“He said in reply, ‘I will not,’ but afterwards he changed his mind and went.” (Matthew 21:29).  

The major theme for this 26^th Sunday in Ordinary Time focuses on the virtue of conversion to obey God and to fulfill God’s will and warns us that our decision for or against doing God’s will by our “free will” in choosing to comply with or to oppose Him will decide our eternal reward or punishment.

The virtue of conversion is the process of altering one’s thinking and doing, resulting in a life-changing experience or the way of life. The word “conversion” is also known as “metanoia” in Greek, or “shubh” (a change in direction) in Hebrew. This process of “metanoia” involves three elements: (1) change in one’s perception about oneself and the sinful world with repentance, (2) shift of one’s center of gravity from oneself to God, (3) make the decision, the determination about the future direction of one’s life to fulfill God’s will.

The conversion experience is not a one-time event in our lives, but repeatedly happens until we enter the eternal life. It is only through this constant process of conversion with the grace of God that we gain our salvation and enter heaven.

Our daily conversion and penance find their source and nourishment in the Eucharist of Christ, which preserves us from mortal sins (CCC#1436).

God does not want us holding a relationship of Transaction but Transformation. Therefore, Dynamic Christian disciples are those who (1) BELIEVE, (2) GROW, (3) SERVE, (4) LOVE and (5) LEAD others to Jesus. Today’s topic invites us to conversion to obey God and to fulfill God’s will in our lives, to follow Jesus Christ more closely, to repent our sins, to exercise our Christian stewardship, to use our time, treasure, and talents to love God above all and to love our neighbors as ourselves, participating in the works of mercy, to accomplish God’s will in our lives to glorify God.  

How can we help each to conversion, repent for our sin, renew our lives, fulfill God’s will, and be responsible for our actions, to obtain the eternal life?

Wishing everyone a blessed week in the Lord.