“FIRST IMPRESSIONS”
26th SUNDAY (A)
September 27, 2026
Ezekiel 18: 25-28;
Psalm 25;
Philippians 2: 1-11;
Matthew 21: 28-32
Dear Preachers:
There is plenty of room in our readings from Ezekiel and Matthew. Room for what? Spacious room to change.
In Ezekiel, God challenges the complaint that God is unfair. The prophet points out that there is plenty of room in God’s heart for the person who turns away from wrongdoing and begins to live rightly. That person, God says, “...shall preserve their life; they will surely live, they shall not die.”
Similarly, in today’s passage from Matthew’s Gospel, the first son refuses his father’s command: “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” He says, “No,” but later changes his mind and goes. The father then approaches the second son and gives him the same command. The son says, “Yes, sir,” but does not go.
Jesus shifts our attention from words to actions. One son said “No,” but eventually followed his father’s wishes and went to work. The other said “Yes,” but did not.
For our Christian community, the readings from Ezekiel and Matthew call us to shift our attention from words to actions. This is an important examination for us. When we gather, we say and do the right things: we profess our faith, attend worship, and speak about the values of compassion and justice. But the Gospel asks whether our lives and our community actually embody what we profess.
We are invited to examine our “Yes.” Is it possible to say the approved prayers, come to Mass, belong to parish groups, and speak about faith, yet fail to do the works of the Gospel?
On the other hand, someone whose faith has been weak, or whose path has been troubled, can turn around and begin to live a Gospel life with sincerity. God leaves the door open for conversion.
The parish, therefore, should not become a community that labels people according to their past. We are called to be a community where people can change, begin again, and discover that God’s mercy is always calling us forward.
The question is not simply, “Have I said ‘yes’ to God?” It is, “Where is my ‘yes’ taking shape in the way I live?”
The connection between Ezekiel and Matthew becomes especially clear when we see that both readings are about conversion: turning our lives around and putting our faith into action.
Jesus is challenging our community. Are we merely saying “Yes” to God, or are we actually going into the vineyard? This suggests a reflection for our Eucharist today. We need to ask the Spirit to guide us: “Where is the vineyard I need to enter, and once there, what work am I being asked to do?”
There is good news here. Jesus does not say that the person who once said “No” is beyond hope. What matters is the willingness to change and then act. The Christian community is not a community of people who have always said and done the right thing. It is a community continually learning to turn around, hear God’s call, and put faith into practice.
The question for us is not simply, “What do we say we believe?” but “What are we doing because we believe it?”
I confess that I do not always pay enough attention to the Responsorial Psalm. So, following the spirit of what I have said above, I would like to stop and reflect on today’s selection from Psalm 25.
The Psalm gives us a prayer that naturally flows from the Ezekiel reading:
“Teach me your paths, O Lord… Guide me in your truth and teach me, for you are God, my Savior.”
The Psalmist does not claim to already know the right path. Instead, the Psalmist asks God to show the way and lead them along it. That is precisely the attitude Ezekiel calls for. Conversion is not simply feeling sorry for the past. It is turning and choosing a new direction.
There is also a beautiful connection in the Psalm’s emphasis on God’s mercy:
“Remember that your compassion, O Lord, and your love are from of old.”
Ezekiel’s message might initially sound severe: our choices have consequences. But Psalm 25 shines light on the other side of that message: God is merciful and willing to teach, guide, and forgive. We are never trapped by our past.
There is always room to turn around. There is always room to change. And, in the heart of God, there is always room to begin again.
Click here for a link to this Sunday’s readings: