Gospel reading: Matthew 20:1-16
Michel DeVerteuil
General Comments
We have another parable this Sunday, one that many people find particularly difficult to interpret.
As I said in last week’s meditation guidelines, method is always the root problem with interpreting parables, and to adopt the right method we must have a right understanding of what a parable is. It is not the kind of story where we identify “good guys” and “bad guys” and then draw the conclusion that we must imitate the good and avoid being like the bad.
A parable is like what we call today a “short story”. We enter trustingly into the movement of it, identifying with the characters at the different stages, until we come to a point where we find ourselves saying, “Yes! I recognise this experience” – an experience of sin to which we respond, “Lord have mercy”, or a moment of grace for which we say, “Thank you, Lord”. The parable will then lead us to a new insight, a conversion, so that we have a better understanding of grace, of life and eventually of the nature of God. Of course, it will be an insight “of the heart”, one that touches us deeply, not abstract but based on experience, one that leads to deeper prayer.
In today’s parable, therefore, we must resolutely refuse to enter into a discussion about whether the landowner was right or wrong, and especially to ask how he is like God. Once we follow that route we are into our heads, our imaginations are blocked, we are distracted from the task of interpreting the parable and letting it lead us where it will. The sign that we have interpreted the passage correctly is that we experience the inner freedom to move forward and be more creative in our God-given vocation.
Having got these principles of interpretation clear, we can divide the passage into six movements:
– verse 1 : the hiring of the servants;
– verses 2 – 5 : the fixing of the agreement and the later hirings;
– verses 6 – 7 : the last hiring;
– verses 8 – 12 : the complaint of those hired first;
– verses 13 – 15 : the response of the landowner;
– verse 16 : the final saying.
At each stage, we can identify with either one of the two protagonists – the landowner or the hired servants.
The climax of the story is in verses 8 to 15. The lessons Jesus wanted to teach are to be discovered here. Our meditation must be a slow journey through these verses, taking our time over each one.
We start with verses 8 to 12; they invite us to recall moments when we feel aggrieved at our lot in life: we have been hard done by, did not get what we deserved. On these occasions we always find ourselves making comparisons between ourselves and others, that vague but all-encompassing “they”. “They” did not have to work as hard as we did; “their” families had fewer problems; “their” age is more exciting; life was easier to cope with in “their” time.
We then move to the landowner’s response, which is in several steps. He shows compassion first; he is not condemning, and neither should we be – of ourselves or of others. He calls the man “my friend”, a simple but very touching gesture – the landowner understands how the man feels. We celebrate people who have shown us this kind of compassion, or times when we have been similarly compassionate to others.
The landowner then explains his position, logically and rationally. We think of ourselves having to deal with a friend’s jealousy, a mother reassuring the child who feels left out, a manager reassuring workers who think that their work is not appreciated.
The landowner puts forward three arguments. The first is simply to reassure the worker that he has been justly treated, “I am not being unjust to you, did we not agree on one denarius?” We must be careful to interpret this in the context of the parable, which is that of deep human relationships, even of our relationship with God. It is not therefore an employer negotiating with a trade union delegation, but a mother saying to her child, “I have given you all my love”; it is a moment of prayer when God gives us the grace to be freed of jealousy and resentment and to relax in the “blessed assurance” that he loves us unconditionally.
The landowner’s second argument is also very touching: “Have I no right to do what I like with my own?” We grasp here that envy is closely linked to possessiveness.
We want to possess people (or things) because we are afraid that if we have to share them with others there will not be enough for us. Who are the people who taught us that this is not true, that someone can love us deeply and yet can be close to others in ways they are not close with us? This can happen even between spouses, as we know, and of course between us and God.
The third argument is in the form of a question. “Why be envious because I am generous?” It is a further teaching on envy, through experience as always, the experience of a confrontation between an envious person and a generous one. Envious people calculate, look at what others have and they don’t, what they could have got and didn’t. Generous people are spontaneous, respond to situations as they present themselves, don’t worry about pleasing everyone – but careful to be just. We have been and have met both kinds of people.
That then is the climax of the parable; but it would be good to retrace our steps to verse 1 and the image of the “hiring”. The parable is a living lesson on both the value and the limitations of learning deep truths through images. It starts by inviting us to look on ourselves as workers hired to work in a vineyard. The image is valid. It is a touching way of understanding our vocation as parent, teacher, friend, spiritual guide or member of a community. They are all forms of service, and toilsome ones at that, “in a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” Similarly, the staggered hirings in verses 2 to 5 are a powerful symbol of how the same vocation turns out differently for different people.
With verses 8 to 15 the story takes a radically new turn. It tells us, no! we are not the landowner’s hired servants but his friends, free people, not “hired” by anyone, not even by God. Look on God as a “hirer of servants” and we misunderstand him completely. So too the rewards we receive for our service are not “earnings” but gifts we receive with humble gratitude.
Making the journey from the image in verse 1 to having it corrected in verses 8 to 15 brings new life to the parable. By making the journey from “God as hired” to “God as friend” or “God as lover” we discover the wonder of love, human and divine.
The Pharisees did not make the journey, and we have all been like them at one time or another. How often have we Christians (and the Church) made him into a cold calculator of rewards – a computer even! The parable throws out a challenge: do people experience in our words and actions the generosity and magnanimity of God?
The parable is a lesson in economics too. The word’s economic system is based on the notion that everyone must receive only what they have worked for. The result is the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. The parable tells us that the wealthy are afraid to share God’s gifts, they might not have enough for themselves! If humanity could enter into God’s generosity, there would be plenty for all.
We can also focus on the concluding statement in verse 16 which is found many times in the gospels and in varied contexts. A deep wisdom saying, it can express our feelings when, in our meditation, we have moved from “God as hirer” to “God as friend.”
We celebrate moments when we have experienced the unpredictability of life as a grace; humble gratitude that we who were “last” found ourselves “first”; the conversion of recognising that someone we had rated “last” was really “first”; accepting to be “last” and leaving it to God to make us “first” whenever his time for doing so comes.
Prayer Reflection
Lord, we thank you for the people in our lives who taught us that true love is always generous
and helped us move beyond possessiveness and envy:
– one of our parents when we complained that they were paying more attention to a truant
brother or sister than to us;
– a very dear friend of whom we began to be possessive;
– a spouse whose care for an in-law made us jealous;
– a leader trying to keep peace in the parish community.
They did not reject us, but were understanding, like the landowner in the parable:
– they took time to reason with us;
– showed us that in fact their love for us had not been compromised in any way;
– gradually brought us to the point where we could accept their love and go our way.
They were Jesus for us, teaching us the kind of person you are
and leading us to enter into your unconditional love,
and to be generous ourselves in welcoming every member of our human family.
Lord, our modern culture is ruled by envy, not generosity,
and is tearing our human family apart.
Our contemporaries often think that life’s rewards should be calculated
on the basis of work done, and as a result they are obsessed with rights,
– forever comparing their lot with that of others;
– grumbling that they have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat;
– on the lookout to see if others who only work for an hour are treated the same as they are.
Lord, we thank you for the times when you give us a glimpse of your kingdom,
invite us to enter into your generosity and set us free from the bondage of envy.
Forgive us for when we grumble at you for the way you share out your blessings,
comparing ourselves with others who we think had things easier,
– they were born in wealthier circumstances than we were and ended up being
more successful in their careers;
– they didn’t need to study hard to succeed in examinations;
– they got a lucky break when we didn’t;
– they led a dissolute life and then became fervent members of the church.
We thank you that you send us spiritual guides
who walk with us and help us move beyond these feelings:
– a priest or other community leader,
– one of our children,
– a stranger with whom we found ourselves in conversation,
– a member of another church.
They do not condemn us, but call us “friend”;
gently they show us that the root of our problem is being calculating
instead of welcoming life as your gift;
they remind us of the many ways in which life has been fair to us too:
– we have had our successes,
– got our own lucky breaks,
– enjoyed many beautiful moments.
Now we find that we can face the challenges of life with inner peace,
– allowing you to do what you like with your own,
– entering into your generosity,
– knowing that at the end of the day you will be faithful to your covenant of everlasting love.
Like contented labourers who at the end of the day take their earnings and go,
we accept what life brings us
and move forward to do the work you want us to do in the world.
Lord, we pray that your church will be the presence of Jesus in the world,
showing the wealthy nations of the world and the wealthy people within individual nations
how false is the argument that they hold their position
because they have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat,
and proposing to them the vision of your kingdom, marked by generosity, not envy,
where those whose circumstances have allowed them to work only one hour
receive a full reward.
*********************************************************
Thomas O’Loughlin
Liturgical Resources for the Year of Matthew
www.columba.ie
Introduction to the Celebration
When we assemble around the Lord’s table we bless God for his forgiveness, mercy, generosity and love: he has sent us his Son to bring us pardon, to transform us from being isolated individuals into the community of his love, and he gives us the hope of everlasting life. So, as God’s holy people, we recall that God is merciful and forgiving; God is life-giving and generous; and that God is love.
Homily Notes
1. Parables are little tales that are intended to shock the perception of an audience; they are not little moral stories that we are to learn from by decoding each element. Alas, we do this so often that we destroy them.
2. So [asking for a show of hands] how many people think that this parable is unjust? After all, surely if you have worked all day you deserve more than people who have only worked an hour! If you do not find it unjust then the whole basis of arguing for the rights of workers, that has been part of the church’s social teaching for more than a century, is flawed.
3. The simple fact is that if you have had to work all day, you deserve recompense pro rata.
The interesting thing is that we are all associating ourselves with the group who have laboured all day, not with the last group that have been indulged.
4. Yet, we are looking forward to the fullness of the kingdom not because we deserve it because we have worked so far and for long, but because God is forgiveness, mercy, generosity and love.
5. We are one-hour workers, but we are looking forward to the fullness of life.
****************************************************************
John Litteton
Gospel Reflection
Sometimes we question God’s dealings with other people because they seem to receive better treatment from him than we think they deserve. They do not measure up to our often impossible standards. They may be lazy and unreliable. Perhaps they argue and fight constantly. Or they may not have our talents and skills. Consequently, in our opinion, they are unworthy of any favour or special status. So why would God treat them differently?
Ironically, as much as we want God to be involved in our lives and as much as we wish to be part of the kingdom of heaven, we do not always want to let God be God. Instead, we want God to be God as we would choose, relating to people on our terms and influenced by our prejudices and biases.
Fortunately, however, God’s ways are very different from our ways. Unlike many of us, God is not envious or spiteful. He does not have a ‘pecking order’, placing some people at the top and relegating others to the bottom. God has no favourites. As far as God is concerned, everyone has a unique dignity and equal worth.
It can be very difficult to appreciate that, with God, all people are special. Because everyone is important, God’s generosity is marvellous and God’s mercy is limitless. That is how God chooses to be God and we are challenged to respect God’s will. After all, God is our Creator and we are God’s creatures. God has rights too and these rights demand that we let God be God.
The lesson of the parable of the landowner hiring workers for his vineyard is that it challenges us to be grateful to God for what he gives us, and exhorts us to avoid feeling cheated and complaining about the seeming good luck and better fortunes of other people. Also, if we believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God then we need to imitate his generosity and compassion in our behaviour towards other people. Rather than applying human standards to God, we need to apply God’s standards to ourselves.
The Good News is that God’s love and mercy are available to all, saints and sinners alike. When we are privileged to know that God loves us in all circumstances and saves us from our sins, why would we permit rivalry to emerge between ourselves and others whom God treats differently from how we treat them? Is it not sufficient to be assured that our eternal destiny with God is secure because of our faithfulness to Christ’s great commandment, without being jealous and resentful of other sinners’ opportunities for salvation?
When God is generous and merciful to other people, he is not being unfair to us. He is simply being God. Our understanding of God, then, needs to change and we need to let God be God.
For meditation
Why be envious because I am generous? (Mt 20:15)
************************************************
Michel DeVerteuil General Comments
We have another parable this Sunday, one that many people find particularly difficult to interpret.
As I said in last week’s meditation guidelines, method is always the root problem with interpreting parables, and to adopt the right method we must have a right understanding of what a parable is. It is not the kind of story where we identify “good guys” and “bad guys” and then draw the conclusion that we must imitate the good and avoid being like the bad.
A parable is like what we call today a “short story”. We enter trustingly into the movement of it, identifying with the characters at the different stages, until we come to a point where we find ourselves saying, “Yes! I recognise this experience” – an experience of sin to which we respond, “Lord have mercy”, or a moment of grace for which we say, “Thank you, Lord”. The parable will then lead us to a new insight, a conversion, so that we have a better understanding of grace, of life and eventually of the nature of God. Of course, it will be an insight “of the heart”, one that touches us deeply, not abstract but based on experience, one that leads to deeper prayer.
In today’s parable, therefore, we must resolutely refuse to enter into a discussion about whether the landowner was right or wrong, and especially to ask how he is like God. Once we follow that route we are into our heads, our imaginations are blocked, we are distracted from the task of interpreting the parable and letting it lead us where it will. The sign that we have interpreted the passage correctly is that we experience the inner freedom to move forward and be more creative in our God-given vocation.
