In our Gospel, both sons responded to the Father’s Will, however, only one did the Father’s Will. And, yet, that is what defines holiness, that is what makes us grow in our love of God and our understanding of Him.

In fact, the audience to whom Jesus is speaking are Chief Priests and Elders, those who are the leaders and administrators of the Temple and Tribes, and while they were eloquent speakers and commanded authority, as Jesus shows, they did not believe what they preached, what they spoke about.

That is why He says that tax collectors and prostitutes are getting to Heaven before them, because they changed their mind, they sought to do the Father’s Will, even though, like the first son, they initially rejected His Will.

This, however, is what defines our faith, this is what made the saints who they were, making them worthy of the title they earned.

In fact, their lives were more than just prayer, charity and the pursuit of holiness, they did something else as well, something no one else did, they sought to live their lives, give their lives and allow their lives to be governed by the Will of God.

For, their transformation occurred when they knew that their lives were larger than themselves that they not only needed but also depended upon God every waking moment of their lives. What’s more is that most of the saints lived a less than stellar life, in fact, many of them were the cause of scandal, division and destruction in many ways. And, like the two sons in our Gospel, they often rejected the Father’s Will, by either word or action. In fact, St. Augustine, in one of his famous quotes said: “[Lord] Grant me chastity and continence, but not yet.”

However, once they stopped rejecting the Father’s Will and, instead, embracing it like the first son, their lives changed and they saw that by seeking His Will they longed to be closer to Him. And, indeed, by doing so, learned to imitate Christ more and more.

This is why St. Paul, in our second reading today, says: “Have in you the same attitude that is also in Christ Jesus,” and then he says further that we, too, must empty ourselves, like Christ and, by doing so, learn humility, because in that humility we are able to accept those things, whether great or sorrowful, fair or unfair, as we were reminded of in our first reading, that God desires in all of our lives.

That is why, we are always reminded, as we will be, in a little while, when pray: “Thy Will be done, on earth as it is in Heaven.” Because, that is what we are called to do as Christians, to live His Will in our life, to make His Will manifest in our own. Not by saying we will do what He asks, but by doing.  

Because to say we will do the Will of God is what the second son did, but is not doing the Will of God, because to do the Will of God, we must act, we must do what He asks.

And, while many times we may not know or think we know what He wants, it usually becomes fairly clear pretty quickly, and the real difficulty is whether or not we want to listen to what He asks, whether or not we want to be the first or the second son.

Therefore, let us then try to live our lives like the saints, seeking always to do His Will, so that in the words of St Therese of Liseux, whom I leave you with, we, too can say with her: “In heaven, the good God will do all I wish, because I have never done my own will upon earth.”