Dear Parishioner,

In today’s Gospel Jesus tells us about a father who asks his two sons to go and work in the vineyard. One says he will not go but later changes his mind and goes. The other says all the right things, but never actually goes.

Perhaps this story speaks to us because we can recognise something of ourselves in both sons. There are times when we have every intention of doing what is right, but somehow our good intentions never become actions. At other times, we may initially resist something, perhaps because it is inconvenient, difficult or simply not what we want to do, but later we have a change of heart and do what is asked.

Jesus reminds us that our faith is not simply about saying the right words. What matters is how those words are lived out in our daily lives.

This connects closely with St Paul’s letter to the Philippians. He encourages the Christian community to be united, to look beyond their own interests and to consider the needs of others. He then points us towards Jesus himself, who did not put himself first, but humbled himself and became a servant.

That is a challenging message in a world where we are often encouraged to put ourselves first. Yet Christian discipleship is about something different. It is about allowing our faith to shape the way we treat the people around us: in our families, at work, and in the ordinary encounters of each day.

Perhaps this week we might ask ourselves a simple question: Do my actions reflect the faith I profess? Not perfectly, of course, for none of us gets everything right. But are we willing, like the first son, to change our minds, turn back when necessary and try again?

The good news of today’s Gospel is that it is never too late to change our response. God is always ready to welcome us back and give us another opportunity to say “yes”, not merely with our words, but with our lives.

Yours in Christ,

Deacon Ian