Twenty Sixth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

 Twenty Sixth Sunday of the Year 

September 27, 2026

Ezekiel 18:25-28   Philippians 2:1-11   Matthew 21:28-32

(Image courtesy: AI)

A man applied for a job as a handyman. The prospective employer asked, “Can you do carpentry?” The man answered in the negative. “How about bricklaying?” Again, the man answered, “No.” The employer asked, “Well, what about electrical work?” The man said, “No. I don’t know anything about that either.” Finally, the employer said, “Well, tell me then what is handy about you.” The man replied, “I live just around the corner. I can be available at any time of the day or night.”

The answer was amusing, but it contains a profound lesson. The man did not have many skills, but he had something valuable: availability. Neal Maxwell expressed this beautifully: “God does not begin by asking us about our ability, but only about our availability, and if we then prove our dependability, he will increase our capability.”

This thought takes us directly into today's Gospel. Jesus tells us about two sons. One says “no” to his father but later changes his mind and goes to work. The other says “yes” immediately but never goes. Jesus asks, “Which of the two did the will of his father?” The answer is obvious: the first. The message is simple but challenging. God is not looking merely for people who say the right things. He is looking for people who are willing to respond with their lives.

The first reading from Ezekiel speaks about conversion. God challenges the people who complain that His ways are unfair. Ezekiel makes it clear that God looks at the direction of a person's life. If a person turns away from wrongdoing and begins to live rightly, that person will live. This is a powerful message of hope. Our past does not have to determine our future. A person may have made mistakes, wasted opportunities, hurt others, or wandered far from God. But conversion is always possible. God does not close the door on anyone who sincerely turns back.

At the same time, Ezekiel reminds us that a good beginning is not enough. We must remain faithful. A person cannot simply depend on past goodness while refusing to live rightly in the present. This is precisely what Jesus illustrates through the two sons. The first son says, “I will not.” Perhaps he is rebellious, impatient, or unwilling. Yet something happens within him. He changes his mind and goes to work. The second son says, “Yes, sir.” His words sound respectful and obedient. But he does nothing. Jesus deliberately contrasts words and actions.

We can say beautiful prayers and still fail to love. We can speak about service and never serve. We can say that we forgive while continuing to hold resentment. We can say that we love God while ignoring the needs of people around us. God is not impressed merely by our “yes.” He asks what our “yes” produces in our lives.

The second reading from Philippians gives us the perfect example in Jesus Himself. St Paul presents Christ as the model of Christian life. Though He was in the form of God, He emptied Himself, took the form of a servant, humbled Himself, and became obedient even to death on a cross. This is the heart of Christian discipleship. Jesus did not simply speak about love. He lived it. He did not merely preach humility. He humbled Himself. He did not merely tell us to serve. He became a servant.

Paul therefore invites Christians to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. This is especially important because we often think of greatness in terms of status, achievement, authority, or recognition. The Gospel presents a completely different vision. True greatness is found in humility and service. Jesus shows us that obedience to God is not about saying impressive words. It is about allowing God's will to shape our choices.

The Gospel also gives us an important message about second chances. The first son initially says “no,” but he eventually changes. How many times have we said “no” to God? “No” to forgiveness. “No” to reconciliation. “No” to prayer. “No” to service. “No” to change. Perhaps we have delayed responding to God for years. Yet today's Gospel tells us that a delayed “yes” is still possible. God does not ask us to have a perfect past. He asks us to make a faithful response today.

There are three important life messages for us today.

First, availability is more important than perfection. God can work through people who are willing. We may not have every talent, but if we make ourselves available, God can develop our abilities and use them for His purposes.

Second, let your actions speak louder than your words. Christian faith is not simply about what we say. Our forgiveness, kindness, service, honesty, compassion, and generosity must make our faith visible.

Third, never be afraid to change. If you have said “no” to God in some area of your life, it is not too late to change your answer. Conversion begins when we turn around and take the next faithful step.

Let us return to the handyman who had almost no practical skills. When the employer asked what was “handy” about him, he replied, “I live just around the corner. I can be available.” Perhaps that is exactly what God is asking from us today. God may not begin by asking, “Are you talented enough?” He may not ask, “Are you perfect?” He may simply ask, “Are you available?” Are you available to forgive? Are you available to serve? Are you available to listen? Are you available to help someone who is struggling? Are you available to change something in your own life?

The first son in the Gospel eventually became available to his father's will. The second had the right words but lacked the action. Jesus Himself shows us what complete availability looks like: He humbled Himself and became obedient. May we not merely say “yes” to God with our lips. May our lives become our “yes.” And when God calls, may we be able to say, “Lord, I may not have everything. I may not be perfect. But I am available. Send me. Use me. I am ready to do your will.”

Happy Sunday 

Twenty Fifth Sunday of the Year (Year A)

 Twenty-Fifth Sunday of the Year 

September 20, 2026

Isaiah 55:6-9   Philippians 1:20-24.27   Matthew 20:1-16

(Image courtesy: Google)

A young man once stood outside a hospital room waiting for the results of an important examination. He had worked hard for years, sacrificed many comforts, and prayed that he would finally receive the opportunity he had been waiting for. When the results were announced, he had succeeded. He was overjoyed. But then he noticed something. His closest friend, who had studied for a much shorter time, had also been selected for the same opportunity. The young man felt disappointed. He thought, “I worked so hard. I sacrificed so much. How can he receive the same opportunity?”

