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

Today we hear in both Isaiah and Matthew, the importance of being forgiving, generous, and rich in mercy. 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.

To understand the meaning of scripture, these examples tell us where to go for discernment. It is about seeking God as the source of our moral lives and pondering the immensity of God. However, scripture does not give criteria for discernment. For instance, if we seek fairness as a virtue in bringing about world justice, we will be disappointed. 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 are hard to understand in the present moment.

What is God telling us? God says, “I am generous to each person and I will find ways to bring each person into the vineyard.” God teaches us to worry primarily about our own salvation and not to focus upon someone else’s. We do others a great favor when we mind our own business and keep our mouths shut when it deals with others faith. Focus on the areas you need to deal with God, and stop comparing others to worldly standards. In fact, stop condemning others who act differently than you.

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. All God wants is for us to acknowledge it. God’s love is not measured in degrees. It is good for us to simply accept it and to be glad that our neighbor also receives it.

Imitating God is a great way to give praise. If God is generous, let us match this generosity by giving the same degree of kindness, compassion, and patience. Our life of service magnifies Christ’s presence in us. Let us ponder God’s generosity and we will see 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.

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·      Sep 30, 1911. President William Howard Taft visited Saint Louis University and declared the football season open.

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