The associated reading for this reflection can be found in your Every Sacred Sunday Mass journal or online here.
As a young adult, I spent a few years away from the Church. I wasn’t angry about anything and I didn’t question the existence of God or his love, my faith just wasn’t my priority.
But when I was 21, something began to stir. I felt the pull to go to daily Mass (to which I’d never been) and Mass on the weekends, even if I had to go alone (something else I’d never done). I moved in with my parents and together we found a new parish to belong to. I can still remember the sights, sounds, and smells the first time I stepped into the church. The timeless splendor of the Church’s liturgy, the inspiring homily from the parish priest, and the warmth of the parishioners awakened something within me. I knew that night that I was home.
My husband’s journey was quite similar, and he found himself attending the same church. Within these same church walls we met in 2011, were engaged in 2012, and were married in 2013.
Reflecting on my experience of saying yes to the Lord and coming home reminds me of the first son in today’s Gospel reading. Though he initially said ‘no’ to his father, something awakened inside of him too, and he changed his mind to go to work in the vineyard. This seemingly simple change of heart points to a poignant truth for all of us: it’s never too late.
The prophet Ezekiel reminds of us of this in today’s first reading:
“But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed, and does what is right and just, he shall preserve his life; since he has turned away from all the sins he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die” (Ezekiel 18:27-28).
If this is you and you’ve been away from the Church for some time, know that you are loved and you are missed. It’s never too late to come home to the Father; never too late to change your mind and go out into the vineyard of the Lord.
What’s stopping you?
Carmen is a wife and mother of two in midwestern Iowa. She has an MA in Sacred Theology and enjoys writing about faith and motherhood. She enjoys exploring microbreweries with her husband, cooking, making Rosary bracelets, and adding to her collection of houseplants.
