Posted by The WORD in other words (2006) by Father Mike Mahinay SVD
Friday 26th Week in Ordinary Time
Andrew Demes, writing in Guideposts, tells the story of a house painter who agreed to paint the local church for a modest fee. Wanting to minimize expenses and increase his profit, he diluted the water-based paint more than he should have. One day, while clinging to the church steeple, a sudden thunderstorm broke out and washed away much of the paint he had already applied. Then, amid the thunder and lightning, he imagined hearing a booming voice from the clouds:
“Repaint! Repaint! And thin no more!”
Humorous though the story may be, it contains a profound spiritual lesson.
Today’s Gospel is another call to repentance and conversion. Time and again, God speaks to us through friends, parents, teachers, preachers, life experiences, and the Sacred Scriptures. He constantly invites us to renew our lives and return to Him. Yet the question remains: Do we listen? Do we take His message seriously?
Like the painter, we sometimes try to “thin” our commitment to God. We water down the Gospel to suit our convenience. We dilute our honesty, our prayer life, our charity, or our dedication to Christ. We seek a comfortable Christianity rather than authentic discipleship.
Jesus warns the towns of Chorazin, Bethsaida, and Capernaum because they had witnessed His mighty works yet remained unchanged (Luke 10:13-15). Their tragedy was not ignorance but indifference. They heard God’s invitation but failed to respond.
True repentance is not merely feeling sorry for our sins. It is allowing God to transform our hearts and reshape our lives. As the prophet Ezekiel proclaims:
“Turn and live!” (Ezekiel 18:32).
And as St. Paul reminds us:
“Be transformed by the renewal of your mind” (Romans 12:2).
The Lord continues to call each of us today. He asks us not for a diluted faith but for an authentic one; not for half-hearted discipleship but for wholehearted love.
Prayer
Lord, give us ears to hear You, eyes to recognize Your presence, hands ready to serve You, and hearts overflowing with love for You. Remove whatever prevents us from responding to Your call. Grant us the grace of true repentance, so that our lives may reflect the faith we profess. Amen.