Having got these principles of interpretation clear, we can divide the passage into six movements:
– verse 1 : the hiring of the servants;
– verses 2 – 5 : the fixing of the agreement and the later hirings;
– verses 6 – 7 : the last hiring;
– verses 8 – 12 : the complaint of those hired first;
– verses 13 – 15 : the response of the landowner;
– verse 16 : the final saying.
At each stage, we can identify with either one of the two protagonists – the landowner or the hired servants.
The climax of the story is in verses 8 to 15. The lessons Jesus wanted to teach are to be discovered here. Our meditation must be a slow journey through these verses, taking our time over each one.We start with verses 8 to 12; they invite us to recall moments when we feel aggrieved at our lot in life: we have been hard done by, did not get what we deserved. On these occasions we always find ourselves making comparisons between ourselves and others, that vague but all-encompassing “they”. “They” did not have to work as hard as we did; “their” families had fewer problems; “their” age is more exciting; life was easier to cope with in “their” time.
We then move to the landowner’s response, which is in several steps. He shows compassion first; he is not condemning, and neither should we be – of ourselves or of others. He calls the man “my friend”, a simple but very touching gesture – the landowner understands how the man feels. We celebrate people who have shown us this kind of compassion, or times when we have been similarly compassionate to others.
The landowner then explains his position, logically and rationally. We think of ourselves having to deal with a friend’s jealousy, a mother reassuring the child who feels left out, a manager reassuring workers who think that their work is not appreciated.
The landowner puts forward three arguments. The first is simply to reassure the worker that he has been justly treated, “I am not being unjust to you, did we not agree on one denarius?” We must be careful to interpret this in the context of the parable, which is that of deep human relationships, even of our relationship with God. It is not therefore an employer negotiating with a trade union delegation, but a mother saying to her child, “I have given you all my love”; it is a moment of prayer when God gives us the grace to be freed of jealousy and resentment and to relax in the “blessed assurance” that he loves us unconditionally.The landowner’s second argument is also very touching: “Have I no right to do what I like with my own?” We grasp here that envy is closely linked to possessiveness.
“The reason death sticks so closely to life isn’t biological necessity; it’s envy.”
The third argument is in the form of a question. “Why be envious because I am generous?” It is a further teaching on envy, through experience as always, the experience of a confrontation between an envious person and a generous one. Envious people calculate, look at what others have and they don’t, what they could have got and didn’t. Generous people are spontaneous, respond to situations as they present themselves, don’t worry about pleasing everyone – but careful to be just. We have been and have met both kinds of people.That then is the climax of the parable; but it would be good to retrace our steps to verse 1 and the image of the “hiring”. The parable is a living lesson on both the value and the limitations of learning deep truths through images. It starts by inviting us to look on ourselves as workers hired to work in a vineyard. The image is valid. It is a touching way of understanding our vocation as parent, teacher, friend, spiritual guide or member of a community. They are all forms of service, and toilsome ones at that, “in a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” Similarly, the staggered hirings in verses 2 to 5 are a powerful symbol of how the same vocation turns out differently for different people.
With verses 8 to 15 the story takes a radically new turn. It tells us, no! we are not the landowner’s hired servants but his friends, free people, not “hired” by anyone, not even by God. Look on God as a “hirer of servants” and we misunderstand him completely. So too the rewards we receive for our service are not “earnings” but gifts we receive with humble gratitude.Making the journey from the image in verse 1 to having it corrected in verses 8 to 15 brings new life to the parable. By making the journey from “God as hired” to “God as friend” or “God as lover” we discover the wonder of love, human and divine.
The Pharisees did not make the journey, and we have all been like them at one time or another. How often have we Christians (and the Church) made him into a cold calculator of rewards – a computer even! The parable throws out a challenge: do people experience in our words and actions the generosity and magnanimity of God?
The parable is a lesson in economics too. The word’s economic system is based on the notion that everyone must receive only what they have worked for. The result is the ever-widening gap between rich and poor. The parable tells us that the wealthy are afraid to share God’s gifts, they might not have enough for themselves! If humanity could enter into God’s generosity, there would be plenty for all.We can also focus on the concluding statement in verse 16 which is found many times in the gospels and in varied contexts. A deep wisdom saying, it can express our feelings when, in our meditation, we have moved from “God as hirer” to “God as friend.”
We celebrate moments when we have experienced the unpredictability of life as a grace; humble gratitude that we who were “last” found ourselves “first”; the conversion of recognising that someone we had rated “last” was really “first”; accepting to be “last” and leaving it to God to make us “first” whenever his time for doing so comes.
Prayer Reflection
Lord, we thank you for the people in our lives who taught us that true love is always generous
and helped us move beyond possessiveness and envy:
– one of our parents when we complained that they were paying more attention to a truant
brother or sister than to us;
– a very dear friend of whom we began to be possessive;
– a spouse whose care for an in-law made us jealous;
– a leader trying to keep peace in the parish community.
They did not reject us, but were understanding, like the landowner in the parable:
– they took time to reason with us;
– showed us that in fact their love for us had not been compromised in any way;
– gradually brought us to the point where we could accept their love and go our way.
They were Jesus for us, teaching us the kind of person you are
and leading us to enter into your unconditional love,
and to be generous ourselves in welcoming every member of our human family.Lord, our modern culture is ruled by envy, not generosity,
and is tearing our human family apart.
Our contemporaries often think that life’s rewards should be calculated
on the basis of work done, and as a result they are obsessed with rights,
– forever comparing their lot with that of others;
– grumbling that they have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat;
– on the lookout to see if others who only work for an hour are treated the same as they are.
Lord, we thank you for the times when you give us a glimpse of your kingdom,
invite us to enter into your generosity and set us free from the bondage of envy.
Forgive us for when we grumble at you for the way you share out your blessings,
comparing ourselves with others who we think had things easier,
– they were born in wealthier circumstances than we were and ended up being
more successful in their careers;
– they didn’t need to study hard to succeed in examinations;
– they got a lucky break when we didn’t;
– they led a dissolute life and then became fervent members of the church.We thank you that you send us spiritual guides
who walk with us and help us move beyond these feelings:
– a priest or other community leader,
– one of our children,
– a stranger with whom we found ourselves in conversation,
– a member of another church.
They do not condemn us, but call us “friend”;
gently they show us that the root of our problem is being calculating
instead of welcoming life as your gift;
they remind us of the many ways in which life has been fair to us too:
– we have had our successes,
– got our own lucky breaks,
– enjoyed many beautiful moments.
Now we find that we can face the challenges of life with inner peace,
– allowing you to do what you like with your own,
– entering into your generosity,
– knowing that at the end of the day you will be faithful to your covenant of everlasting love.
Like contented labourers who at the end of the day take their earnings and go,
we accept what life brings us
and move forward to do the work you want us to do in the world.
Lord, we pray that your church will be the presence of Jesus in the world,
showing the wealthy nations of the world and the wealthy people within individual nationshow false is the argument that they hold their position
because they have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat,
and proposing to them the vision of your kingdom, marked by generosity, not envy,
where those whose circumstances have allowed them to work only one hour
receive a full reward.
*********************************************************
Thomas O’Loughlin
Liturgical Resources for the Year of Matthew
www.columba.ie
Introduction to the Celebration
When we assemble around the Lord’s table we bless God for his forgiveness, mercy, generosity and love: he has sent us his Son to bring us pardon, to transform us from being isolated individuals into the community of his love, and he gives us the hope of everlasting life. So, as God’s holy people, we recall that God is merciful and forgiving; God is life-giving and generous; and that God is love.
Homily Notes
1. Parables are little tales that are intended to shock the perception of an audience; they are not little moral stories that we are to learn from by decoding each element. Alas, we do this so often that we destroy them.2. So [asking for a show of hands] how many people think that this parable is unjust? After all, surely if you have worked all day you deserve more than people who have only worked an hour! If you do not find it unjust then the whole basis of arguing for the rights of workers, that has been part of the church’s social teaching for more than a century, is flawed.
3. The simple fact is that if you have had to work all day, you deserve recompense pro rata.
The interesting thing is that we are all associating ourselves with the group who have laboured all day, not with the last group that have been indulged.
4. Yet, we are looking forward to the fullness of the kingdom not because we deserve it because we have worked so far and for long, but because God is forgiveness, mercy, generosity and love.
5. We are one-hour workers, but we are looking forward to the fullness of life.
****************************************************************
John LittetonGospel Reflection
Sometimes we question God’s dealings with other people because they seem to receive better treatment from him than we think they deserve. They do not measure up to our often impossible standards. They may be lazy and unreliable. Perhaps they argue and fight constantly. Or they may not have our talents and skills. Consequently, in our opinion, they are unworthy of any favour or special status. So why would God treat them differently?
Ironically, as much as we want God to be involved in our lives and as much as we wish to be part of the kingdom of heaven, we do not always want to let God be God. Instead, we want God to be God as we would choose, relating to people on our terms and influenced by our prejudices and biases.
Fortunately, however, God’s ways are very different from our ways. Unlike many of us, God is not envious or spiteful. He does not have a ‘pecking order’, placing some people at the top and relegating others to the bottom. God has no favourites. As far as God is concerned, everyone has a unique dignity and equal worth.
It can be very difficult to appreciate that, with God, all people are special. Because everyone is important, God’s generosity is marvellous and God’s mercy is limitless. That is how God chooses to be God and we are challenged to respect God’s will. After all, God is our Creator and we are God’s creatures. God has rights too and these rights demand that we let God be God.The lesson of the parable of the landowner hiring workers for his vineyard is that it challenges us to be grateful to God for what he gives us, and exhorts us to avoid feeling cheated and complaining about the seeming good luck and better fortunes of other people. Also, if we believe that we are made in the image and likeness of God then we need to imitate his generosity and compassion in our behaviour towards other people. Rather than applying human standards to God, we need to apply God’s standards to ourselves.
The Good News is that God’s love and mercy are available to all, saints and sinners alike. When we are privileged to know that God loves us in all circumstances and saves us from our sins, why would we permit rivalry to emerge between ourselves and others whom God treats differently from how we treat them? Is it not sufficient to be assured that our eternal destiny with God is secure because of our faithfulness to Christ’s great commandment, without being jealous and resentful of other sinners’ opportunities for salvation?
When God is generous and merciful to other people, he is not being unfair to us. He is simply being God. Our understanding of God, then, needs to change and we need to let God be God.For meditation
Why be envious because I am generous? (Mt 20:15)
************************************************
Fr Donal Neary, S.J
Deserving our rights
We often say that people don’t deserve welfare or food if they don’t work. We can be stingy in judging what others deserve and need.
Jesus has a new way. We deserve our rights even when we do the least. The denarius was a day’s wage, enough to live on. There are certain rights we all have – to have food and a job are two of them. These people wanted to work. We are rewarded by God for who we are, not for what we do.
Jesus’ vision is that everyone deserves to earn enough to live on.
To believe in a God who is an unconditional Friend, is to have the most liberating experience that one could imagine. On the contrary, to live in the presence of an avenging and threatening God could change us into the most dangerous and self-destructive neurotics. We need to learn not to confuse God with our own narrow and stingy plans. We sometimes wish to distort God’s unfathomable goodness. (Jos<§ Pagola).
That’s the way the kingdom of God grows. It grows within us in thanks and sharing. That’s what we do at every Mass. Success for Jesus is not the amount we do, but that we do things with a full heart.
***
FROM THE CONNECTIONS:
Jesus makes two points in this parable:
First, the parable speaks of the primacy of compassion and mercy in the kingdom of God. The employer (God) responds to those who have worked all day that he has been just in paying them the agreed-upon wage; they have no grievance if he chooses to be generous to others. God's goodness and mercy transcends the narrow and limited laws and logic of human justice; it is not the amount of service given but the attitude of love and generosity behind that service.
The parable also illustrates the universality of the new Church. The contracted workers, Israel, will be joined by the new “migrant workers,” the Gentiles, who will share equally in the joy of the kingdom of God.
We have our scales, yardsticks, actuary tables and market indices to measure what is just and what is not; but God is generous, loving and forgiving with an extravagance that sometimes offends our sense of justice and fair play.
Christ calls us to look beyond labels like “tax collector” and “prostitute” and seek out and lift up the holiness and goodness that reside in every person who is, like each one of us, a child of God. The parable of the generous vineyard owner invites us to embrace the vision of God that enables us to welcome everyone to the work of the harvest, to rejoice in God’s blessings to all, to help one another reap the bounty of God’s vineyard.
It’s known as “the list” — names and telephone numbers of folks in the parish who can be called day or night. An elderly parishioner needs a ride to the doctor? Call Susan. The young couple struggling through her difficult pregnancy? Sheila and Pat will make sure they have supper and groceries this week. The one car of a family whose parents have been out of work for some time breaks down? Neil knows what to do. It is more than a list of numbers. It is church.
When they were in grammar school, they participated in the parish’s vacation religious education program every summer and always had a great time. Now that they are in high school, they return every July to serve as leaders and counselors — and often become big brothers and big sisters to the kids. The adults who are responsible for the week’s program will tell you immediately that these teens make the program go. They are more than a terrific group of generous teenagers. They are church.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the “church” — not the institutional capital ‘C’ Church, but the lower-case ‘c’ church that is you and I, human beings who struggle to follow Jesus. That is the important lesson of today’s Gospel: the ability of individuals who come together as disciples, inspired by the Gospel Jesus, to accomplish great works of compassion, reconciliation, healing and justice. May the grace of God bring us together, even just two or three of us, in Jesus’ name, enabling us to mirror God’s love in our midst.
***
ILLUSTRATIONS:
From Fr. Jude Botelho:
A cry we often hear from people's lips is: "It's not fair!? We tend to believe that the way we are treated is not fair; we are not getting what we deserve. Other people seem to get all the benefits they don?t deserve. It?s not fair! Deep down we have to admit that we are not happy when people get more than they deserve. The truth is God is not fair! He gives all more than they deserve! Have a grateful weekend thanking God for his goodness to all peoples! Fr. Jude
God once strolled around heaven and was surprised to see everyone there. Hell, in contrast, was empty. Irked by God's leniency, Fr. Pius protested. To pacify him, God ordered Peter to re-examine all those already admitted into heaven, whereupon Peter read the Ten Commandments aloud. ?Whoever has broken these commandments,? announced God, ?Shall dissociate from this celestial company and descend to hell!? As Peter read the commandments, one by one, people confessed their guilt and disappeared. When the fifth commandment was read, few were left, and after the sixth, everyone went to hell except Fr. Pius. Feeling lonely, God said, ?Tell them all to come back!? Pius grumbled, ?O God, that's unfair! Why didn't you tell me this before?? Professedly pious Christians like Fr. Pius, you, and me, might find God's ways woeful. But, that's what the first reading asserts:
***
The disciples had been watching the dynamics of this happening and they were quite disturbed. Jewish tradition had always taught that God had especially blessed rich men and that is why he was rich. In their way of thinking, if a wealthy man could not receive salvation, then how could a poor man have any hope? They asked of Jesus: who then can be saved?
It reminds me of the movie Fiddler on the Roof. The poor Jewish milkman who lives in early 1900 Russia sings what he would do "if I were a rich man." His wife reminds him: money is a curse. He immediately shouts up to heaven: curse me God, curse me. Jesus has just turned away a wealthy man, and in the Jewish way of thinking it doesn't make any sense. In fact, I am not sure how many Methodist preachers would have the courage to do it. My entire ministry I have been waiting for a sugar daddy to come along.
But it was Simon Peter who drew the question even more clearly into focus for us. He asked what is on the mind of every one of us, only we are too sophisticated to ask it and too self-righteous to admit that we even think it. Peter didn't have any problem with that. He simply laid his cards out on the table. He said, "Lord, we have given up everything, riches and all, to follow you." What then shall we have?" In others words, what's in this for us Lord. How do we stand to profit? Where's the payoff?
Today's text is from one of the "prison epistles"- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon - so named because they were written by the apostle Paul during his incarceration in Rome...
In her wonderful collection of poetry called, The Awful Rowing Toward God, Anne Sexton examines her life like someone in a canoe rowing against the stream of life, encountering hazards along the way, and finally docking at the island of God's home. The concluding poem in the book is called "The Rowing Endeth." In it she sees herself called by God's great laughter to join him for a game of poker. When the cards are dealt, she is surprised and thrilled. She has a royal straight flush. She will trounce God and win for herself whatever prizes God has brought to the table. In great excitement she slaps down her cards, claiming her winnings. Nothing can beat this hand!
But God only laughs, a great, rolling, joyful exuberance that energizes everything around. In rich good humor, with no malice at all, God throws down his cards. Five aces! That's impossible! But there it is. And when Anne loses to God, she knows that really she wins. For God is not stingy with his wealth or his earnings. There are never any losers when they sit at table with God. God's laughter is always without malice or one-upmanship.
At the very time he was thinking down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me these wonderful children. My brother hasn't been so fortunate. He really needs more of this harvest for his old age than I do, but I know him. He's much too fair. He'll never renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he's asleep, I'll take some of what I've put in my barn and slip it over into his barn." And so one night when the moon was full, as you may have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a mission of generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, a gentle rain began to fall. You know what it was? God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the point. Two of his children had come to realize that generosity is the deepest characteristic of the holy and because we are made in God's image, our being generous is the secret to our joy as well. Life is not fair, thank God! It's not fair because it's rooted in grace.
John Claypool, Life Isn't Fair, Thank God!
The next day there really was a shortage because all the viewers who had watched his show ran out afterward and bought up extra toilet paper just in case. There was no trust in the fact that people, if they chose to work together, could ration out the toilet paper to make sure there would be enough for everyone. People panicked and grabbed not what they needed, but more than they needed, leaving others with nothing at all. When people allow their lives to be directed by this kind of fear and self-love, then they find out when they die and finally have the opportunity to enter into a heavenly community, that it is not really what they want at all.
They shrink back. You see, you need to have a great deal of trust in God and the goodness of others in order to buy into the concept of heaven, and these people don't. They can't anymore, because they have learned here on earth that you take what you can get when you can get it, because if you don't, no one else is going to look out for you. Heaven to these people is a very unsettling place.
Our landowner is like the kingdom of heaven because he seeks to include everyone, he gives freely to everyone so that they each have as much as they need, and he holds up a mirror to the deepest part of our being that asks the question, "are we okay with that?"
Sarah Buteux, The Heavenly Landowner
Deserving our rights
We often say that people don’t deserve welfare or food if they don’t work. We can be stingy in judging what others deserve and need.
Jesus has a new way. We deserve our rights even when we do the least. The denarius was a day’s wage, enough to live on. There are certain rights we all have – to have food and a job are two of them. These people wanted to work. We are rewarded by God for who we are, not for what we do.
Jesus’ vision is that everyone deserves to earn enough to live on.
To believe in a God who is an unconditional Friend, is to have the most liberating experience that one could imagine. On the contrary, to live in the presence of an avenging and threatening God could change us into the most dangerous and self-destructive neurotics. We need to learn not to confuse God with our own narrow and stingy plans. We sometimes wish to distort God’s unfathomable goodness. (Jos<§ Pagola).
That’s the way the kingdom of God grows. It grows within us in thanks and sharing. That’s what we do at every Mass. Success for Jesus is not the amount we do, but that we do things with a full heart.
***
FROM THE CONNECTIONS:
THE WORD:
The parable of the generous vineyard owner (which appears only in Matthew’s Gospel) is the first of several parables and exhortations challenging the Pharisees and scribes and those who criticized Jesus for preaching to tax collectors and sinners.Jesus makes two points in this parable:
First, the parable speaks of the primacy of compassion and mercy in the kingdom of God. The employer (God) responds to those who have worked all day that he has been just in paying them the agreed-upon wage; they have no grievance if he chooses to be generous to others. God's goodness and mercy transcends the narrow and limited laws and logic of human justice; it is not the amount of service given but the attitude of love and generosity behind that service.
The parable also illustrates the universality of the new Church. The contracted workers, Israel, will be joined by the new “migrant workers,” the Gentiles, who will share equally in the joy of the kingdom of God.
HOMILY POINTS:
Today’s Gospel strikes at our tendency to judge everything and everyone in terms of how it affects me. How someone else benefits or is lifted up doesn’t matter — my hurt feelings trump their joy. Christ calls us to embrace the vision of the generous vineyard owner: to rejoice in the good fortune of others and their being enabled to realize their dreams, instead of lamenting our own losses and slights. We have our scales, yardsticks, actuary tables and market indices to measure what is just and what is not; but God is generous, loving and forgiving with an extravagance that sometimes offends our sense of justice and fair play.
Christ calls us to look beyond labels like “tax collector” and “prostitute” and seek out and lift up the holiness and goodness that reside in every person who is, like each one of us, a child of God. The parable of the generous vineyard owner invites us to embrace the vision of God that enables us to welcome everyone to the work of the harvest, to rejoice in God’s blessings to all, to help one another reap the bounty of God’s vineyard.
Small ‘c’ church
On a business trip to South America, he visited a small church in one of the poor barrios. He was deeply moved by what he saw: the joy-filled faith of these families despite the overwhelming poverty of their daily lives. When he returned home, he was telling some friends after Mass about what he had seen. The group wondered what they could do to help, so they contacted the pastor of the barrio parish. The priest expressed gratitude for any help, especially for the parish’s school and small clinic. So the group collected school and medical supplies and shipped them; next they gathered up blankets and clothes; now they are raising money to dig a new well for the community. They see themselves as just a group of friends doing what they are able to do for their South American brothers and sisters. But, in truth, they are being church.It’s known as “the list” — names and telephone numbers of folks in the parish who can be called day or night. An elderly parishioner needs a ride to the doctor? Call Susan. The young couple struggling through her difficult pregnancy? Sheila and Pat will make sure they have supper and groceries this week. The one car of a family whose parents have been out of work for some time breaks down? Neil knows what to do. It is more than a list of numbers. It is church.
When they were in grammar school, they participated in the parish’s vacation religious education program every summer and always had a great time. Now that they are in high school, they return every July to serve as leaders and counselors — and often become big brothers and big sisters to the kids. The adults who are responsible for the week’s program will tell you immediately that these teens make the program go. They are more than a terrific group of generous teenagers. They are church.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus speaks of the “church” — not the institutional capital ‘C’ Church, but the lower-case ‘c’ church that is you and I, human beings who struggle to follow Jesus. That is the important lesson of today’s Gospel: the ability of individuals who come together as disciples, inspired by the Gospel Jesus, to accomplish great works of compassion, reconciliation, healing and justice. May the grace of God bring us together, even just two or three of us, in Jesus’ name, enabling us to mirror God’s love in our midst.
***
ILLUSTRATIONS:
From Fr. Jude Botelho:
A cry we often hear from people's lips is: "It's not fair!? We tend to believe that the way we are treated is not fair; we are not getting what we deserve. Other people seem to get all the benefits they don?t deserve. It?s not fair! Deep down we have to admit that we are not happy when people get more than they deserve. The truth is God is not fair! He gives all more than they deserve! Have a grateful weekend thanking God for his goodness to all peoples! Fr. Jude
In today's first reading from the book of Isaiah the last two verses draw our attention and tie up with the message contained in the gospel parable of the labourers in the vineyard. ?My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways?, says the Lord. God is completely different from what we human beings imagine and we often create and imagine our God to be petty and parochial like we ourselves are. Isaiah will remind us that we are both at opposite extremes and the more we believe, the more we draw close to God, the more our attitudes, our behaviour and our lives should reflect the God we believe in.
Amazing Grace
The man who wrote the hymn Amazing Grace has been a slave trader and had taken part in the most inhuman and cruel treatment of people. He called himself a wretch who deserved nothing but contempt and punishment but instead found himself pardoned and raised to a position of trust and responsibility. How could he otherwise describe it but as Amazing Grace? Many people seem to feel poor always because they never give themselves to the cause of God, whereas, people like John Calvin felt that his life was always rich because his one purpose in life was to serve the Lord. Therefore when the physician told him that he must cease from working so much or he would die because he had a complication of a painful disease, he replied, ?Would you have my Master come and find me loitering?? No servant of God can get tired of serving the Lord. He may be tired in the service, but never tired of it.
Vima Dasan in His Word Lives?
In the Gospel we have the parable of the landowner who goes out to hire labourers to work in his vineyard and makes a deal with them with regard to their wages. The Gospel does not tell us why he went out at regular intervals almost till the day was done and invited labourers to come and work for him promising to reward them. When evening came and the time for receiving their wages all the labourers were in for a surprise. Those who had work for only an hour received a full day?s wage. But the real bomb shell came when those who had worked the whole day also received the same day?s wage and they protested and grumbled against the landlord. ?It?s not fair! We have worked more that those who came in at the last minute, we have shouldered the burden of the entire day and why should we not get paid for it? Surely we deserve more than we received.? At the outset we have to say that the parable is not a moral lesson in labour relations! How could the
landowner, who obviously stands for God in the parable, treat his dependants in such a shabby manner? What could come as a shock to us is that the whole thrust of the parable is that nobody can bargain with God, or claim the right to a reward from God. What Jesus is here stating in a rather striking way is that God is not in the business of bargaining, that eternal life is a sheer gift that comes from God?s generosity. In today?s gospel we have a fantastic insight into the wisdom of reversal of values which is at the heart of the Kingdom of God. The context in which it was originally told must have been a complaint of Jesus? opponents that he was paying more attention to outcasts than to the respectable members of society. If the parable referred to the Pharisees complaint at Jesus? generous treatment of sinners, then it means that Jesus is treating sinners, the latecomers into the kingdom with the same mercy as he has for those who have borne the burden of the Law.
Winners all!
On every side, people are more conscious of their rights with less concern for the real needs of others. The unemployed, the homeless, the less fortunate experience themselves more and more excluded by the better off. Those who have want more. Such attitude was there from the beginning, apparently. While Adam and Eve had everything they needed, they were tempted to desire something extra with disastrous consequences. The early workers in the vineyard were not satisfied with their agreed wage and begrudged the latecomers a similar wage. Today?s gospel is a stern reminder to be aware of the destructive selfishness that can so easily take over our hearts. We tend to ignore the fact that we have no claim to this world?s goods over and above our brothers and sisters at home or elsewhere. Creation and life itself are God?s gifts, given for all equally. Talents and work opportunities are not entitlements to self aggrandizements but rather make one responsible for building a better world for all. No matter how small is the contribution we make to our neighbour?s welfare, it is ours to make.
