Monsignor Enrique Díaz Díaz shares with Exaudi readers his  reflection on the Gospel of this Sunday, September 27, 2026 ,  entitled:  “The second son repented and went . ” 

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Ezekiel 18:25-28: “When the sinner repents, he saves his life.”

Psalm 24: “Reveal to us, O Lord, your ways”

Philippians 2:1-11: “Have the same mindset as Christ Jesus”

Matthew 21:28-32: “The second son repented and went away. The tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.”

Today the Lord doesn’t ask us for perfect speeches. He looks us in the eye and simply asks if we are doing things or just talking about them. Jesus was very direct with the Pharisees of his time, and he is with us today. We know very well that there’s a big gap between saying and doing. How often do we say we love God, that we are good Catholics, but at home we treat each other badly, there are arguments between siblings and neighbors? How often do we promise to change at the altar on Sunday, but on Monday we forget about honesty at work, patience with our neighbors, or our commitment to justice?

Jesus demands a clear and decisive commitment to the Kingdom of God, a determination that goes beyond empty words and translates into concrete and tangible actions. It is true that at first he seems to be directing a clear rebuke at the people of Israel because they have apparently said yes to God, that He is their only God, that they will keep all His commandments, that they will be faithful to Him; but then they have twisted His commandments, adapted them to their own liking, and acted as if they were truly fulfilling them. But he is also speaking to us and using the same example so that we realize that we first say yes and then act as we please. Isn’t it true that we call ourselves Christians, but act according to the values ​​of the world? Isn’t it true that oaths and professions of faith have become empty words that don’t lead us to commitment?

Faith in God is not a hesitant “I believe,” in the Mexican sense of “I’m not sure,” but a firm and radical profession of faith in a Father who loves us and commits us to live as brothers and sisters. Saint Paul already rebukes the Christians of Philippi for their contradictory way of life, because they claim to profess one faith and then act with rivalries, presumptions, and envy that destroy the community. The most eloquent model is Jesus himself, and he asks them to have his same sentiments. He was not first yes and then no. He assumed the consequences of a radical love that led him to divest himself of his divine nature, take on the condition of a servant, and become like us to the point of dying on the cross. These are the consequences of a promise made, a Word made flesh out of love, a Word made service, and which, therefore, through his Resurrection, gives new life.

We Mexicans are known for readily saying yes, which then implies no commitment. We shout and praise the Virgin of Guadalupe, we make pilgrimages and sing “Long live Christ the King!” but then we trample on the values ​​of the Kingdom, we are intransigent with our neighbors, we reject forgiveness, and we don’t hesitate to hurt, humiliate, and despise. We are indifferent to the values ​​of the Gospel and are even led to behaviors contrary to the Christian vision. Even professing to be Catholic, we live in fact far removed from the faith, abandoning religious practices, lying and committing injustices, and progressively losing our very identity as believers, with serious moral, spiritual, and social consequences. There are quite a few Christians who end up settling comfortably into a superficial faith, without their lives being affected in the slightest by their relationship with God.

Our response to God’s love should lead us to a sustained and constant “yes,” allowing us to dream of goals we once thought unattainable and to build a new society. Faith is meant to be lived; it should inform our decisions, both big and small, and manifest itself in how we face our daily responsibilities. It is not enough to assent to the great truths of the Creed, to have a good education, and to receive some sacraments. We must live our word, practice it, and put it into practice. It must generate a “life of faith” that is both the fruit and the manifestation of what we believe. God asks us to serve Him with our lives, with our actions, with all our strength, translating this into a new vision that consists of looking at things, even the most ordinary, the seemingly insignificant, in relation to God’s plan for each creature. The Christian life is not an external covering, but must spring from within and be manifested in the practice of hope and charity. It is expressed through human action, which it dignifies and elevates to the supernatural plane. Our “yes” will lead us to imitate Jesus, whose life is a continuous response to the love of his Father God; it will lead us to be men and women of character, without complexes, without human respect, truthful, honest, and just in judgments, in business, in conversation, in politics, and in the family.

Our “yes” and our faithfulness are not incompatible with a clear awareness of our fragility. They do not make us intransigent or immaculate. We are exposed to error and to falling. That is why Ezekiel invites us to be in a state of constant conversion, for “when the sinner repents of the evil he has done and practices righteousness and justice, he himself saves his life .” He who believes himself safe from sin is closer to falling. Jesus’ parable also contains this strong rebuke for those who consider themselves righteous and despise others. It would seem insulting to suggest that prostitutes and tax collectors should enter the Kingdom of God first. But when pride and presumption take hold of our hearts, they distance us from God and turn us into judges of others. Thus, this parable leaves us with a serious reflection: What is the nature of our “yes” and our commitment to Jesus? How have we allowed ourselves to be invaded and influenced by a world of lies and corruption? Do we live in an attitude of conversion, or do we become judges of our brothers and sisters? Who will precede us now in the Kingdom of God?

Our God, who with ever-faithful love accompany and forgive your people and give us gentle proofs of your mercy, have mercy on us, sinners, so that we may not fall into the temptation of lies, but remain faithful to your love and goodness. Amen.