September 24, 2023
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 24, 2023 – Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20C-24, 27A; Matthew 20:1-16A
On the news lately we have been hearing a lot about strikes. The auto workers are on strike. And, in Hollywood, the actors and the writers are on strike. They’re all bargaining and hoping to receive larger wages. And we know, throughout our daily lives, we see some people making more money than we perhaps have made. And we see people such as city workers, electricians, even garbage collectors making a certain amount of money. And then we see professional athletes. Their salaries, really, are somewhat ridiculous. So are the salaries of certain entertainers. And some CEOs are making so much money today and we see why some of their employees are now on strike. So, 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’s called “size up our salary.” And when we play that game, we usually compare our wages with the person who is making more money than we are. They’re making more money, and they seem to have, perhaps, less skill and education. Then we become upset. But we usually don’t say anything, just simmer inside. That’s 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. Today’s readings are all about the sense of justice and the extravagant grace of a merciful God. While God is both just and merciful, God’s mercy often overrides his justice and God pardons us, therefore, unconditionally and rewards us generously by opening up heaven for all people. And we see in today’s Gospel, Jesus reminds His listeners He is opening up heaven, not only for the Jews, but also the Gentiles.
In the first reading we heard this morning, the prophet Isaiah reminds the exiles in Babylon that their God is more merciful than they are and more forgiving. He’s ready to pardon the infidelity which has resulted in their being in exile. Their merciful God will bless them with material and spiritual blessings. Therefore, Isaiah tells the people and us to seek God, the Lord, and to put aside evil ways in order to receive His mercy and forgiveness.
And the responsorial psalm reminds us that, although the Lord is just in all His ways, He’s at the same time gracious and merciful. And, in the second reading, St. Paul offers himself as an example of total submission to God’s grace and God’s will. He’s ready to live, continuing his mission, if it is God’s will and, at the same time, he’s ready to die and join the Lord if it is God’s will.
And in today’s Gospel of Matthew, Jesus tells us the strange parable of a land owner who hired laborers at five different times during the course of one day to work in his vineyard, but paid the same living wage for a full day’s work to all of them. So obviously, Jesus was not a union man.
This story of the landlord’s love and generosity represents God’s love and generosity to us. Each and every one of us. It illustrates the difference between God’s perspective and our perspective. God’s provisions for our spiritual lives will never ever run out. And when we share our blessings with others we tap into that inexhaustible divine supply of mercy. This story shows us how God looks at us, sees our needs and meets those needs generously and mercifully. The parable also shows the mercy and generosity of God in allowing the later called Gentiles as well as the first called Jews, His chosen people, to enjoy the same eternal bliss of his heavenly kingdom.
Let’s go home today with these two messages. We need to follow God’s example and show grace to our neighbors. When someone else is more successful than we are, let’s assume he or she needs it. When someone who does wrong fails to get caught, let’s remember the many times we have done something wrong and gotten off free. Envy should have no place in our lives. We cannot control the way God blesses others. And also, we need to express our gratitude to God in our daily lives. God personally calls each and every one of us to our own particular ministry, whether it be married life, parenthood, or the work that we do, and shows us his care by giving us his grace and eternal salvation.
To God we are more than just numbers on a payroll. Our call to his vineyard is a free gift from God from which we can never be sufficiently thankful. All our talents and blessings are freely given to us by God. Therefore, we should express our gratitude to God by avoiding sins, by rendering loving service to others, by sharing our blessings with those in need and by constant prayer, listening and talking to God at all times. So, as we leave today, let us remember to be more generous with our time in helping others, becoming more aware of those in need, not giving in to feelings of envy when we see others more successful than ourselves, and praying for others and do what we can to help others to see God’s generosity to them.
Let’s end with a story. Fiorello LaGuardia was a Mayor of New York during the worse days of the depression and during all of World War II. Devoted New Yorkers called him the little flower because that’s the English meaning, of his Italian first name, Fiorello. And he was also only five foot four and he always wore a carnation in his lapel. He was a colorful character who used to ride the New York City firetrucks, raid speak-easies at that time with the police department and take entire orphanages to baseball games. Whenever the New York newspapers were on strike, he used to go on the radio - there was no television then - and read the Sunday funnies to the children.
One bitterly cold night in January of 1935, the mayor turned up at a night court that served the poorest in the city of New York. 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 hungry. 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 pulled out a ten dollar bill and tossed it into his hat saying, “Here’s the ten dollar fine, which I now give to you.” And then he asked the bailiff to take his hat and go around and ask everybody in the courtroom to give 50 cents. The next day the newspapers reported that $45.50 was collected to give this woman to take home and feed her children.
Sometimes we have to pause and think and realize that sometimes God’s mercy is extended in ways that defy our rational understanding. And so, it is. We have to understand that the God who loves us without any exceptions expects us to do the same.
God Bless You.