Tom Clancy in ?Living the Word?
Last shall be first
A VIP had been invited to perform the prize-giving ceremony. The first three runners home were waiting, all smiles, to take their places on the victory podium. The first sign that something unusual was about to happen was when the VIP said he wanted all the runners present at the ceremony. The runners were duly called, and all was now set. Then what did he do? He called the man who came in last and gave the gold medal to him. He gave the silver medal to the man who had come second last, and the bronze medal to the man who came third last. There were gasps of astonishment from the crowd, and sighs of embarrassment from the organisers. The mistake was pointed out to him. But he said, ?This is the way I want it.? Then he proceeded to give a warm handshake to each of the other runner's right down to the man who came first. When the latter came forward he was very angry. ?This is not fair!? he exclaimed. ?So you think it?s not fair? The VIP replied calmly. ?I do,? said the man. "I won the race. So I deserve to get the gold medal." ?Friend,? said the VIP, ?haven?t you got enough already?? ?What do you mean?? the man asked. ?You?ve had the satisfaction of winning the race. You've had the applause of the crowd and the attention of the media. On top of all this, you?ve had lucrative contracts offered to you. Now consider the man who came last. He finished the race too. And what did he get for his efforts? Nothing. Would it be fairer if you got everything while he got nothing?? With that the victor was reduced to silence. Still fuming, he turned and went away. The aim of this story is not to down-play the achievement of the winner but to make a point. It seems wrong that one person should get everything, while another gets nothing. I know this is exactly what happens in our world ? the winner takes all.
Flor McCarthy in ?New Sunday and Holy Day Liturgies?
Work Parable
The 1954 movie On the Waterfront is considered a classic in film making. It features Marlon Brando as longshoreman Terry Malloy, who gets locked in a brutal battle with the ruthless labour boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J. Cobb. The issue is the rights of the dock workers. Not only are the longshoremen being exploited by the ship owners, but they are also being shaken down by their own union leaders. With the help of Fr. Barry (played by Karl Balden) and Edie Doyle (played by Eva Marie Saint) Terry Malloy undergoes a transformation after his brother is murdered by Johnny Friendly's goons. From being a tough and uncaring street fighter, he becomes a crusader for his fellow workers ad testifies for them to the crime commission against their corrupt labour bosses. Today?s gospel also deals with a labour problem. At first it appears that the parable is setting up a model for management and labour relationships. Such is not the case. The parable by our
Lord is more about the generosity of God than about working conditions. The story is more about the supreme goodness of God than about wage settlements. The punch line in the parable is the statement at the end: ?I intend to give this man who was hired last the same pay. I am free to do as I please with my money, am I not? Or are you envious because I am generous?? In his book The Parables of Jesus, Joachim Jeremias says that today?s gospel portrays the behaviour of a large-hearted man who is compassionate and full of sympathy for the poor.
Albert Cylwicki in His Word Resounds?
Who the hell's in heaven?
***
1. From Fr. Tony Kadavil’s Collection:
1: “That’s not fair!” How many times, in
the course of a given day, have you heard someone protest, “That’s not fair!”
Children on a playground shout when they detect a foul play: “That’s not fair!”
Siblings doing household chores may complain, “I’m doing more work!” or “My
chores are more difficult; that’s not fair!” Students at school may resent the
extra attention given to a classmate… “She’s the teacher’s favorite; that’s not
fair!” A brother thinks his piece of pie is smaller than his sister’s — “That’s
not fair!” Someone at work receives a raise in salary when another person
thinks he/she is more deserving: “I have seniority. I’ve been here longer;
that’s not fair!” The coach of the Little League baseball team always puts her
child in as starting pitcher; other players are annoyed… “That’s not fair!”
Taxpayers bristle at the fact that increasing numbers of people are applying
for and receive welfare from the government… “I have to work
hard to make a living for me and my family. So should everyone else… that’s not
fair!” In each of these several examples, human sensibilities regarding
fairness and patience have been offended, precisely because of the fact that
they are human. Most of us think that good work, seniority and
experience should be rewarded, that all should be subject to the same rules,
like “First come, first served,” that everyone should be treated impartially
and that there should be no exceptions and no favorites! Therefore, when
confronted with a situation such as that put before us in today’s Gospel
parable of identical wages for different numbers of hours of work, our sense of
fairness in provoked. (Patricia Datchuck Sánchez). — This is probably one of
the most controversial parables ever uttered by Jesus Christ, creating heated
debate about the unusual generosity of a benevolent vineyard owner. (Fr.
Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
2: Fairness of deathbed conversions: Conversions
at the point of death have a long history. The first recorded deathbed
conversion appears in the Gospel of Luke where the good thief, crucified
beside Jesus, expresses belief in Christ. Jesus accepts his conversion, saying
“Today you shall be with me in Paradise.” Perhaps the most momentous
conversion in Western history was that of Constantine I, Roman Emperor, later
proclaimed a Christian Saint.
While his belief in Christianity occurred long before his death, it was only in
337 on his deathbed that he was baptized. A famous literary
genius who entered the Church at the final moment was Oscar Wilde. He had
written plays like The Importance of Being Ernest and novels,
such as The Picture of Dorian Gray. Wilde lived a notorious
lifestyle. He did things that scandalized, even repulsed, his contemporaries.
What most do not know, however, is that at the end of life he converted to
Catholicism! On his deathbed, Oscar Wilde asked for and received baptism and
anointing of the sick from Fr. Cuthbert Dunne. But he was unable to receive the
Eucharist. As in today’s parable, he entered the vineyard – the Church – at the
last hour. While Wilde’s conversion may have come as a surprise, he had long
maintained an interest in the Catholic Church, having met with Pope Pius IX in
1877. He described the Roman Catholic Church as “for saints and sinners alone –
for respectable people, the Anglican Church will do.” Some might consider this
type of eleventh hour, deathbed conversion unfair. They might feel like the
workers who started working early and received equal wage with the late comers.
(http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Deathbed_conversion )
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
3: “Size up the salary.” If you want to get
people upset very quickly in today’s world, all you have to do is begin talking
about salaries. We often play the game of comparing our salary to someone
else’s salary. It is called “size up the salary.” When we play that game, we
usually compare our wages with a person who is making more money than we are.
They are making more money, and they seem to have less skill and education.
Then we become upset, but we usually don’t say anything, just simmer inside.
That is the way we normally play the “size up the salary” game. I believe the
origins of the women’s movement was initiated by unequal salaries for equal
work. Women simply wanted equal pay for equal work. Money, salaries, equal pay
for equal work, affirmative action: these words cause all kinds of tensions
within us. It is with this tense and conflicted mood that we approach Jesus’
parable for today. Today’s Gospel presents a group of farm workers playing that
game and judging the generosity of the land-owner unjust and unfair. (Sermons
from Seattle). (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
4. “All I want is my
fair share.” In the classic “Charlie Brown Christmas Special,” Sally is
writing a letter to Santa Claus and in the process, generates an enormous list
of toys she wants. Then at the conclusion of her North Pole-bound missive she
writes, “But if that is too much to carry, just send cash.” When Charlie Brown
sees this and despairs over his own sister’s greed, Sally indignantly responds,
“All I want is my fair share. All I want is what I have coming to me!”
5. Gratitude for the
grace of two teeth: It was Thanksgiving season in the nursing home. The
small resident population was gathered about their humble Thanksgiving table,
and the director asked each in turn to express one thing for which they were
thankful. Thanks were expressed for a home in which to stay, families,
etc. One little old lady when her turn came said, ’I thank the Lord for
two perfectly good teeth, one in my upper jaw and one in my lower jaw that
match so that I can chew my food.’
6. “We thank you Lord that all days are not like today.”
Several mission parishes in North Dakota were being served by a holy old
pastor. The people were always amazed, for no matter what the
circumstances, he could always find something to give thanks for. As he made
his rounds one cold December morning, he was late getting to Holy Mass
because of excessive snowdrifts. As he began the Mass, the parishioners
were eager to hear what the old priest could come up with to be thankful for on
this dismal and frigid morning. “Gracious Lord,” his prayer began, “we
thank you that all days are not like today.”
7. “ARE YOU ENVIOUS BECAUSE I AM GENEROUS?” There was a guy
who died and was being given a tour of heaven, and he saw a friend of his drive
by in a beautiful Mercedes. He said, “Boy, this is great! “Oh,
yes,” St. Peter said, “your friend was really generous on earth; we
had a lot to work with. Your transportation up here depends on your generosity
down there.” Then St. Peter gave him his transportation: a Honda motor
scooter. He said, “Wait a minute, he gets a Mercedes, and I get a scooter?
“That’s right, it’s all we had to work with.” So the guy drove off in a
huff. A week later Peter saw this guy all smiles and said, “You feeling
better now?” The guy said, “Yea, I have ever since I saw my preacher go by
on a skateboard! “A life of generosity reflects God’s nature in a special way.
Surely, God is just; but He is also outrageously generous and merciful at the
same time. We do not get what we deserve. Rather God gives us more
than we deserve. Today, He calls each one of us to be a generous people.
32 Additional anecdotes
1) Henry Ford & James Couzens. When Henry
Ford started his car company in 1903, he took a business partner, James
Couzens. Couzens was strong where Ford was weakest — administration, finance,
sales, etc. Couzens contributed as much to the success of the Ford motor
company as did Ford. Many of the best-known policies and practices of the Ford Motor
company for which Henry Ford is often given credit were Couzens’ ideas. So
effective did Couzens become that Ford grew increasingly jealous of him and
forced him out in 1917 in an argument over the future of the Model T. Couzens
said the car was obsolete and that they should move on to other things. Ford
disagreed, got rid of Couzens, and kept making Model Ts until he had nearly run
his car company into the ground. — What happens, even to bright successful
people, to cause them to hurt their own careers rather than share the glory
with someone else? We call it pride, envy or ego. Today’s Gospel tells us how
the early recruits to the vineyard became jealous of the living wage given to
the later recruits. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
2) No more sermons on smoking, drinking and gambling: A
young priest with a lot of zeal began his pastoral life as the associate
pastor at a parish in the hills of Kentucky. On the first Sunday, he
preached on the evils of smoking. After Mass, some of the parish
leaders met him at the door: “We’re a little surprised that you would
deal with the subject of smoking because nearly half of the state of Kentucky
raises tobacco. You might want to think twice about talking about tobacco
in our Church.” The priest thanked them for enlightening him. The next
Sunday he came back and preached with additional fervor against liquor and its
evils. The same group met him at the door after the Holy Mass. They
said: “We think we need to tell you that you ought to be careful about
preaching against alcoholic beverages, especially since nearly a third of our
county distills whiskey.” “I didn’t know that,” the young priest replied.
“Thank you for helping me.” The next Sunday he preached a
stirring sermon on gambling, especially on horse races. The same group met him
after the Mass: “We think we need to tell you that over half of our county
raises thoroughbred racehorses, so you want to be real careful about talking
about gambling from the pulpit.” Being a quick learner, the next Sunday,
based on the gospel text of Peter’s attempt to walk on water, the young
priest preached against the evils of scuba diving in international waters!
Obviously, this young priest took the easy way out by compromising with evil.
But this is not what we, as Christians, are called to do, as Jesus
demonstrates in the parable of the workers in the vineyard in today’s Gospel.
He tells the Jews that, although they are the first-comers in God’s
vineyard as God’s chosen race, the latecomers, like his Gentile disciples, are
going to inherit the same kingdom of God, which they had thought was “reserved”
for themselves. The result of this parable was to turn their lives
upside down. Ultimately, this is why Jesus was crucified…. because he
said things that made people uncomfortable about their own compromising with
evil. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
3) His own house to accommodate sex offenders: A
former tough-on-crime Pennsylvania lawmaker has adopted a new and unpopular
cause, taking into his home three sex offenders who couldn’t find a place to
live – a stand that has angered neighbors, drawn pickets and touched off a
zoning dispute. As cities across the nation pass ever-tighter laws to keep out
people convicted of sex crimes, Tom Armstrong said he is drawing on his
religious belief in forgiveness and sheltering the three men until he can open
a halfway house for sex offenders Nearly 100 Pennsylvania municipalities have
ordinances restricting where sex offenders may live. The ordinances generally
bar them from moving in next to schools, playgrounds or other places where
children might gather. In early June, Armstrong quietly allowed a rapist and
two other sex offenders who had served prison time to move into his 15-room
century-old home 75 miles west of Philadelphia after another town blocked his
plans for another halfway house … A Republican, Armstrong served 12 years in
the Legislature before he was defeated in a primary in 2002. He was known for
taking conservative positions on abortion, taxes and crime but also for his
role in later years supporting prisoners’ rights. Over the past two decades, he
also took in homeless veterans, and more recently he has been a mentor to
ex-cons. This story, written by Marc Levy and published in Fresno
Bee (August 17, 2008, p. A3), gives us a glimpse of how a stance of
generosity and compassion can generate resistance and resentment among those
who feel that such benevolence is unwarranted. Today’s strange parable of a
landowner who hired laborers at five different times during the course of one
day to work in his vineyard, but paid the identical living wage for a full
day’s work to all of them, tells us that our God shows such generosity. (Lectio
Divina) (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
4) Thief Dismas & St. Peter on the same street in
Heaven: There is a story about Simon Peter and Dismas, the repentant thief
on the cross. Simon Peter, the big disciple, and Dismas, the thief on the cross,
both died and went up to Heaven. They both knocked on the door, and they both
got into Heaven. But, up in Heaven, Simon Peter discovered that he lived on the
same street with Dismas, the thief on the cross. Peter was not pleased with
this situation. Well, one day, God came walking by and Peter decided to ask God
about it. He said, “You know God, Dismas and I are living on the same street
here in Heaven and we have similar houses. I want you to know that I left
everything for you. I left my fishing nets for you, my occupation, my boat, my
nets. I left my good wife. I left my children. I gave up all these and I
followed you my whole adult life and I was crucified upside down at the end of
my life in Rome. Dismas here, he wasn’t a Christian for even fifteen minutes.
