26th Monday in Ordinary Time - Year A

Hi, this is Father Nick Smith, pastor of St. Patrick's in Perry.

The Lord gives a very sobering parable today about conversion and repentance.

As long as we live during our earthly life, this is the time of mercy, the time that we can repent of our sins and believe in the Gospel, to continue to convert our lives day, uh, each and every day in order to follow the Lord more closely.

Once we die, once our life is over, we will be fixed.

We will be set on the choice that we have made to follow the Lord or not.

This is what's at stake in the parable of the two sons.

The one says, "I will not serve," but later changes his mind and goes.

He converts his life and comes back to the Lord.

The other son says yes, but later hardens his heart and says, "I will not," does not end up going to do his father's will and is confirmed in that choice.

Which path are we on? It is not too late.

As long as we are on this side of heaven, as long as our hearts are still beating and we are still breathing, the Lord has given us today as a new opportunity to serve Him.

The sin of Lucifer, the Devil, at the beginning of his creation was that he said, "I will not serve." This is the diabolical spirit, to say, "I will not serve." But the saintly spirit, the spirit of the saints who are with the Lord in heaven, is always the opposite: "I will serve, and even should I fail, I will get up again, and I will continue to serve by the grace of God." May God bless you, and let us continue praying for each other.