Called to Return

Fr. Albertus Herwanta, O. Carm

Life is a journey, and every journey has a destination. Christians are traveling to God Himself, our original and true home. God created us, and until our souls live in peace with Him, they remain restless. This fundamental fact helps us in our comprehension of our whole existence.

Former United Nations Secretary-General Dag Hammarskjöld said it best. He wrote, "The longest journey is the journey inwards. Of him who has chosen his destiny, who has started upon his quest for the source of his being." Though Hammarskjöld wrote from a broader spiritual perspective, his words echo the Christian call to return to God. It is the journey into our hearts, where we search for God, the source of our being. This journey requires continuous life-change.

The longest journey is the journey inwards.

We need to be converted to walk this journey. Being truthful about our sins and faults is a requirement for conversion. It entails admitting with humility that we have strayed off course. Without this humility, we cannot move forward. We simply keep wandering in the wrong direction.

This Sunday's readings call us to conversion. The prophet Ezekiel said that those who turned away from all the sins that they have committed shall surely live and not die. Ezekiel reminds us that God takes no pleasure in the death of the wicked, but desires that they turn and live. The Gospel of Matthew teaches that conversion will bring salvation. We are called to respond and accept it.

The responsorial Psalm for this Sunday teaches us much wisdom about God and His kindness. "Good and upright is the LORD; thus he shows sinners the way. He guides the humble to justice and teaches the humble his way." It reminds us that God is slow to anger and rich in mercy. He does not treat us as our sins deserve. This kindness is what we need on our journey. It gives us hope when we feel lost and strength when we feel weak.

He guides the humble to justice and teaches the humble his way.

Jesus calls us to say "Yes" to God and to do His will. In the Gospel, a father asks his two children to work in the vineyard. One says no but goes later; the other says yes but never goes. Jesus emphasizes that deeds are more important than words. Saying "Yes" to God means turning back to Him in repentance.

Our call is to return to His kingdom. This is not a one-time event but a daily choice. Every day, we must turn away from sin and turn back to God. We are also required to choose His will over our own. This is the heart of Christian life.

So how is it relevant to Christian life today? It is relevant because we all drift away at times. Worldly things have distracted us so that we forget our true home. The readings remind us that God is always waiting for us. He is like the father in the parable who greets his son's return home.

Let us come home to where God is waiting for us with open arms.

In the end, life is a journey back to God. We need to be converted, asking for the mercy of God and saying yes to His will. Let us start the journey inward, to the source of our being. Let us come home to where God is waiting for us with open arms. (*)