The hymn of Philippians 2 celebrates the mystery of the Son of God who enters the human condition by placing himself in the last place, that of the slave, which makes him not only obedient to the Father, but also submissive to men, even to death on the cross, which in the Roman Empire, was reserved especially for slaves. From that last place he truly embraces us all, no one is excluded from his mercy. As Cardinal Kasper recalled in the Consistory of February 2014, “however low man can fall, he can never fall below the mercy of God”. Accepting mercy means believing that conversion is possible and that, as Ezekiel recalls, it is the way of life. Publicans and prostitutes go before us into the kingdom of God because they become models for everyone to follow, precisely because of their willingness to welcome the good news of salvation and to allow themselves to be radically transformed by it. The two sons of the parable both live imperfect obediences. In neither of the two is there the ready and full “yes” that makes Jesus the obedient Son. But Jesus does not expect from us a “yes” like his; rather, he asks us to undertake the patient and persevering path of conversion with confidence.

Commentary by Comunità di Dumenza

Translation by f. Mark Hargreaves, Prinknash Abbey