And here we are: on the same street in Heaven. I don’t get it.” God said, “Come
on, Peter get off it. Your fishing nets were filled with holes. You fishing
boat was falling apart and not really safe. You know very well your kids were
rebellious teenagers that you were trying to get away from. Besides, your wife
was quite a nag and you wanted to get out of the house and away from her
nagging. And you were crucified by the Roman government because they wanted to
kill you. So don’t give me this ‘holier than thou’ stuff Peter, because I know
you better than that. I knew your heart then and now.” Yes, both Peter and
Dismas received grace as a gift, undeserved, unearned, and they received their
gift as a surprise. Today’s Gospel gives us the message that eternal salvation
is a gift from God in response to our grateful cooperation in the Divine plan.
(Rev Ed Markquart). (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
5) “Would you pray for me?” A man named Charles
was lying in a hospital bed near death. The nursing staff, the man’s wife and a
couple of children all testified that Charles was not a very nice man. He drank
too much, he was verbally abusive to his wife and he had alienated his
children. He did, however, ask for a Chaplain. The staff filled the Chaplain in
on Charles and the kind of person he was. The Chaplain went in to the room to
visit Charles who asked him to pray. The conversation went something like this.
“Would you pray for me?” Charles asked. “What do you want to say to God?” The
Chaplain asked. “Tell God that I am sorry for the way my life has turned out.
Tell him that I am sorry for the way I treated my wife and family and that I’ve
always really loved her.” “That’s it?” “No. Tell God that I know I have no
right to ask this — but, I would like to be able to live with him. “The
Chaplain prayed Charles’ prayer for him. He came back the next morning to
inquire about Charles’ condition. He had passed away during the night. Now what
do you suppose? Did Charles receive the grace of God? And if he did, did he
receive as much of God’s love and grace as you and I have after all these years
of service? Here’s what Jesus’ parable about equal wages is trying to say. God
is always available to anyone who reaches out whenever they reach out. God’s
timing is such that any time is the right time! (Rev. John Jewell). (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
6) Don’t win lotteries! There have been enough
lottery winners in America now to have a few studies of winners done. A report
on the TV News Magazine 20/20 told the story of how families —
especially extended families — had more conflict after a lottery windfall that
they did before the winnings came. (The lottery is a kind of twisted Robin Hood
that robs from the poor to make someone rich!) When someone wins the lottery,
the family and friends are happy for them — in the beginning. Soon, however
there is a resentment that sneaks into the picture. Brothers and sisters, aunts
and uncles, cousins and second cousins once removed — move from being happy for
the newly wealthy relatives to feeling that they are somehow owed a “share” of
the take. One couple in a Chicago suburb won a few million dollars in the
lottery. They wanted to continue living in their same neighborhood and keep
their same friends. Things were okay at first, but eventually their neighbors
grew more distant. “People who used to invite us over seemed to call less.
Finally the phone stopped ringing,” the wife said. Today’s Gospel tells us that
we are basically jealous even towards God when He chooses to lavish His grace
on others. (Rev. John Jewell). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
7) Size up the salary game: Do you have any idea
what garbage haulers are making today? The people who pick up the garbage from
our homes, do you realize what they are earning each day? Those county workers
who are standing out there in circles on the street, do you know what they are
making per hour? Have you seen what electricians are making per hour nowadays?
A whole bunch of people want to be making as much as those garbage collectors,
those country workers, and those electricians. … And those professional
athletes? Their salaries are ridiculous. So are the salaries of our television
entertainers, and those CEOs who are making so much money today—and all of that
contributes to make our economy a shambles. If you want to get people upset
very quickly in today’s world, all you have to do is begin talking about
salaries. We often play the game of comparing our salary to someone else’s
salary. It is called “size up our salary.” When we play that game, we usually
compare our wages with a person who is making more money than we are. They are
making more money, and they seem to have less skill and education. Then we
become upset, but we usually don’t say anything, just simmer inside. That is
the way we normally play the “size up the salary” game. Today’s Gospel gives us
a different type of salary game played by God. (Rev Ed Markquart). (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
8) President John F. Kennedy’s murderer: People
who feel unaccepted and unacceptable are the cause of most of the world’s great
tragedies. Take the case of Lee Harvey Oswald. Oswald was a chronic loser. Even
the Communists didn’t want him. He had failed at everything he had ever
attempted. He was plagued with a feeling of sexual inadequacy. He had a lowly
job. He had a lovely wife, but she was constantly putting him down. And in the
same country there was a president — rich, youthful, charming, handsome, with a
beautiful wife – and he was head of the most powerful country in the world.
John F. Kennedy was everything Lee Harvey Oswald was not. And so Oswald bought
a cheap Italian rifle by mail order for $12.95, a scope, for $4.00, and some
ammunition. Then he positioned himself in a school supplies building in Dallas,
Texas, and waited. Was the killing of Kennedy political or was it personal? Was
it the result of a foreign conspiracy or was it the work of a tortured man who
had tremendous fears about his own self-worth? Today’s Gospel tells us about a
group of such jealous workers. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
9) You can’t build up “brownie points” with God. Some
of you women, when you were young girls, undoubtedly belonged to an
organization known as Brownies. This is the youngest segment of the Girl Scout
organization–from ages seven to nine. Like the other members of this
organization dedicated to fostering good citizenship and service, as a Brownie
you earned “points” when you attained certain levels of achievement or
performed various services. You may have accumulated enough points to translate
these points into awards. So influential has the Brownie organization been that
the concept of “Brownie Points” has been transferred to general usage in our
language. Earning brownie points has come to mean earning credit for doing the
right thing in a wide range of endeavors. For example, we might say of someone,
“she earned a few brownie points with her boss.” [Christine Ammer, Seeing
Red or Tickled Pink (A Dutton Book, 1992).] It means she did something
to win her boss’ favor. And that’s great! We all need our boss’ favor. But here
is the message of today’s Gospel: you can’t build up brownie points with God.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
10) “You gave beautiful colors to the peacock and a
lovely song to the nightingale.” A sparrow complained to Mother
Nature, “You gave beautiful colors to the peacock and a lovely song to the
nightingale, but I am plain and unnoticed. Why was I made to suffer?” “You were
not made to suffer,” stated Mother Nature. “You suffer because you make the
same foolish mistake as human beings. You compare yourself with others. Be
yourself, for in that there is no comparison and no pain.” [Vernon
Howard, Inspire Yourself (Grants Pass, OR: Four Star Books,
Inc., 1975).] That’s easy to say, isn’t it, but hard to implement. Comedian
Dennis Miller puts it this way: “Remember how good you felt when your
neighbor’s house got struck by lightning because he got the new satellite
dish?” (Ranting Again, New York: Doubleday, 1998.) (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
11) “The Fair Labor and Practice Act.” In 1938
the United States Congress passed a law called “The Fair Labor and Practice
Act.” That law affects millions and tens of millions of lives to this very day
because it established for the first time in our history a minimum wage.
Believe it or not, it was set at 25 cents an hour. I can remember working when
I was in high school in a Five & Dime Store for $1 an hour. The only reason
he paid me that much was because he had to; he would tell me many times I was
not worth that. That law was really based on two principles: First, everyone
must make a minimum wage; second, there should be some semblance of equal pay
for equal work. Well, believe it or not, Jesus in today’s Gospel parable tells
a story in an interesting and strange way relating to both of those principles.
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
12) Story of Maya Angelou’s Aunt Tee: “If I
could just have a nicer car, or a nicer house, or a European vacation like the
Joneses have, then I would be happy!” That is an illusion. If you doubt that,
you need only consider the story of Maya Angelou’s Aunt Tee, a woman who worked
30 years as a maid and 30 years as a live-in housekeeper. On Saturdays, when
she lived with a rich white couple in Bel-Air, she would cook pigs’ feet,
greens and fried chicken, then invite some of her friends over for the evening.
The chauffeur and the other housekeeper and her husband would come to eat,
drink, dance, laugh and play cards. One night, during the middle of a bid whist
game, the rich white couple knocked on their housekeeper’s door. They
apologized for disturbing her, then got right to the point. Every Saturday
night, they heard the joy and laughter coming from their housekeeper’s
quarters, and they wanted to be part of it. Would she please leave her door
ajar, they asked, so they could not only hear the joy, but see it, experience
it, feel it? This was the warmth and happiness that their 14-room house, three
cars, swimming pool and who knows how much money could never buy them. In her
book, Wouldn’t Take Nothing for My Journey Now, Maya Angelou paints
the scene like this: “I draw the picture of the wealthy couple standing in a
darkened hallway, peering into a lighted room where Black servants were lifting
their voices in merriment and comradery, and I realize that living well is an
art which can be developed,” she writes. “Of course, you will need the basic
talents to build upon: They are a love of life and ability to take great
pleasure from small offerings, an assurance that the world owes you nothing and
that every gift is exactly that, a gift.” (Cited in “Value Judgements,” by
Laura B. Randolph, Ebony, May 1996, p. 22.) Maybe this is what
Jesus meant when he concluded his parable by saying, “So the last will be
first, and the first will be last.” (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
13) “All men are created equal.” Abraham
Lincoln’s Gettysburg Address has been called America’s “greatest gathering of
words.” Lincoln’s message was given over 130 years ago on the Civil War
battlefield in Pennsylvania named Gettysburg. The burial of the Union dead was
still underway on November 19, 1863, when Lincoln delivered his speech. We
should not forget that it was a cemetery that the president had been invited to
dedicate that day. What makes the Gettysburg Address the greatest speech in
American history is the way in which Lincoln gave firm definition to that
famous proposition written by Thomas Jefferson in the American Constitution,
that “Four score and seven years ago, our fathers brought forth upon this
continent, a new nation, conceived in liberty, and dedicated to the proposition
that all men are created equal.”
The power of President Lincoln’s speech is carried out in those five simple words — that all people are created equal. Now, we know, of course, that from the perspective of human judgment, people are certainly not created equal. We know that there are differences among us in personality, in intelligence, in natural talents, in bodily appearance and in physical strength and ability. We also know that some people are born, as they say, with a “silver spoon in their mouth.” These are the ones, of course, who are born with the advantages of wealth and privilege and family connections which open doors and make life comfortable and pleasant and enjoyable. No, the hard, cold truth is that we are not created with equal circumstances. But the point of the phrase, “all men are created equal,” is that this is indeed how God sees and loves, forever, all the men, women and children – every single human person — He has created, as His own, unique. individual child. God’s love is not withheld from any person, regardless of his or her circumstances. And we, as Christian people, are called to love each other with agape love just as our Father loves us. That is what our Father in Heaven calls us to do, and our obedience to Him is seen in the ways in which we treat all other human beings. In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus tells a parable which reveals a truth of God that is very disturbing to the conventional, human way of seeing the world. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
The power of President Lincoln’s speech is carried out in those five simple words — that all people are created equal. Now, we know, of course, that from the perspective of human judgment, people are certainly not created equal. We know that there are differences among us in personality, in intelligence, in natural talents, in bodily appearance and in physical strength and ability. We also know that some people are born, as they say, with a “silver spoon in their mouth.” These are the ones, of course, who are born with the advantages of wealth and privilege and family connections which open doors and make life comfortable and pleasant and enjoyable. No, the hard, cold truth is that we are not created with equal circumstances. But the point of the phrase, “all men are created equal,” is that this is indeed how God sees and loves, forever, all the men, women and children – every single human person — He has created, as His own, unique. individual child. God’s love is not withheld from any person, regardless of his or her circumstances. And we, as Christian people, are called to love each other with agape love just as our Father loves us. That is what our Father in Heaven calls us to do, and our obedience to Him is seen in the ways in which we treat all other human beings. In our Gospel lesson for today, Jesus tells a parable which reveals a truth of God that is very disturbing to the conventional, human way of seeing the world. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
14) Life is a gift. I have a friend who faced
sudden surgery several years ago. He didn’t have time to prepare emotionally
for the surgery. He went to the doctor who sent him directly to the hospital
and, in hours, he had open-heart surgery. This man was grateful for his surgery,
his successful life, the extra years that had been given to him. But he also
said that he was sad that he had not been able to express his love to his
children before that critical moment of surgery. He had wanted to tell his
children, but he didn’t. There wasn’t time. Months passed; years passed; a
decade passed. One day, he was at his doctor’s office only to discover that he
needed surgery again. Only, this time, he had two days to prepare. He had each
child, now all adults, come into his hospital room and talk privately with him.
