There are
some of the typical questions and/or response I hear when this parable of the
vineyard owner and the workers comes around (Matthew 20: 1-16). I always say to
people this is not about worker rights, fair pay or justice. This parable is
about compassion, mercy, generosity and love. This parable is about gratitude
and letting God be God!
The line
that always strikes me in this parable is, “Are you envious because I am
generous?” I believe this is a struggle we all have with God. We are so programed
to do the right thing and in doing so we receive what is do us, but that is not
how God operates.
I often
think about the Good Thief when this parable rolls around, it was just before
his last breath that he connected with God. We talk about him stealing heaven.
He is the very point of this Gospel today. The door to the Kingdom is always
open, never closed and we are probably going to be surprised when we get there
to see who is waiting to greet us, because God is a generous God, a merciful
God, a loving God.
The human
rules of this life don’t apply to God and many of us will be thankful that God
doesn’t operate by human rules and concerns when we reach the door of the
Kingdom because without God’s mercy, compassion and generosity we might find
ourselves outside!
Be
thankful not envious or judgmental today for our God is a generous God. Have a
great Wednesday everyone!
Daily
Prayer:
We live
today…Christ with us,
Christ before us,
Christ behind us,
Christ in us,
Christ beneath us,
Christ above us,
Christ on our right,
Christ on our left,
Christ when we lie down,
Christ when we sit down,
Christ when we arise,
Christ in the heart of every person who thinks of us,
Christ in the mouth of everyone who speaks of us,
Christ in every eye that sees us,
Christ in every ear that hears us.
We live today…
Through a mighty strength, the invocation of
the Trinity,Through belief in the Threeness,
Through confession of the Oneness
of the Creator of creation.
We live
today…Thankful for a generous and loving God! Amen.
A
Runner’s Thoughts: “The body does not want you to do this. As you run, it
tells you to stop but the mind must be strong. You always go too far for your
body. You must handle the pain with strategy… It is not age; it is not diet. It
is the will to succeed.” (Jacqueline Gareau) So too in the spiritual life…the
soul and spirit must be strong. It is the will, the desire to be faith filled
Daily
Blessing:
Wednesday blessings and greetings to everyone! It looks to be another sunny and
humid day here in Long Beach. But there is a rather strong ocean breeze this
morning but you can feel the humidity in the air. We had a number of storms
throughout the night but I think we have to wait another day or two before the
humidity breaks. I hope your day has started off well and will only get better
as the day goes on.
In about
45 minutes or so I will head over to the church for 8 am mass and along with
the people who join me today I will bring your needs, intentions and petitions
with me to this morning’s celebration. May the generosity of God, who gave us
his only Son, grace all of us in our journey through this day. I will also be
remembering my brother-in-law’s Aunt Carol this morning at mass. She died
yesterday and I will honor her memory this morning. May she now rest in the
loving hands of God!
In the
spirit of the Gospel today my prayer of blessing this morning is that God will
bless your day with the grace of gratitude for the generosity of God. May you
be blessed throughout this day and always with the compassion, mercy, love and
generousness of God in the places you go, in the people you meet, in the things
you do and in the gift of who you are in this world today! Peace in Christ’s
Passion…Fr. Paul
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