“Which Son am I? God Asks for Your True Heart”
Dear Friends in Christ,
Today I want to speak to you about something that touches all of us. Jesus tells a simple story, about a father and two sons and when you hear it, you may see yourself in it.
The Story of the Two Sons (Matthew 21:28-32)
A father asks his first son to work in the vineyard. The boy refuses. He says no. But something shifts in the boy’s heart. He feels regret. He changes his mind and goes to do the work.
The father then asks his second son the same thing. This boy immediately says yes. “Of course, father!”
But he never goes. He stays home. His words mean nothing.
Jesus then asks us: “Which son obeyed his father?” The answer is obvious: the first one.
What Does This Mean For Us?
God does not measure us by beautiful promises or pleasant words. God looks at our hearts. God watches what we actually do. The first son was imperfect. He resisted at first. But he repented. His actions matched his change of heart. The second son was different. He told his father what he wanted to hear. But his life revealed the truth that he was not sincere. This is the crucial question we must face: Which son am I?
God Sees What Is Real
The Prophet Ezekiel carries God’s message: “If someone turns away from the wickedness he has done, and does what is right and just, he shall surely live.” Notice what God promises, not judgment for past failures, but life itself. Genuine transformation opens the door to blessing.
We all stumble. We all break commitments to God, to our loved ones, to ourselves. But God does not give up on us. He waits for us to turn around.
The Challenge For Us
We live in a culture where saying “I am Catholic” may be easy. Attending Mass occasionally is simple. Wearing the faith like a label requires no effort.
But living it? That is different.
That asks us to forgive when we want revenge.
To speak truth when silence is safer.
To serve the poor.
To love our families sacrificially.
To pray when we are tired.
The real question is not what we claim to believe. The real question is what we actually do with our time, our money, our energy, our love.
A Week to Reflect
Let us ask ourselves honestly this week: Where am I resisting God’s call, yet could still turn around and obey? Where am I making promises with my mouth but my life tells a different story?
The Freedom of Repentance
Repentance is not God’s punishment. It is His gift. It is the chance to start over. When we truly turn, we experience not judgment, but freedom.
The first sons “no” was not final. His mistake was not permanent. The moment he changed his heart, he was restored. This can be our story too.
One Small Step
Maybe we have been comfortable in our faith, going through the motions without truly investing our heart. Maybe we have made big promises to God that we have not kept. Maybe we know exactly where we may be fooling oneself.
Now is the time to stop pretending. Now is the time to choose honesty. Now is the time to take one real step toward obedience.
Not because we must. But because we want to be whole. Because we want our outside life to match our inside heart. Because we love God more than our comfort.
Questions for reflection:
- Am I more like the son who said no but repented, or the son who said yes but never acted? What does my honest answer reveal about where I stand right now?
- What is one specific area where God is calling me, but I keep resisting? What would it cost me to finally obey?
- Where is there a gap between what I claim to believe and how I actually live? What is one concrete change I can make this week to close that gap?
Blessings to you all!