Homily – “Mastery must yield to Mystery.”
26/27th September 2026
One son gave his word that he would go and work in his father’s vineyard, but we know that he didn’t end up going. This is an abdication of personal responsibility. The other son at first refused to go but on reflection he felt his disobedience and decided to do his father’s will. While the first son abdicated his responsibility, the second son saw he was wrong and took responsibility for his life. There is a part of both sons in each of us. The second son’s ‘Yes’ turned to ‘No’ later in the day (Mastery). That can resonate with our response. The first son’s ‘No’ eventually became a ‘Yes (Mystery).’ But is the second son a true model of conversion? It appears that he had a change of mind but there is no suggestion that he had a change of heart. The second son fulfilled his father’s wish at one level, falling into line with his request, but was this only brought about by fear or self-interest? But a true turnaround or metanoia is only brought about by a change of heart leading to a complete change of life.
God has given us the freedom to say ‘Yes’ or ‘No.’ Do we do so only intellectually or with a complete change of heart as well? It is easy to say ‘Yes’ in the morning of life but as life lays more challenges before us our ’Yes’ can easily turn into a ‘No.’
Our world today is troubled with weapons of mass destruction and AI computing systems that could lead to self-destruction. Humanity is growing conscious that the forces we have unleashed are in our own hands and that is up to us to control them or be enslaved by them. (Gaudium et Spes, 1965, n.9)
The ‘Yes’/’No’ “dichotomy affecting the modern world is, in fact, a symptom of the deeper dichotomy that is in man himself…Torn by a welter of anxieties he is compelled to choose between them and repudiate some among them… there are still others whose hopes are set on a genuine and total emancipation of humanity through human effort alone and look forward to some future earthly paradise where all the desires of their hearts will be fulfilled.” (Gaudium et Spes, n.10)
This is a one-sided future vision founded on human mastery alone (Human Mastery). The Church, on the other hand, believes that the key, the centre and purpose of our human history is found in its True Master-Our Lord Jesus Christ. Through Christ alone is the mystery of the human person unfolded (Divine Mystery).
As Christians we are called to embrace and grow into the likeness of Christ: we are not on about Mastery, but about entering more deeply the Mystery. “Mastery must yield to Mystery.” Can we say ‘No’ to Mastery and control and ‘Yes’ to Mystery?
Sometimes, though, God asks us to go on a deeper road of surrender. Staying in this place of surrender is a spiritual place. It means constantly seeking God’s will in prayer, entrusting myself to Him, to confront the fears that well-up which are not of God but which sabotage my decision-making by taking me down the path of self-doubt, feelings of unworthiness and with me trying to wrestle back control and be the sole driver of my destiny. Conversion calls for a change of heart and mind.
The tax-collectors and prostitutes, says Jesus, were making their way into the kingdom of God before the chief priests and elders. What massive changes those tax-collectors and prostitutes must have made to turn their lives around to follow Jesus! Unlike the chief priests, they surrendered themselves totally to Jesus. To do this they would have been in wonderment of the love and mercy of Jesus; they would have confronted their past selfishness and sinfulness which was sabotaging their relationship with Jesus.
We may say “I will not go with Jesus” but with humility to admit one’s mistake, surrender to Jesus in prayer, and courage to put things right what we learn to discover with the tax-collectors and prostitutes who followed Jesus as his new disciples, is that at some point in our lives- “Mastery must yield to Mystery.” Can we say ‘No’ to Mastery and control and ‘Yes’ to entering more deeply the Mystery who is Christ?
Fr Paul Marshall is the Rector of the Holy Spirit Seminary and Administrator of St Oliver Plunkett’s Parish in Harris Park.
