The Twenty-Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time
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September 24, 2017
Isaiah 55:6-9; Psalm
145; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; Matthew 20:1-16
Each of these readings turn us to look squarely at the
person of God. Isaiah tells us to seek the abiding Lord who is generous with
forgiveness. Paul in Philippians reminds us that Christ will be magnified in
his body, but the fullness of life with Christ will come in death. In Matthew,
Jesus tells the parable of the laborers in the vineyard. Both the early and
late laborers receive the same wage, that is, they receive the same generosity
of God. Each of these make us wonder about the boundless, infinite, overflowing
generosity of God, who is rich in mercy that we do not deserve.
In order to understand the meaning of scripture, we have
to see these as examples of where we go for discernment. It is about looking for
God as the source of our moral lives and pondering the immensity of God.
However, scripture does not give the criteria for discernment. For instance, we
seek fairness as a virtue in bringing about world justice, you will be
disappointed. Yes, fairness is a worldly standard that we reach for, but (1.)
the world is not fair, and (2.) God is not preaching fairness. God preaches
values that we cannot understand in the immediate moment.
What is God telling us? God says, “I am generous to each
person and I will do what I have to in order to bring each person into the
vineyard.” We cannot fall into the trap of comparing our status with that of
others, because we despair if we compare. God is teaching us to worry primarily
about our own salvation and not to focus upon someone else’s place. We do
others a great favor when we mind our own business and keep our mouths closed
when it deals with others faith lives. Focus on the areas you need to deal with
God, and stop judging others by worldly standards. In fact, stop condemning
others who act out of different views.
God invites us to see and love the world the same way God
sees and loves the world. The ability of God to give is beyond our ability to understand.
God lavishes upon us radical mercy. We do not deserve it and we are grateful to
receive it and all God wants is to us to acknowledge it. God’s love is not
measured in degrees, but that we simply accept it and be glad that our neighbor
also receives it.
We have been generous to others when we did not need to
be, but it did not hurt us and it generated goodwill. Imitating God is a great
way to give praise. If God is so generous, let us be generous in giving the
same degree of kindness, compassion, and patience. Our life of service and
generosity magnify Christ’s presence in our bodies. Let us ponder God’s
generosity and we will the fullness of Christ flinging out into every corner of
the earth. Isn’t that a beautiful way to live each day?
Scripture for Daily Mass
First Reading:
Monday: (Ezra 1) King
Cyrus invited all the kingdoms of the earth under his jurisdiction to build a
house in Jerusalem, which is in Judah. He called for benefactors to fund the
plan.
Tuesday: (Ezra 6) King
Darius also supported the construction of the house. They dedicated it and kept
the Passover according to the prophets Haggai and Zehariah’s decrees.
Wednesday: (Ezra 9)
God has given us new life to raise again the house of God and restore its
ruins, and has granted us a fence in Judah and Jerusalem.
Thursday: (Haggai
1) Go up into the hill country; bring timber and build the house that I may
take pleasure in it and receive my glory, says the Lord.
Friday (Daniel 7) I
saw one like the son of man coming, on the clouds of heaven. He received
dominion, glory, and kingship; nations and people of every language serve him.
Saturday (Zechariah
2) People will live in Jerusalem as though in open country. I will be for her
an encircling wall of fire and I will be the glory in her midst.
Gospel:
Monday: (Luke 8) No
one who lights a lamp conceals it with a vessel or sets it under a bed; he
places it on a lampstand for all to see its light.
Tuesday: (Luke 8) The
mother and brothers of Jesus came to him but were unable to see him because of
the crowd. Those who hear the word of God and act on it are my family.
Wednesday (Luke 9)
Jesus summoned the Twelve and gave them authority over demons and he sent them
to proclaim the Kingdom of God and to heal the sick.
Thursday (Luke 9) Herod
heard what has happened and was greatly perplexed. Who is this about whom I
hear such things? And he kept trying to see him.
Friday (John 1) Jesus
saw Nathaniel coming toward him and exclaimed, “Here is a true child of Israel.
There is no duplicity in him.”
Saturday (Luke 9) The
Son of Man is to be handed over to men. They did not understand him for its
meaning was hidden from them.
Saints of the Week
September
26: Cosmas and Damian, martyrs (d. 287), were twins who became doctors. They
were noted because they never charged anyone a medical fee. They died in the
Diocletian persecution. Great miracles have been attributed to them and the
Emperor Justinian is claimed to be healed through their intercession.
September
27: Vincent de Paul, priest (1581-1660), was a French peasant who selected to
be chaplain at the Queen's household after his ordination. He provided food and
clothing to the poor, including prostitutes, the sick, disabled, and homeless.
He founded the Congregation of Missions (Vincentians) to preach and train
clergy and he co-founded the Daughters of Charity with Louise de Marillac.
September
28: Wenceslaus, martyr (907-929), was raised a Christian by his grandmother
while his mother and brother were opposed to Christianity. His brother opposed
him when he became ruler of Bohemia in 922. He introduced strict reforms that
caused great dissatisfaction among nobles and political adversaries. His
brother invited him to a religious ceremony where he was killed in a surprise
attack.
September 28: Lawrence Ruiz and 15 companion martyrs (seventeenth
century), were killed in Nagasaki, Japan during 1633 and 1637. Most of these
Christians were friends of the Dominicans. Lawrence, a Filipino, was a husband
and father. He and these other missionaries served the Philippines, Formosa,
and Japan.
September 29: Michael,
Gabriel, and Raphael, archangels are long a part of Christian and Jewish
scripture. Michael is the angel who fights against evil as the head of all the
angels; Gabriel announces the messiah's arrival and the births of Jesus and
John the Baptist; and Raphael is a guardian angel who protects Tobias on his
journey. Together, they are venerated to represent all the angels during a
three-day period.
September 30: Jerome,
priest and doctor (342-420), studied Greek and Latin as a young man after
his baptism by Pope Liberius. He learned Hebrew when he became a monk and after
ordination he studied scripture with Gregory Nazianzen in Constantinople. He
became secretary to the Pope when he was asked to translate the Bible into
Latin.
This Week in Jesuit History
·
Sep 24, 1566. The first Jesuits entered the
continental United States at Florida. Pedro Martinez and others, while
attempting to land, were driven back by the natives, and forced to make for the
island of Tatacuran. He was killed there three weeks later.
·
Sep 25, 1617. The death of Francisco Suarez. He
wrote 24 volumes on philosophy and theology. As a novice, he was found to be
very dull, but one of his directors suggested that he ask our Lady's help. He
subsequently became a person of prodigious talent.
·
Sep 26, 1605. At Rome, Pope Paul V orally
declared St Aloysius to be one of the "Blessed." The official brief
appeared on October 19.
·
Sep 27, 1540. Pope Paul III signed the Bull, Regimini Militantis Ecclesiae, which
established the Society of Jesus.
·
Sep 28, 1572. Fifteen Jesuits arrived in Mexico
to establish the Mexican Province. They soon opened a college.
·
Sep 29, 1558. In the Gesu, Rome, and elsewhere,
the Jesuits began to keep Choir, in obedience to an order from Paul IV. This
practice lasted less than a year, until the pope's death in August, 1559.
·
Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft
visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.