That evening, he went home and told his father what had happened. His father listened quietly and then asked, “My son, when you were a child, I bought you a pair of shoes. Later, when your brother needed shoes, did you ask me why I was buying shoes for him?” The young man replied, “No, Father.”

The father smiled and said, “Because his receiving something did not mean you received less. You were both my children.”

Those words changed something in the young man's heart. The next day, he went to his friend, congratulated him sincerely, and said, “I am happy that you have this opportunity too.” Years later, he remembered that experience and said, “That day I learned that another person's blessing is not my loss.”

This is a lesson that all of us need to learn. We live in a world of comparison. We compare our achievements, our opportunities, our possessions, our ministries, our families, and even our spiritual lives. When someone receives something we desire, we can feel that our own blessing has somehow become smaller. Today's readings invite us to see life through the eyes of God rather than through the eyes of comparison.

The first reading from the prophet Isaiah gives us the foundation for understanding today's Gospel. God says, “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” Human beings naturally think in terms of calculation. We ask who deserves more, who has worked harder, who came first, and who should receive the greater reward. But God's ways are different. His mercy is not limited by our calculations, and His generosity cannot be measured by our standards.

Isaiah therefore invites us to “seek the Lord while he may be found.” We are called to return to God because His mercy is abundant. Sometimes we may think that a person has gone too far, made too many mistakes, or wasted too many years. But God's mercy can reach places where human judgment sees no possibility.

The second reading from St Paul gives us another important perspective. Paul says, “For to me, living is Christ and dying is gain.” His life has become completely centred on Christ. He is caught between two desires. He longs to be with Christ, but he also knows that remaining alive means continuing his mission and serving others.

Paul's attitude is remarkable because he is not thinking primarily about what he can receive. He is thinking about what he can give. He says that remaining alive is more necessary for the sake of others. This is a sign of Christian maturity. We gradually move from asking, “What can I get?” to asking, “What can I give?” We stop measuring our lives against others and begin asking whether our lives are becoming a blessing to others.

Then Jesus gives us the Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard. A landowner goes out early in the morning and hires workers. Later, he goes out again at the third hour, the sixth hour, the ninth hour, and finally at the eleventh hour. Some workers have worked throughout the day; others have worked only a short time. At the end of the day, the landowner gives them the same wage. The workers who came first are angry. They complain, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us.”

Their complaint seems understandable from a human point of view. But notice what the landowner says: “Are you envious because I am generous?” The early workers were not cheated. They received exactly what had been promised. Their problem was that they were comparing themselves with others.

This is the heart of the Gospel. Comparison can rob us of gratitude.

We may be perfectly happy with our own blessings until we see someone else's blessings. We may be grateful for our work until someone else receives a promotion. We may be happy with our ministry until another person receives recognition. We may be content with our family until we compare it with another family.

The problem is not always what we have. Sometimes the problem is that we are constantly looking at what others have. Jesus asks us to change our perspective. God's generosity toward another person does not reduce His love for us.

There is also a beautiful message of hope in the workers who came at the eleventh hour. They remind us that it is never too late for God. Some people discover their faith early. Others return to God after many years. Some people change only after painful experiences. Some discover their vocation later in life.

The important thing is not simply when we began. The important thing is whether we are willing to respond to God's invitation today.

There are three important life messages for us today.

First, stop comparing your life with others. God has given each person a different journey, different gifts, different struggles, and different blessings. Your journey does not become less meaningful because someone else's journey looks different.

Second, learn to rejoice in the blessings of others. When someone receives an opportunity, success, forgiveness, or recognition, do not immediately ask, “Why not me?” Instead, learn to say, “Thank you, Lord, for blessing my brother or sister.” Another person's blessing is not your loss.

Third, never believe that it is too late to begin again. God's invitation remains open. Whatever your past may have been, there is always an opportunity to return, to change, to grow, and to serve.

Let us return to the young man and his father. The young man initially thought that his friend's success diminished his own. But his father helped him understand something profound: “His receiving something did not mean you received less. You are both my children.”

That is the message Jesus gives us today.

God does not love us less because He loves another person. He does not bless us less because He blesses someone else. His grace is not a limited resource. His love is not a competition.

Perhaps today we need to let go of a comparison. Perhaps there is someone whose success we find difficult to celebrate. Perhaps there is someone whose second chance we feel they do not deserve. Perhaps we have been looking so much at another person's life that we have forgotten to thank God for our own.

Today Jesus asks us, “Are you envious because I am generous?”

May we learn to answer with gratitude: “Lord, thank you for what you have given me. And thank you for what you give to others.”

When we truly understand God's generosity, we discover a beautiful freedom. We no longer need to compete for God's love. We can celebrate another person's blessing without feeling diminished. We can be grateful for our own journey and rejoice in the journeys of others. Because in the Father's house, there is enough love for everyone. And another person's blessing is never our loss. It is another reason to give thanks. 

Other Sources for Homilies

1. Kayala

2. Fr Tony's Homilies

3. Just Me Homilies 

4. Fr Mike 

Happy Sunday