He wanted each to know that he felt this past ten years of life were extra
years that had been given to him by God. Not only the past ten years, but his
whole life had been a gift of God, and they, his children, had been a total
gift of God. He wanted them to know that God had given him his children, his
wife, his family, his work, his faith in Christ, that God had given him an
abundant life and that God would give him eternal life as well. He wanted his
kids to know how he felt. He had wanted to tell his children these things ten
years ago, and now he had a second chance to do it. And so, he told them, each
of them, one by one. It was very emotional, and his wife left the room because
she could not handle it. This man expressed what God wants. Deep down inside,
all people have this attitude that life is a gift. Life itself, the abundant
life, eternal life – it is all a gift. It is not that God owes us anything.
That is what Jesus explains through the parable about equal wages. (Rev. Ed
Markquart). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
15) We are of infinite worth just as we are. There
was a thrilling story in our newspapers about a year ago. Rebel troops in the
country of Colombia often finance their war against the government by
kidnapping prominent citizens and holding them for ransom. There were 1,800
reported kidnapping cases in Colombia in 1997. Ed Leonard was one of those
1,800. Ed’s company, Terramundo Drilling of Ontario, Canada, had been drilling
sites in Colombia when Ed was taken hostage by a group of armed rebels. For 105
days, Ed was held in various camps in the Andes Mountains. Then, on October 6,
1998, Ed Leonard came home. How did he gain his release? Someone had offered to
take his place. That someone was Ed’s boss, Norbert Reinhart. Reinhart is the
owner of Terramundo Drilling. When all other efforts failed to free Ed Leonard,
Norbert Reinhart offered himself as a hostage in Ed’s place. (“Trading Places”
by William Plummer and Lyndon Stambler, People, Nov. 30, 1998, pp.
196-198.) Reinhart himself was held hostage somewhere in the Andes Mountains
until his release earlier this year. If you were Ed Leonard, wouldn’t you feel
that you must be worth something to your company, if your boss would trade his
life for your own? You know where I am leading, don’t you? You and I don’t have
to prove our worth to our neighbors, to our family, to anybody in this world.
The Boss has traded his life for ours. That is an idea too deep for us to ever
comprehend, but if it says nothing else to us, it should say this: We are of
infinite worth just as we are. That is why the landlord gave identical wages to
all his workers in today’s Gospel parable. (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
16) Ten dollars or ten days in jail: James N.
McCutcheon tells a wonderful story about the sense of justice of Fiorello
LaGuardia, based on God’s mercy and generosity as expressed in today’s
Gospel. LaGuardia was Mayor of New York City during the worst days of the
Great Depression and during all of World War II. Devoted New Yorkers
called him “the Little Flower” because i) that is the English meaning of his
Italian first name; ii) he was only five-foot-four; and iii) he always wore a
carnation in his lapel. He was a colorful character who used to ride the
New York City fire trucks, raid speakeasies with the police department, and
take entire orphanages to baseball games. Whenever the New York newspapers were
on strike, he used to go on radio and read the Sunday “funnies” to the kids.
One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night
court that served the poorest ward of the city. LaGuardia dismissed the
judge for the evening and took over the bench himself. Within a few minutes, a
tattered old woman was brought before him, charged with stealing a loaf of
bread. She told LaGuardia that her daughter’s husband had deserted her,
her daughter was sick, and her grandchildren were starving — but the
shopkeeper, from whom the bread was stolen, refused to drop the charges.
“It’s a bad neighborhood, your Honor,” the man told the mayor. “She’s got
to be punished to teach other people around here a lesson.” LaGuardia
sighed. He turned to the woman and said, “I’ve got to punish you…The law
makes no exceptions – ten dollars or ten days in jail.” But even as he
pronounced the sentence, the mayor was already reaching into his pocket.
He extracted a bill and tossed it into his familiar hat, saying, “Here’s
the ten-dollar fine which I now remit; and furthermore, I’m going to fine
everyone in this courtroom fifty cents for living in a town where a person has
to steal bread so that her grandchildren can eat. Mr. Bailiff, collect
the fines and give them to the defendant.” The following day, the New York City
newspapers reported that forty-seven dollars and fifty cents was turned
over to the old woman who had stolen a loaf of bread to feed her starving
grandchildren. We wonder if that could happen today! Our Scripture
for this Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time is about the surprising nature of
God’s grace, which many prefer to call “amazing grace.” (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
17) Who ever said life was fair? A
million-dollar golf tournament was held which drew contestants from near and
far. Many experienced golfers who had worked for years and years on their game
came for their shot at the jackpot. The winner would be the closest to the pin.
Golfer after golfer tried for the hole, and one skilled veteran made it within
six inches. Not too shabby. Then he watched as a certain hacker came to the tee
and swung the most horrible looking swing had ever seen. But luck was with this
amateur. His ball bounced off a nearby photographers’ cart and landed just one
inch from the hole. He won the contest. He won the money. Who ever said life
was fair? There’s an old farmer’s saying about people who just stumble into
good luck without working hard – “The dumber the farmer, the bigger the spuds”.
It’s another way of saying, life is not fair. (preachrblog.blogspot.com). (Fr.
Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
18) A movie on labor problems: The 1954
movie On the Waterfront is considered a classic in filmmaking.
It features Marlon Brando as longshoreman Terry Malloy, who gets locked in a
brutal battle with the ruthless labour boss Johnny Friendly, played by Lee J.
Cobb. The issue is the rights of the dockworkers. Not only are the longshoremen
being exploited by the ship owners, but they are also being shaken down by
their own union leaders. With the help of Fr. Barry (played by Karl Malden) and
Edie Doyle (played by Eva Marie Saint) Terry Malloy undergoes a transformation
after his brother is murdered by Johnny Friendly’s goons. From being a tough
and uncaring street fighter, he becomes a crusader for his fellow workers and
testifies for them to the Crime Commission against their corrupt labor bosses.
Today’s Gospel also deals with a labor problem. At first it appears that the
parable is setting up a model for management and labor relationships. Such is
not the case. The parable by our Lord is more about the generosity of God than
about working conditions. The story is more about the supreme goodness of God
than about wage settlements. The punch line in the parable is the statement at
the end: “I intend to give this man who was hired last the same pay. I am free
to do as I please with my money, am I not? Or are you envious because I am
generous?” In his book The Parables of Jesus, Joachim Jeremias says that
today’s Gospel portrays the behavior of a large-hearted man who is
compassionate and full of sympathy for the poor. (Albert Cylwicki in His Word
Resounds; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
19) The Little Flower and the criminal: Thérèse
of Lisieux tells about a criminal being executed who stubbornly rejected all
offers of spiritual help from the prison chaplain. She was concerned about him,
and she decided she would pray to God, asking Him to a change the heart of this
man before he died. An extraordinary thing happened that had a profound effect
on her understanding of God’s love and mercy. Just before he was blindfolded,
and placed beneath the guillotine, he snatched the crucifix from the chaplain’s
hands, and kissed it reverently. He continued to clutch it, as he was put into
position, and the blade fell. It is never too late for God. (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
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20) “With all your money, you give me a Bible?”: A
young man was getting ready to graduate from college. For many months he had
admired a beautiful sports car in a dealer’s showroom and, as his father could
well afford it, he told him that this was what he wanted. As Graduation Day
approached, the young man awaited signs that his father had purchased the car.
Finally, on the morning of his graduation, his father called him into his
private study. His father told him how proud he was to have such a fine son and
told him how much he loved him. He handed his son a beautifully wrapped gift
box. Curious, but somewhat disappointed, the young man opened the box, and
found a lovely leather-bound Bible, with the young man’s name embossed in gold.
Angrily, he raised his voice to his father, and said, “With all your money, you
give me a Bible?” as he stormed out of the room, leaving the Bible behind. Many
years passed, and the young man was successful in business. He had a beautiful
home, and a wonderful family, but he realized his father was old, and he should
call to see him. He had not seen him since that Graduation Day. Before he could
make arrangements, he got a telegram, telling him his father had passed away,
and willed all his possessions to his son, He needed to come home immediately
and take care of things. When he arrived in his father’s house a sense of
sadness and regret filled his heart, He began to search through his father’s
papers when he saw the new Bible, just as he had left it years ago. With tears,
he opened the Bible and began to leaf through it. His father had carefully
underlined a verse, Matthew 7:11, “And you, being evil, know how to give good
gifts to your children, how much more will your heavenly Father give to those
who ask him?” As he read these words, a car key dropped from the back of the
Bible. It had a tag with the dealer’s name, the same dealer who had the sports
car he had so desired. On the tag was the date of his graduation, and the words
paid in full. I am so grateful that it’s never too late for God (Biblical IE).
(Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
21) Mother Teresa’s Efficiency Strategy: What
makes the saints so remarkable is that they
are brilliant reflections of God’s extraordinary generosity.
St. Teresa of Calcutta (Mother Teresa) was an eloquent
example of this. When she visited the many convents that
she had founded, even though she was the Superior General of
the Order, she had a habit of getting up early on the last
day of her visit (early being 4:00am or so),
and washing the convent’s bathrooms before the rest of the
nuns woke up. Fr Sebastian Vahakala, a priest connected to her Order, explains
how he learned Christian generosity from her: “One day I was working at the
home for the dying in Kalighat, Calcutta. “The Corporation Ambulance brought in
a man. I looked at him and recognized him straightaway, as he
had been to our home several times. “So, I told Blessed Teresa that
there was no sense in taking him in again, as he would go out
when he might feel a little better [he was taking advantage of their
generosity]. “Blessed Teresa looked at me and said: ‘Brother Sebastian, does
this man need your help now or not? It does
not matter that he was here yesterday or not,
or that he is going to come back again tomorrow. We do not
have yesterday anymore, nor do we have tomorrow yet;
all that we have is today to love God and serve
the poor.'” That’s just a little glimpse of the kind of supernatural
generosity that continuously overflows from God’s
heart, towards each and every one of us. (Fr.
Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
22) St Thomas Aquinas’ Reward: It is this focus
on God’s glory that has given all the saints such remarkable energy
and courage. St. Thomas Aquinas was given perhaps the greatest
intellect the world has ever known. A member of the first generation
of Dominican friars, he lived in the 1200s and died in his 40s. He
was so far above his peers in philosophical and theological
knowledge and understanding that he was given the title “Angelic Doctor.”
During his short life, he produced an entire library of works
defending and explaining the Catholic Faith – a library which remains to
this day the pillar of Catholic theology. His mind
was so remarkable that he could write five books at the same time.
He would sit at a table with five secretaries and dictate a
paragraph to one of them. While one secretary wrote down that
paragraph, he would dictate another paragraph of another book
to another secretary – keeping all five
scribbling for hours. Soon before he died, he was praying
in a chapel, kneeling beneath a large wooden crucifix.
The sacristan heard a strange noise and peeked into the
chapel. He saw our Lord appear to the saint and say to
him: “You have written well of me Thomas; what reward would
you have?” To which the Angelic Doctor replied, “Nothing but yourself,
Lord.” That was the secret to his incredible output, to the
total development of his natural and supernatural potential: he was doing
everything not for his own glory, but just
for Christ. (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
23) Late bloomers: There are many people who
have gained greatness though they have embarked on their careers at various
stages in their lives. A late bloomer is a person whose talents or capabilities
are not visible to others until later than usual. Many writers have published
their first major work late in life. Mary Wesley (British novelist) might be a
classic example. She wrote two children’s books in her late fifties, and her
writing career did not gain note until her first novel Jumping the Queue at
70. Doerr published her first novel when she was 74. Laura Ingalls Wilder
published her first novel in when she was in her sixties. In philosophy, Mary
Midgley wrote her first book when she was 56. Bill Traylor started drawing at
age 83. Another painter, Alfred Wallis, began painting in his 60s. The champion
“late bloomer,” however, has to be “Grandma Moses”! Born in 1860, Anna Mary
Robertson Moses, the American folk artist began painting seriously at the age
of 78 (1938) and continued until her death at 101, in 1961. — In the history of
salvation, too, we see the chosen people were called at different stages in
their lives. Samuel was called, when he was a young boy. David was called in
his youth. The sons of Zebedee were young men when they received the invitation
to join Jesus. Joan of Arc was young maiden when she was entrusted with a great
mission. But the first of the Patriarchs, Abraham, was seventy-five years old
when he was called by the Lord God to leave Haran the land of his kin, and go
“to a land I will show you” — and he obeyed at once, starting Salvation History
proper for all of us with that choice. Simon Peter was an older man when he was
chosen by Jesus. Saint Ambrose was called in his 40s. From today’s reading of
the Gospel of Matthew, we learn that God does not call everybody at the same
time. Some are called early in life as the early laborers were called, having
received their Baptism as infants. Some were called as teenagers. Some were
called during their married life and others, much later in life. And some are
like the laborers who were called around five o’clock; their conversion took
place at the last hour, like the thief on the cross. (Fr. Bobby Jose). (Fr.
Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
24) Generosity of a lottery winner: Allen and
Violet Large, a loving elderly couple from Nova Scotia, Canada, won $11.2
million in the lottery. But instead of living happily ever after in luxury,
they decided to give their winnings away. Being content with their average,
peaceful lifestyle, they decided that the money would bring them unnecessary
stress. They helped their family with some of the money and then divided the
rest of the money between churches, organizations fighting cancer, Alzheimer’s
and diabetes, the Red Cross, the Salvation Army, cemeteries, hospitals, also
their local fire department. Their neighbors found difficult to understand
them. They could never imagine such an act of generous giving. But the couple
was not disturbed; were they not free to use their own gifts as they wanted?
Today’s parable teaches us about the generosity of God. (Fr. Bobby Jose). (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
25) “We waited for you!” According to an ancient
legend, Christ assembled the eleven apostles in Heaven and asked them to
celebrate the Last Supper with him. They readily agreed. On their arrival,
Jesus welcomed them and asked them to take their seats. They were surprised to
find that he had set thirteen seats. Even though everything was ready he
refused to start. He waited and waited until finally Judas came in. On seeing
him, Christ rose from his seat and went to meet him. He kissed him and said,
“We have waited for you.” The story may sound far-fetched. But does it do
anything more than echo that other story we find in the Gospel of Luke — the
story of how, as he hung on the cross, Jesus prayed for his executioners? By
word and example Jesus shows us how to be generous with others. (Flor McCarthy
in New Sunday & Holy Day Liturgies; quoted by Fr. Botelho). (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
26) Amazing Grace The man who wrote the
hymn Amazing Grace had been a slave trader and had taken part in the most
inhuman and cruel treatment of people. He called himself a wretch who deserved
nothing but contempt and punishment but instead found himself pardoned and
raised to a position of trust and responsibility. How else could he describe it
except as Amazing Grace? Many people seem to feel poor always, because they
never give themselves to the cause of God, whereas, people like John Calvin
felt that his life was always rich because his one purpose in life was to serve
the Lord. Therefore, when the physician told him that he must cease from
working so much or he would die because he had a complication of a painful
disease, he replied, “Would you have my Master come and find me loitering?” No
servant of God can get tired of serving the Lord. He may be tired in the
service, but never tired of it. (Vima Dasan in His Word Lives; quoted by Fr.
Botelho). (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
27) Five aces for God: In her wonderful
collection of poetry called, The Awful Rowing Toward God, Anne
Sexton examines her life like someone in a rowboat rowing against the stream of
life, encountering hazards along the way, and finally docking at the island of
God’s home. The concluding poem in the book is called “The Rowing Endeth.” In
it she sees herself called by God’s great laughter to join Him for a game of
poker. When the cards are dealt, she is surprised and thrilled. She has a royal
straight flush. She will trounce God and win for herself whatever prizes God
has brought to the table. In great excitement, she slaps down her cards,
claiming her winnings. Nothing can beat this hand! But God only laughs, a
great, rolling, joyful exuberance that energizes everything around. In rich
good humor, with no malice at all, God throws down his cards. Five aces! That’s
impossible! But there it is. And when Anne loses to God, she knows that really
she wins. For God is not stingy with his wealth or his earnings. There are
never any losers when they sit at table with God. God’s laughter is always
without malice or one-upmanship. This is the Gospel according to Jesus’
parable. In spite of our good fortunes or savvy playing skills or sheer hard
work, we never really win at the game of life when we play it by our own rules.
But if God is bending them in the direction of grace, something wonderful
always happens. (Wayne Brouwer, Political Religion, CSS Publishing Company,
Inc.) (Fr. Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
28) “Monkeys and dogs want to see justice done.”: It
seems that even monkeys, if they could read, would get indignant about this
parable of the workers in the vineyard. In the Australian newspaper, The
Melbourne Age, there was an intriguing report from the University of
Atlanta in the U. S. called: “Monkeys want to see justice done.” At the
University of Atlanta, researchers have been testing capuchin monkeys. They
gave them the task of picking up a small granite stone and bringing it to the
researcher within one minute. If they were successful, they were rewarded with
the wage of a slice of cucumber. The scheme worked well. It was happy lab
situation as long as each monkey received the same wage. This turned sour when
the researchers varied the pattern. They tried giving one monkey a grape for
its reward. Indignation broke out. First the others withheld their labor, and
later they even took to throwing away the cucumber and the granite stone. It
had offended their sense of justice. Dogs are also prone to bouts of envy and
refuse to play if they are not treated fairly, scientists have found.
Experiments led by Friederike Range at the University of Vienna tested how
pairs of dogs reacted when each was given a different reward – either a piece
of bread, some sausage, or nothing – in return for offering a paw to
researchers. In one of the tests the first dog was given a piece of bread as a
reward, while the second received nothing. When the test was repeated a number
of times, the dog that went without quickly began to display what appeared to
be envy and stopped cooperating with researchers. https://www.theguardian.com/science/2008/dec/08/dogs-envy-fairness-social-behaviour).
That’s almost human, isn’t it? We are happy with our lot until we see someone
in a similar situation who is better off. Then we cry foul! We want to go on
strike and demand an end to such monkey business. (Brett Blair,
www.Sermons.com. Adapted from a sermon by Bruce Prewer). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
29) Generosity Is the Secret to Our Joy: There
is an old rabbinic parable about a farmer that had two sons. As soon as they
were old enough to walk, he took them to the fields, and he taught them
everything that he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When he got
too old to work, the two boys took over the chores of the farm and when the
father died, they had found their working together so meaningful that they decided
to keep their partnership. So each brother contributed what he could and during
every harvest season, they would divide equally what they had corporately
produced. Across the years the elder brother never married, stayed an old
bachelor. The younger brother did marry and had eight wonderful children. Some
years later when they were having a wonderful harvest, the old bachelor brother
thought to himself one night, “My brother has ten mouths to feed. I only have
one. He really needs more of his harvest than I do, but I know he is much too
fair to renegotiate. I know what I’ll do. In the dead of the night when he is
already asleep, I’ll take some of what I have put in my barn and I’ll slip it
over into his barn to help him feed his children. At the very time he was
thinking down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, “God has
given me these wonderful children. My brother has not been so fortunate. He
really needs more of this harvest for his old age than I do, but I know him.
He’s much too fair. He’ll never renegotiate. I know what I’ll do. In the dead
of the night when he’s asleep, I’ll take some of what I’ve put in my barn and
slip it over into his barn.” And so one night when the moon was full, as you
may have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a
mission of generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn’t a cloud in the sky,
yet a gentle rain began to fall. You know what it was? God weeping for joy
because two of his children had gotten the point. Two of his children had come
to realize that generosity is the deepest characteristic of the holy and,
because we are made in God’s image, our being generous is the secret to our joy
as well. Life is not fair, thank God! It’s not fair because it’s rooted in
grace. (John Claypool, Life Isn’t Fair, Thank God!). (Fr.
Tony)
(http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
30) “Thank you, my Lord, for what you’ve done for us
today!” There’s a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in
which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable;
Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the
landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors
in the field, he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are
brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have
the work but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally,
the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to
know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds,
and those who came last get paid a full days’ wages, John rejoices, knowing
that Philip – his brother – will have the money necessary to feed his family.
When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay,
instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with
tears in his eyes, “Thank you, my Lord, for what you’ve done for us today!”
God’s justice arises out of a sense of community in which we see the “eleventh
hour” workers as our brothers and sisters whose needs are every bit as
important as our own. (Philip W. McLarty, “The Parable of the Workers in the
Vineyard.”). (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
31) The Worker’s Pledge: Washington Gladden, a
pioneer for social justice, realized that changing outward conditions will not
bring about a better society unless men’s attitude toward their work is also
changed. So, he wrote what he called “The Worker’s Pledge” in which he said: “I
will not be a sponge or parasite. I will give an honest equivalent for what I
get. I want no man’s money for which I have not rendered a full return. I want
no wages that I have not earned. If I work for any man or any company or any
institution, I will render a full, ample, generous service. If I work for the
city or the state or the nation, I will give my best thought, my best effort,
my most conscientious and efficient endeavor. If I can give a little more than
I get every time, in that shall be my happiness. The great commonwealth of
human society shall not be a loser through me.” This is the spirit that has
built our country, and when that spirit declines, America is on the decline.
There is no substitute for hard, honest, conscientious work under God. (T.A.
Kantonen, Good News for All Seasons, CSS Publishing Co., Inc). (Fr.
Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/)
L/20
32) Graciousness of God’s mercy and his forgiving love: After
many years of general prison ministry, in 1998 I was asked to begin ministry
cell-to-cell on Florida’s death row and solitary confinement. Florida has the
third largest death row in the U.S., with over 370 men and has over 2,000 men
in long-term solitary confinement in the two prisons at which I serve as a
Catholic lay chaplain. On behalf of the Catholic Church, the bishops of
Florida, and under the pastoral supervision of my priest and bishop, I go
cell-to-cell in ministry to the men inside. Also, I serve as a spiritual
advisor for executions. The family of the condemned is not allowed to be
present then. My wife ministers to the families during the execution. We also
make ourselves available to minister together to the families of murder
victims. We do these things as volunteers on behalf of our Church. We support
our family and ourselves through our separate work. Although I can bring
Communion to the Catholics, our priests and bishop come frequently in order to
offer the sacrament of confession, the anointing of the sick and, in case of
executions, the last rites. For those who are only just coming into the Church,
Baptism and Confirmation are also made available. In eight years, my wife and I
have god-parented or sponsored ten death row inmates into the Church. When I am
on death row, there are ten steel barred doors, a quarter mile of electrified
fences and razor wire, and a mountain of steel and concrete between me and the
front door of the prison. The death house, which houses the execution chamber
and to which a man is moved when his death warrant is signed by the governor,
is at the end of the hall. His cell in the death house is less than twenty feet
from the execution room. One with eyes only for this world might ask: Of what
use are the Sacraments to a man in such a fix? And, in
particular, what is the point of confession in his predicament?
I can testify to you that the power of the Sacrament of
confession and of the Holy Spirit is greater than the darkness of death now,
even of the death house. There was a man who desired to become a Catholic
because of the influence of Pope John Paul II. After a year of preparation for
entry into the Catholic Church, he was suddenly scheduled for execution. His
execution date turned out to be just days after the death of John Paul II. Our
Catholic governor even considered delaying the execution out of respect for the
pontiff. The morning before his execution, the Bishop came to the death house
to administer his first confession, his first Communion and his confirmation.
This was done with him standing in a narrow cage called a holding cell, with
shackles upon his ankles and chains on his wrists. When the bishop pronounced
the words of absolution and then of confirmation, his whole body jerked as
though he had been jolted by electricity. He even began to fall back against
the rear of the cage, in a manner called resting in the spirit. The guards who
were watching were astonished. They said that for a moment he became luminous.
The next day, during his last hours in the death house, he told me that John
Paul II had visited him during that moment and told him that Jesus would come
for him at the moment of his death. Nothing anyone could say could dissuade him
from this belief. A few hours before the execution, the warden came down to his
cell with a message from the mother of the victim of the crime. She had asked
the warden to inform the condemned man that she forgave him and bore him no ill
will. The reconciliation offered by the sacrament of confession had been
actualized on this side of the great divide between the temporal and the
eternal. He died in peace, at one with God. {Lectio Divina. cf. Dale Recinella,
“It Is Never Too Late” in 101 Inspirational Stories of the Sacrament of
Reconciliation, ed. Patricia Proctor (Spokane: Franciscan Monastery of
Saint Clare, 2006), p. 187-189.] (Fr. Tony) (http://frtonyshomilies.com/) L/20
2. From Sermons.com
One day a rich young ruler came enthusiastically running up to Jesus and asked: "What must I do to be saved?" Jesus answered: Keep the law. "This I have done from my youth up," came the reply. Yet one thing do you lack said Jesus. Go and sell all that you have and give it to the poor. Then come follow me. We are told that the young man walked away sorrowfully, for he had great wealth. Concluded the Master: It will be hard for a rich man to enter the Kingdom of God.
The disciples had been watching the dynamics of this happening and they were quite disturbed. Jewish tradition had always taught that God had especially blessed rich men and that is why he was rich. In their way of thinking, if a wealthy man could not receive salvation, then how could a poor man have any hope? They asked of Jesus: who then can be saved?
It reminds me of the movie Fiddler on the Roof. The poor Jewish milkman who lives in early 1900 Russia sings what he would do "if I were a rich man." His wife reminds him: money is a curse. He immediately shouts up to heaven: curse me God, curse me. Jesus has just turned away a wealthy man, and in the Jewish way of thinking it doesn't make any sense. In fact, I am not sure how many Methodist preachers would have the courage to do it. My entire ministry I have been waiting for a sugar daddy to come along.
