From Resentment to Redemption

For the 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Zac reflects on the parable of the two sons (Matthew 21: 28-32), unpacking why Jesus told the chief priests and elders that tax collectors and prostitutes would enter the Kingdom before them — because contrition and a changed heart matter more than outward piety. He grounds this in his years as a missionary in Kenya, recalling a single mother who prostituted herself to feed her children, and argues that people sin not to spread evil but because they've forgotten who they are and are searching for love in the wrong places. The episode closes with a first-person meditation from Matthew himself, recounting the childhood bullying and paternal rejection that drove him to tax collecting, and his tearful gratitude at hearing Jesus declare that sinners like him were entering the Kingdom first. Reflection Questions: Jesus says the first son, who initially refused but later obeyed, did his father's will. Where in your life have you said no to God but eventually changed course? St. Augustine's quote — "those who are lost in their passion are less lost than those who have lost their passion" — what do you make of that paradox? The second son said yes but never went. Where in your own life is there a gap between what you say you believe and what you actually do? Here's a link to the text of the meditation for you to pray with: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1JM6BzaPYj4fMgYIvFXsY0vDFxLLaBJDLYhdLsK3PZNk/edit?usp=sharing _______ Learn more about the mission of Paradisus Dei and its life-changing parish programs here. The World English Bible is in the public domain and was used for all scripture quotations. Intro music: "My Life (Main)” by Good B Music Meditation Music: Reawaken Hymns Worship Pads - foundations in the key of A