget we all have what it takes to become saints no matter how young we might be. GiGsss!

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