Conversion of Mind and Attitude
Homily on “Conversion of Mind and Attitude” for Twenty-Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time - September 27, 2026 (Ez 18:25-28; Philippians 2:1-11; Mt. 21:28-32):
All three readings today speak about conversion of mind and heart. Conversion meaning - not merely changing a few external behaviors but it
is allowing the mind, heart, attitude and way of Christ to become our own.
From the first reading from Prophet Ezekiel – we heard -
If the wicked person turns away from the wickedness and does what is right and just, he shall surely live.
In the second reading - St. Paul gives us the deepest explanation of what conversion ultimately means – having in you the same mind and attitude that is also in Christ Jesus. We are called to become people of humility, service and self-giving love.
In our Gospel reading - Jesus told the parable about the two sons when talking to the elders, the clergy and lay religious leaders of his own time.
The Jewish leaders of Jesus’ time took pride on being the truly religious people. But - this pride made them closed-minded and hard of heart. Their pride made it impossible for them to see their own sins, and it caused them to judge others, to look down on anyone who was not as “holy” as they imagined themselves to be. They even criticized Jesus for spending time with sinners.
The Jewish leaders had already decided that they were “the good guys,” the “real” people of God. Their own self-righteousness and their pride blinded them to the contradiction between what they said about their devotion to God, and the way they acted toward God and others… a warning for all of us not to be like those Jewish leaders.
They were, in fact, the “second son” in the parable who said “Yes” but ignored his father’s will.
In the Gospel story: the first son said "I will not go to the vineyard." But later he changed his mind and went. Meaning – there was regret and change of mind and heart which led to obedience. Conversion is not merely emotional. It leads to actual change in behavior.
Admittedly, often times, sinful as we are, it is usually hard to say yes right away to God’s will. But, if we pray and examine our conscience, we realize that Yes is the only proper response to God’s call.
The “first son” represents the public sinners, the rebellious children of God, who allowed the words of Jesus to cut deep into their consciences. They changed their minds and their hearts, and turned their lives around. St. Matthew, a tax collector and public sinner, originally said “No” to God, so to speak. But after meeting Jesus he changed, he became one of Jesus’ apostles and gave his life as a messenger of the gospel.
Mary Magdalene had also been a public sinner. Her former life said “No” to God. But after she listened to Jesus, she was humble enough to reject her former life, and she said “Yes” by her actions. She became one of the very few courageous ones who remained faithful all the way to the foot of Jesus’ cross. She was also the one Jesus chose to carry the first news of his Resurrection to his apostles.
St. Peter said no through his denial. St. Paul said no through his persecution of the church. The prodigal son said no by leaving his father's house. St. Augustine wandered far from God but converted. Meaning – we should never say about ourself or about another person: “That person will never change.” We must never give up on anyone and we must be careful because sometimes the person whom we have already judged and condemned may be the person whom God is presently converting.
The real difference between the first and the second sons was the ability to hear Jesus’ words, to admit one’s sinfulness, and to change. The leaders were too proud to hear or accept Our Lord; the public sinners were humble enough to hear Jesus’ call to true holiness, and to act on it.
So, the “question” Jesus is asking each of us in today’s parable is - Am I the first son, or the second. Do my words say “yes” but my actions say “no”, or do I have the humility to let Jesus’ call - challenge me? Do I have the courage to honestly look at my sins, take concrete action to change, and turn my life more toward the service of God and others?
The only people who are able to really change their lives for the better are those who are humble enough to recognize and admit their own faults, failings, and sins.
Pope Pius XII – and even the recent popes said in many ways: “Perhaps the greatest sin in the world today is that people have lost the sense of sin… people do not think in terms of sin anymore because – it seems everything – even bad behavior - can be justified or rationalized or explained away – and therefore people no longer see the need to go to confession and therefore they remain a sinner… which cause people to be less merciful – not seeing themselves as sinners - they see themselves as good – like the Pharisees and therefore quick to judge others. They have not realized and experienced God’s mercy and therefore are not merciful.
The Gospel also highlights another danger- the temptation to say: “I am good compared to that person - I don't not need to change.” I am okay. You are okay. No need to change. The religious leaders had heard John the Baptist call for repentance, but they refused to change their minds.
That is why Jesus said, ‘Tax collectors and prostitutes are entering the kingdom of God ahead of you.’ The question to us is: “Am I willing to humbly and honestly examine my life, change whatever it is I need to change?
The tragedy of the religious leaders in Jesus’ time was not that they had no knowledge of God. Their tragedy was that their knowledge of God had not changed them.
As I have shared in my previous homily on Why Forgive - Perhaps this is the most frightening possibility in Christian life – that we have received countless mercy from God but has not allowed mercy to transform us.
We can receive God's forgiveness sacramentally without allowing that forgiveness to change the way we treat others. We can come to confession and receive absolution, pray the Our Father, receive holy communion and still carry someone in our heart whom we refuse to forgive… So, ask yourself – Are you that person?
The gospel asks us today, has my faith really changed me?
The question is not simply am I like the first son or the second. The deeper question is do I have the mind and attitude of Christ?
We may speak beautifully about Christ but the gospel asks whether Christ can be seen in the way we live.
We are called to let our lives become the sermon that our lips proclaim.
In the kingdom of God, actions speak louder than words… “talk is cheap” if not followed up by action. One can talk about loving God but one’s love is shown more in actions than in words.
My sisters and brothers, today's readings remind us that God is not looking merely for beautiful words, but for a life that responds to his love.
Perhaps our yes to God today may simply mean forgiving someone, apologizing to someone, keeping a promise, accepting a correction, or helping someone who needs us.
The father told the two sons to go to the vineyard. The vineyard of God is not far away from us. It is in our family, our community, our workplace, and the ordinary circumstances of our daily life. The first son teaches us that even a no can become a yes when we have the humility to change and begin again.
The second son reminds us that a yes spoken by our lips is meaningless if our
life refuses to follow it.
Let's pray and ask for the grace to make our prayer visible in our relationships, let us pray for our love to be visible in our service, and for our faith to be visible in our actions. And whenever we fail, let's remember that God is always waiting for us to ask for His mercy. May our faith become alive and may our life become” to God’s love. Amen.