But it was Simon Peter who drew the question even more clearly into focus for us. He asked what is on the mind of every one of us, only we are too sophisticated to ask it and too self-righteous to admit that we even think it. Peter didn't have any problem with that. He simply laid his cards out on the table. He said, "Lord, we have given up everything, riches and all, to follow you." What then shall we have?" In others words, what's in this for us Lord. How do we stand to profit? Where's the payoff?
In response to Peter's question, Jesus told a story. It was the harvest time of the year...
In a world more inclined to take up the sword than take up the cross, let's begin today with a recognition of the power of the cross, the most recognizable symbol of Christianity. When you think of Islam you think of a crescent, even though technically Islam does not have a symbol - the crescent is the symbol of Pakistan. But still, when you think of Islam, you think crescent. When you think of Judaism, you think star of David. When you think of Christianity, you think . . . cross.
The Logos has a logo . . . two lines that intersect to form a cross. Not a plus symbol. A cross, the symbol of the depths of human degradation and sin, but also the symbol of the heights of divine love and forgiveness. The cross is a paradoxical symbol of death that can be crossed out with life, a symbol of the crossing of opposites: transcendence and immanence, the vertical and the horizontal, a symbol that God does God's best in our worst.
This is glaringly evident in today's epistle lesson, part of the rich prison literature of the Christian tradition. Some of the most beautiful and exquisite literature ever written comes out of prison...think Cervantes, Voltaire, Diderot, Dostoevsky, Defoe, John Donne, Henry David Thoreau, Oscar Wilde, Jack London. Christianity's prison literature includes classics like Martin Luther's translation of the New Testament into German, John Bunyan's "Pilgrim's Progress," Dietrich Bonhoeffer's "Letters and Papers from Prison," Martin Luther King's "Letter from Birmingham City Jail," Nelson Mandela's "Conversations with Myself."
Today's text is from one of the "prison epistles"- Ephesians, Philippians, Colossians, and Philemon - so named because they were written by the apostle Paul during his incarceration in Rome...
__________________
God Has Five AcesIn her wonderful collection of poetry called, The Awful Rowing Toward God, Anne Sexton examines her life like someone in a canoe rowing against the stream of life, encountering hazards along the way, and finally docking at the island of God's home. The concluding poem in the book is called "The Rowing Endeth." In it she sees herself called by God's great laughter to join him for a game of poker. When the cards are dealt, she is surprised and thrilled. She has a royal straight flush. She will trounce God and win for herself whatever prizes God has brought to the table. In great excitement she slaps down her cards, claiming her winnings. Nothing can beat this hand!
But God only laughs, a great, rolling, joyful exuberance that energizes everything around. In rich good humor, with no malice at all, God throws down his cards. Five aces! That's impossible! But there it is. And when Anne loses to God, she knows that really she wins. For God is not stingy with his wealth or his earnings. There are never any losers when they sit at table with God. God's laughter is always without malice or one-upmanship.
This is the gospel according to Jesus' parable. In spite of our good fortunes or savvy playing skills or sheer hard work, we never really win at the game of life when we play it by our own rules. But if God is bending them in the direction of grace, something wonderful always happens.
Wayne Brouwer, Political Religion, CSS Publishing Company, Inc.
Wayne Brouwer, Political Religion, CSS Publishing Company, Inc.
___________________________
Generosity Is the Secret to Our Joy
There is an old rabbinic parable about a farmer that had two sons. As soon as they were old enough to walk, he took them to the fields and he taught them everything that he knew about growing crops and raising animals. When he got too old to work, the two boys took over the chores of the farm and when the father died, they had found their working together so meaningful that they decided to keep their partnership. So each brother contributed what he could and during every harvest season, they would divide equally what they had corporately produced. Across the years the elder brother never married, stayed an old bachelor. The younger brother did marry and had eight wonderful children. Some years later when they were having a wonderful harvest, the old bachelor brother thought to himself one night, "My brother has ten mouths to feed. I only have one. He really needs more of his harvest than I do, but I know he is much too fair to renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he is already asleep, I'll take some of what I have put in my barn and I'll slip it over into his barn to help him feed his children.
At the very time he was thinking down that line, the younger brother was thinking to himself, "God has given me these wonderful children. My brother hasn't been so fortunate. He really needs more of this harvest for his old age than I do, but I know him. He's much too fair. He'll never renegotiate. I know what I'll do. In the dead of the night when he's asleep, I'll take some of what I've put in my barn and slip it over into his barn." And so one night when the moon was full, as you may have already anticipated, those two brothers came face to face, each on a mission of generosity. The old rabbi said that there wasn't a cloud in the sky, a gentle rain began to fall. You know what it was? God weeping for joy because two of his children had gotten the point. Two of his children had come to realize that generosity is the deepest characteristic of the holy and because we are made in God's image, our being generous is the secret to our joy as well. Life is not fair, thank God! It's not fair because it's rooted in grace.
John Claypool, Life Isn't Fair, Thank God!
____________________________________
We Need Great Trust in God
Johnny Carson tells a story about the time when, as the host of the Tonight Show, he made a joke about there being a toilet paper shortage in the city.
The next day there really was a shortage because all the viewers who had watched his show ran out afterward and bought up extra toilet paper just in case. There was no trust in the fact that people, if they chose to work together, could ration out the toilet paper to make sure there would be enough for everyone. People panicked and grabbed not what they needed, but more than they needed, leaving others with nothing at all. When people allow their lives to be directed by this kind of fear and self-love, then they find out when they die and finally have the opportunity to enter into a heavenly community, that it is not really what they want at all.
They shrink back. You see, you need to have a great deal of trust in God and the goodness of others in order to buy into the concept of heaven, and these people don't. They can't anymore, because they have learned here on earth that you take what you can get when you can get it, because if you don't, no one else is going to look out for you. Heaven to these people is a very unsettling place.
Our landowner is like the kingdom of heaven because he seeks to include everyone, he gives freely to everyone so that they each have as much as they need, and he holds up a mirror to the deepest part of our being that asks the question, "are we okay with that?"
Sarah Buteux, The Heavenly Landowner
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Embrace the Sense of Community
There's a play by Timothy Thompson based on this parable in which he depicts two brothers vying for work. John is strong and capable; Philip is just as willing but has lost a hand in an accident. When the landowner comes, John is taken in the first wave of workers, and as he labors in the field he looks up the lane for some sign of Philip. Other workers are brought to the field, but Philip is not among them. John is grateful to have the work, but feels empty knowing that Philip is just as needful as he. Finally, the last group of workers arrive, and Philip is among them. John is relieved to know that Philip will get to work at least one hour. But, as the drama unfolds, and those who came last get paid a full days' wages, John rejoices, knowing that Philip - his brother - will have the money necessary to feed his family. When it comes his turn to stand before the landowner and receive his pay, instead of complaining as the others, John throws out his hand and says with tears in his eyes, "Thank you, my lord, for what you've done for us today!"
God's justice arises out of a sense of community in which we see the "eleventh hour" workers as our brothers and sisters whose needs are every bit as important as our own.
Philip W. McLarty, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
Philip W. McLarty, The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard
_____________________________
The Worker's Pledge
Washington Gladden, a pioneer for social justice, realized that changing outward conditions will not bring about a better society unless men's attitude toward their work is also changed. So he wrote what he called "The Worker's Pledge" in which he said:
"I will not be a sponge or parasite. I will give an honest equivalent for what I get. I want no man's money for which I have not rendered a full return. I want no wages that I have not earned. If I work for any man or any company or any institution, I will render a full, ample, generous service. If I work for the city or the state or the nation, I will give my best thought, my best effort, my most conscientious and efficient endeavor. If I can give a little more than I get every time, in that shall be my happiness. The great commonwealth of human society shall not be a loser through me."
This is the spirit that has built our country, and when that spirit declines, America is on the decline. There is no substitute for hard, honest, conscientious work under God.
T.A. Kantonen, Good News for All Seasons, CSS Publishing Co., Inc.
________________________________
Monkey Business
It seems that even monkeys, if they could read, would get indignant about this parable.
In the Australian newspaper "The Melbourne Age," there was an intriguing report from the University of Atlanta called: "Monkeys want to see justice done."
At the University of Atlanta, researchers have been testing capuchin monkeys. They gave them the task of picking up a small granite stone and bringing it to the researcher within one minute. If they were successful, they were rewarded with the wage of a slice of cucumber. The scheme worked well. It was happy lab situation as long as each monkey received the same wage. This turned sour when the researchers varied the pattern. They tried giving one monkey a grape for its reward. Indignation broke out. First the others withheld their labor, and later they even took to throwing away the cucumber and the granite stone.
It had offended their sense of justice. That's almost human isn't it? We are happy with our lot until we see someone in a similar situation who is better off. Then we cry foul! We want to go on strike and demand an end to such monkey business.
Brett Blair, www.Sermons.com. Adapted from a sermon by Bruce Prewer.
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The Rules of a Family
The parable of the vineyard workers (Matt. 20) offends our sense of fairness. Why should everyone get equal pay for unequal work? Back in Ontario when the apples ripened, Mom would sit all seven of us down, Dad included, with pans and paring knives until the mountain of fruit was reduced to neat rows of filled canning jars. She never bothered keeping track of how many we did, though the younger ones undoubtedly proved more of a nuisance than a help: cut fingers, squabbles over who got which pan, apple core fights. But when the job was done, the reward for everyone was the same: the largest chocolate-dipped cone money could buy. A stickler might argue it wasn't quite fair since the older ones actually peeled apples. But I can't remember anyone complaining about it.
A family understands it operates under a different set of norms than a courtroom. In fact, when the store ran out of ice cream and my younger brother had to make do with a Popsicle, we felt sorry for him despite his lack of productivity (he'd eaten all the apples he'd peeled that day--both of them). God wants all his children to enjoy the complete fullness of eternal life. No true child of God wants it any other way.
Robert De Moor
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Grace and Generosity
Dr. William Power, a professor at Southern Methodist University, describes an experience he had in Sunday school when he was a boy. His teacher was trying to explain to him and his rowdy friends the meaning of grace, but wasn't getting very far. She tried definitions and abstractions, to no avail. Finally, she realized something the boys had known from the start. She was not connecting. She was not getting through to them. They didn't have the foggiest notion what she was talking about.
So she took a deep breath and tried again: "Look boys, grace is the break you get when you don't deserve it. That's the simple explanation. But you won't really understand it till you experience it."
James W. Moore, Some Things Are Too Good Not to Be True, Dimensions, 1994, p. 95.
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Fairness
This parable goes against the business mentality that dominates our lives. We have always been taught: You get out of something directly in proportion to that which you put in it. Yet, that is not what happened in Jesus' story. In our way of thinking, the laborers who came to the field late got something for nothing. This parable challenges us not to look upon the Kingdom of God, or the church, as a business community. Yet, that is difficult for us to do, because that is our point of reference. What do you think would happen if a person joined the church this morning and immediately after receiving the vows of profession of faith I suggested to the congregation that he or she be nominated as the next chairperson of the Administrative Board. What do you think the reaction would be? Well, I think I know what the reaction would be. The laity would protest as loudly as Simon Peter is protesting to Jesus.
You see, we live in a world of tenure and seniority and it goes against our grain when we hear Jesus say: The first shall be last and the last shall be first. God's grace is not based upon what is fair, but rather what helps.
Sermon Illustrations
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Jesus Was Just Wrong
One Sunday several years ago when I preached on this text, a church member came to me after the service and said, "You know, preacher, there are parts of the Bible that are difficult to abide, and other parts that aren't. The story you preached on today is one that I find totally offensive! It's just not fair to pay everyone the same wage when some have worked hard and some have hardly worked. Jesus was just wrong about that. I think you should have preached on something less offensive." The following Sunday, I preached about the prodigal son.
Johnny Dean, Exasperating Grace
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100 Points!
A man dies and goes to heaven. Of course, St. Peter meets him at the Pearly Gates. St. Peter says, "Here's how it works. You need 100 points to make it into heaven. You tell me all the good things you've done, and I give you a certain number of points for each item, depending on how good it was. When you reach 100 points, you get in." Okay, " the man says, "I was married to the same women for 50 years and never cheated on her, even in my heart." That's wonderful," says St. Peter, "that's worth three points." Three points?"
He says. "Well, I attended church all my life and supported its ministry with my tithe and service." Terrific!" say's St. Peter. "That's certainly worth a point." "One point? Well I started a soup kitchen in my city and worked in a shelter for homeless veterans." Fantastic, that's good for two more points," he says. "Two points!"
The man cries. "At this rate the only way to get into heaven is by the grace of God!" St. Peter smiled. "There's your 100 points! Come on in!"
Traditional
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Grace and Generosity
A large prosperous downtown church had three mission churches under its care that it had started. On the first Sunday of the New Year all the members of the mission churches came to the city church for a combined Communion service. In those mission churches, which were located in the slums of the city, were some outstanding cases of conversions--thieves, burglars, and so on--but all knelt side by side at the Communion rail.
On one such occasion the pastor saw a former burglar kneeling beside a judge of the Supreme Court of England--it was the judge who had sent him to jail where he had served seven years. After his release this burglar had been converted and became a Christian worker. Yet, as they knelt there, the judge and the former convict neither one seemed to be aware of the other...
