Praise and Goodness 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time A
Ezekiel 18:25-28; Psalm 25; Philippians 2:1-11; Matthew 21:28-32
Today’s first reading from the prophet Ezekiel contrasts sin with virtue: “When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies, it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.”
One could conclude from this verse that the opposite of sin is virtue. Interestingly, Cardinal Cantalamessa, who served as the papal preacher, disagrees with this seemingly logical conclusion. According to Cardinal Cantalamessa, “The opposite of sin is not virtue—it is praise.”[1] Agreeing with the Cardinal, Sean Tobin states, “Sin turns us inward. Praise turns us upward. Sin curves the soul in on itself. Praise expands it in adoration. Virtue resists sin. Praise displaces it.”[2]
Tobin continues, “Praise is not just what we do when we win. It’s how we win. It’s faith on its feet. This understanding transforms our approach to temptation. Instead of merely resisting sinful impulses—a strategy that often intensifies their hold—we can turn our attention elsewhere through worship.”[3]
In the second reading, Saint Paul models for us how to be curved outward. He does so by focusing his attention away from himself, and towards Jesus by praising Jesus with: “God greatly exalted him and bestowed on him the name which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus every knee should bend, of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth, and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.”
In the Alleluia verse, Jesus says, “My sheep hear my voice, says the Lord; I know them, and they follow me.” The more we listen to Jesus, the more we live in a spirit of praise, since our attention is outward on Jesus and not inward on self.
In the Gospel passage, Jesus compares two sons: one who, when asked by his father to work, immediately says yes but then does not work; and the other son, who, when asked by his father to work, says no but then changes his mind and then works, doing his father’s will. The first son can represent those who want to be virtuous and good but rely on their own strength and then fail to be good because they tried to be strong by focusing on themselves, by focusing inwardly. The second son can represent those who at first say, “No, I cannot be virtuous, I cannot be good,” since, like tax collectors and prostitutes, they are aware of their weaknesses, but then, shifting their gaze on the Lord, on Jesus, they rely on grace; they rely on Jesus to be good, to be virtuous, and in so doing their lives become one of praise.
Lord Jesus, help us to focus less on self and more on you. May we remember your words, “for apart from me you can do nothing.” (John 15:5) May God bless you all – Father Peter
[1] Raniero Cantalamessa, Message in Preparation for Pentecost 2020 (CHARIS), 2024, https://btckstorage.blob.core.windows.net/site4160/Fr%20Cantalamessa%20in%20preparation%20for%20Pentecost%202020%20docx.pdf;
[2] Sean Tobin, Big God, Little Devil: A Radical Shift in the Approach to Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance, 137.
[3] Sean Tobin, Big God, Little Devil: A Radical Shift in the Approach to Spiritual Warfare and Deliverance, 137.
