Consider the two sons in today's Gospel. Let us assume that the actions of each in the story were not a first time occurrence, but general tendencies. The supposedly righteous one, had all of the right answers, but never lived up to the bargain, that is, never allowed himself to move to the next step, from filial fear to filial love. It is said that he did not go to the vineyard. He remained in the world of "just enough."

The other was continually disrespectful, the black sheep if your will. And yet out of his baseness came a genuine conversion. He did what the father wanted. He went into the vineyard - a vineyard of compunction, of acceptance, of openness to the Divine dialogue, perhaps even to the point of saying, "Lord I don't know what I have done wrong, I don't know why this is happening to me. So what? I know how you want me to live; and You are here and I am here and that is enough." This second son became a son in the true sense of the word.

God want us to BE sons and daughters, God wants union with us. The union with God, through Christ can only be met at the cross, itself a most unique explanation of suffering and retribution. Christ takes it on himself - all of it - no matter how great, how unjust, how horrible. The cross doesn't explain why, but it tells us that we do not walk the way of Calvary alone.