I have made many promises to God throughout my life. I would even bargain with Him at times. For instance -- please give me this or that, and I in exchange will say that extra prayer, or donate money for some charity, or reconcile with my friend whom I don’t talk to anymore because of an argument we had way back when. I make all kinds of promises and then forget about them. In the gospel for this Sunday Jesus tells the parable about two sons who were asked by their father to go and do some work in his vineyard. The one said he would not go, but he actually went. The other son said that he would go, but then he didn’t go. “Which of the two did his father’s will?”- Jesus asks. It’s the one who went to the vineyard. See, God doesn’t want our promises or declarations; He wants our action. Only when we act and do good will we then fulfill our Father’s will.
