MY daily reflection and prayer:
Wednesday, August 19, 2015
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to Matthew 20:1-16
“For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them he said, `You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, `Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, `Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, `You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, `Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
NOW when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, saying, `These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, `Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first, and the first last.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
The Gospel today tells us about the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God. It’s described in Jesus’ parable about the unemployment.
There is great tragedy in unemployment and the inability to earn enough to live and support oneself and one’s family. In Jesus’ time, no work that day usually meant no food on the family table.
Jesus tells us through this parable that God is extraordinary generous. He gives us his compassion. He is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter. Both those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour wille have the same reward.
Jesus Christ calls each one of us to serve God and his kingdom with joy. He calls us to serve our neighbor with a generous spirit as well.
In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist, while worshipping Jesus Christ we ask him that we can perform our daily tasks and responsibilities with joy and cheerfulness for the Lord’s glory. And so we give generously to others, especially to those in need of our care and support.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, fill us with God’s generosity that we may serve you joyfully. May we serve our neighbor willingly with a generous heart, not looking for how much we can get, but rather looking for how much we can give to those who need our help now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
