Today’s Gospel is about choices. Everyone, everyday makes a number of choices. There are times when we make good choices. In some occasions we do not. Every choice has consequences. Not all choices carry the same importance. There are choices, which we can decide upon straight away, and there are others which require much thought. There are choices which we make on our own, other choices are influenced by others or by the situation we are in at that particular moment. Not all good choices bring about satisfaction. Where you ever in a situation, where you made the right choice and you lost friends, a promotion at work, or you lost money? Despite the fact that the decision was a tough one to call, since it was the right decision, you were at peace. When the choice was wrong, the opposite was true. It could be, that through a bad choice, you gained what you wanted, but your conscience was not still and was not at peace. God is love. He wants us to be at peace and to have joyful hearts. God knows that we will make wrong choices. Yet, when we are sorry, he gives us another chance, through the sacrament of reconciliation.
Today’s parable offers us a challenge. It shows that our actions are more important than our commitment in words. Conversion (repentance) is important. To repent means that we have a change of heart and that we change for the better. Jesus praised the son who at first did not want to go and help his father but then changed his mind and went to the fields. Words on their own are not enough. Jesus was very clear when he said “Not everyone who says to me, ‘Lord, Lord,’ will enter the kingdom of heaven, but only the one who does the will of my Father who is in heaven” (Mt 7, 21). Believing in God is not enough. We have to reflect such a belief in the way we live. To say that I love God is not enough. Our actions have to show this love. It is the same with our family and friends. I can tell my children that I love them from morning till night but that will be meaningless if my words are not reflected in my actions.
In today’s Gospel we will listen to another parable. This parable narrated by Jesus is about a father who had some vineyards and asks his sons to help him.
We will learn that:
- It is important that we keep our promises
- To repent, we need to change for the better
- Jesus wants us to love God and to love others
Do you remember the last time when you were asked to do something? (allow the children to think and speak)
What did you do? Did you obey straight away? Did you do it later on? Or you did not do it at all?
How did you feel about your choice?
How do you think the person, asking for help, felt?
In today’s parable, there was a father and his two sons.
What did the father ask the first son? (to go and help him in the field)
What did the son reply? (he told him that he did not want to go, but he then changed his mind and went)
What did the second son reply? (he told him that he would go, but he never did!)
Why do you think the second son did not go?
What do you think Jesus wants to teach us through this parable? (our actions are important; it is not enough to say that we will obey. We ought to do what we have been asked to do)
The father of the story is like God. We are like the two brothers. Jesus is telling us that when God is asking us to do something, we should do it. It is not enough to say that we will do it. We should really do it. The first son, who did not want to obey, but then changed his mind, repented. It means, that he changed his mind and chose to do what was good.
What do you do to show others that you love them?
Name the persons you love.
How do you show them that you love them?
When we love someone, we do things to show them that we love them. How can we show God that we love him?
Let us remember that although our choices do not always show God that we love him, we can still change to become better persons. God always loves us. God always gives us a chance to change and become better people.
Do you know the Commandments?
Can you name them?
These are not rules that God gave us to make us sad or to hinder us from doing the things which we want to do. They are like guidelines for us. When we obey these commandments, we will be happy. We will not always manage to obey them. It will not always be easy to obey them, either. It does not matter. God knows all this. Nevertheless, he wants us to be like that son who at first did not want to obey his father, but then changed his mind. God wants us to be sorry for our bad choices and he wants us to avoid repeating them.
It is good to know how to recite the Ten Commandments, but it would be best if we knew what they meant so that we can follow them. Today’s activity will help us to do just that.
Cut alongside the outside perimeter. It is important that we are careful so that we do not change the dimensions. Watch to help you fold the paper correctly. When we do the first fold, the paper should be face down, that is the printed part should be face on the table. When we are ready, see who knows the commandments best.
Sign of the cross.
Jesus, you always keep your promises. I want to be like you and keep my promises too. Help me to know when I choose to do wrong, so that I do not repeat them.
Listen to, I will obey.
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