Tuesday, MATTHEW 21:28-32

This parable is strikingly similar to Jesus' parable of the prodigal son, In both, the younger son stands for sinners who start badly but end well. And in both, the elder son stands for the scribes and Pharisees. They start well but end badly.
What really matters is not saying “yes”, but “doing it”. As the saying goes -actions speak louder than words. On another occasion, Jesus will refer to the doctrine taught by this parable: “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord’, will enter the Kingdom of Heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father in Heaven” (Mt 7:21). We need to walk the talk if we need to be pleasing to the Father. As Saint Augustine wrote, “there are two wills. Your will has to be corrected so as to identify it with God's will; but do not try to bend God's will to adapt it to yours. To obey does not mean to be a puppet in someone else's hands, but to interiorize what we must accomplish: and then, to do it “because you feel like it”.

What is common in tax collectors and prostitutes is that their sin is quite public in nature. Others know it and they know it. It is quite obvious. This can work in their favor in the sense that they easily identify themselves as sinners. Therefore, they have a better chance of conversion.
The most difficult part of conversion is to admit that we have sins. More often than not, we always say that: "well, I am a sinner, but not as sinful as my neighbor, or my enemy". There are those who think that we are on the road to holiness, but in the end never even attempt to walk a single step in this journey due to complicity, overconfidence and pride. Many times, we don't think that we have committed very grave sins. We run the risk of becoming a complete first-class Pharisee and moralist, judging everyone from our high throne.
Therefore, let us be cautious; let us learn holiness by looking and examining ourselves regularly so that we can enter conversion.
Our Mother, a great teacher of obedience to the faith, will show us the way to learn how to obey the will of the Father.