Daily Thoughts: We are
confronted with that unsettling parable of Jesus’ again. Where is the justice?
Where are worker rights? How could the owner of the vineyard, how could Jesus
be so uncaring? What does it all mean?
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 Hump Day 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! I feeling like a broken record but it is
the beginning of another beautiful day here in Long Beach. It has been hot and
a little on the humid side but you can’t beat the ocean breeze. I hope your day
has started off well and will only get better as the day goes on.
In a few minutes 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.
In the spirit of the Gospel today I pray
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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