Yes = Yes and No = No

At Mass this past Sunday, we heard from the Gospel according to Saint Matthew 21:28 - 32. As you have already heard, Jesus asks us to consider two brothers: one who declined to help when called upon by his father but later did as he was called, and a second brother who agreed to help but, in fact, did not help as he had said that he would.

Our response to God's revelation is faith: it seems clear that this faith - as Saint Matthew records for us - cannot be simply a verbal-statement. "Talk is cheap," as they say. The brothers in Sunday's Gospel are polar opposites: the first saying he will not help the father but changes his mind and does help, the second saying that he will help but does not.

This same point comes up earlier in the Gospel according to Saint Matthew; in Matt 5:37, Jesus tells us, "Let your 'Yes' be 'Yes,' and your 'No,' 'No'; anything more comes from the evil one."

It seems that we are not simply talking about the commandment not to lie, though I am not minimalizing this aspect. We are also talking about faith calling us 1. to change and 2. to serve. When called by the Father, we change our lives - our minds and hearts - to His ways AND we must proclaim our faith as well.

Today's gospel reading shows Jesus favoring the one who served the father, though that son initially said that he would not. Let us all say "Yes." In thit we will serve the Father. Moreover, let our "yes" mean "yes."

May Jesus Christ be praised.

Take care, -Jeremy