Where is God asking me to say yes?

One night, when I was about to go to bed, it was already 11:30pm. Suddenly, my phone rang.

At first, I thought, “Maybe it is a scammer.” So I didn't want to answer.

But then I thought, “Maybe it is from a nursing home or a hospital.” So I picked up.

 It was Camden Hospital. They asked me if I could come and anoint a lady who was dying.

 I was quite surprised. I was new to the parish, and I wondered, “How did they get my private phone number?” And actually, that hospital was not even under my responsibility.

So I said, “Okay, I know a priest from Camden Parish. I will contact him.”

 I called him three times, but nobody answered.

Then I started thinking, “Maybe I should just say no.” I checked the address. It would take about half an hour to drive there. It was raining that night. It was already close to midnight. The next morning, I still had Mass and many other things to do. Honestly, I thought, “Maybe I should just go to sleep.”

Then the son of the dying lady called me and asked, “Father, would you be able to come?”

At that moment, something changed in my heart. I realised that if I said no and stayed in bed, I probably would not sleep in peace anyway.

So I got up.

It was already around midnight. I drove through the rain to Camden Hospital and anointed that lady

And when I think about today's Gospel, I see myself in the first son. The first son said, “I will not go.” But later, he thought better of it and went. Sometimes our first response to God is also “No.”

We are tired. We are busy. We don't feel like it. We have our own plans. But conversion can happen in that moment when we stop and ask, “What is God asking me to do now?”

For me that night, I did not suddenly become energetic. I was still tired. I still wanted to sleep.

But I realised there was a person who was dying, and a family who needed a priest.

So I got up and went.

And I think that is an important part of Christian life. Our first feeling does not always have to be our final decision.

Sometimes we need to change our mind.

Sometimes we need to do actions.

Sometimes we need to serve.

Because saying yes to God is not always about feeling happy or comfortable. Sometimes it is simply choosing love, even when it costs us something.

And perhaps that is the question for us today:

Where is God asking me to say yes to serve in God’s vineyard?