St. Teresa Catholic Church, Titusville issued the following announcement on Sept. 27

The first reading is taken from the Book of the Prophet Ezekiel 18:25-28. A notion very prevalent among the Jews, all through their history, was that the sins of parents were punished in their children. Ezekiel tells his audience that each man is responsible for his own sins. As each man has a free will, the good man may foolishly turn to sin, and likewise, the sinner may repent and live a good life.

The second reading is from the Letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2:1-5. St. Paul is urging his new converts to live in unity of love and mutual charity. Each one must esteem his neighbor as of more importance than himself and help him in every way. In doing this, they are only imitating their Savior Christ Jesus who although Creator became a creature, though Master He made Himself a slave—all for love of us.

The Gospel is from St. Matthew 21:28-32. This parable was primarily intended to show up the hypocrisy of the chief priests and elders of the Jews, and the perilous position in which they stood in relation to God and heaven. It is, however, a warning against hypocrisy for all time. Lip service of God will not merit heaven. Nominal Christians are not working in the Lord's vineyard. At any moment they may be called from this life, and what defense can they offer the just judge? Will they dare to offer the flimsy excuses with which they try to silence their consciences now.

However, we are still on earth, and while we are the door of God's mercy is wide open to us. If in the past we said, "I will not go into your vineyard", we still have time to reverse that sinful decision. Not only can we with God's grace turn over a new leaf, but we can completely wipe out the sinful pages of our life's story written up to now.. Today, look into your conscience and see how much of your past life you have given to God and how much you have kept for yourself. If you were called tonight to render an account to the Lord, would the balance sheet be in your favor? Is your corner of the vineyard producing abundant crops, or is it perhaps filling up with weeds, briers and brambles?

Original source can be found here.