Jesus continued, “Tell me what you think of this story: A man had two sons. He went up to the first and said, ‘Son, go out for the day and work in the vineyard.’ The son answered, ‘I don’t want to.’ Later on he thought better of it and went. The father gave the same command to the second son. He answered, ‘Sure, glad to go.’ But he never went. Which of the two sons did what the father asked? They said, ‘The first.’” (Matthew 21: 28 – 31)

Jesus puts a mirror in front of us. Two people are asked to do something. One says no, but changes direction and goes. The other says yes, but never follows through. Jesus makes the point clearly: words are easy. What we actually do is what counts.

School life is full of good intentions. We say we care about belonging, inclusion, justice, dignity and hope. We talk about the kind of young people we want to form. But the Gospel asks a harder question: can people actually see those values in the way we work?

Our students notice more than we think. They notice how we respond when someone is struggling. They notice who gets our patience and who gets our frustration. They notice whether we listen or simply manage. They notice whether our school values are lived when things become difficult.

This Gospel is not about getting everything right. It is about integrity. It gives us permission to recognise when our first response is wrong and choose a better one. Sometimes the most courageous thing we can say is, “I got that wrong. I need to change.”

For educators and support staff, this is where faith becomes real. Not simply in what we say at assemblies, staff meetings or liturgies, but in the ordinary moments that rarely make the newsletter. The conversation in the corridor. The student who needs another chance. The colleague who needs support. The difficult situation where we choose compassion instead of convenience.

Jesus challenges us to make our yes count.

Not perfect words.
Not impressive promises.
Not good intentions left on the page.

A faith that shows up. A commitment that follows through. A life where what we say and what we do begin to line up.

Because in a Catholic school, what we live may be the most powerful lesson we ever teach.