Daily Retreat 09/21/08
2008 Sep 21 SUN: TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 55: 6-9/ Ps 144(145): 2-3. 8-9. 17-18 (18a)/ Phil 1: 20c-24. 27a/ Mt 20: 1-16a
From today's readings: "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call Him while He is near.... The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.... For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.... The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard...."
Can you imagine that?
Today's parable is one of the most difficult of all the Gospel stories to make sense of! Why in the world would the owner of a farm ever pay a worker a full day's wages for only an hour of work? That such a thing should ever happen is not only improbable, but almost unimaginable. So it's no wonder that this parable is only found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
You see, Matthew didn't find the generosity mentioned in the parable to be beyond his imagination, because he had experienced this generosity firsthand. Before Jesus invited them into His vineyard, most of the other Apostles had already been actively looking in some way for the coming of the Messiah - these men, such as Andrew and Philip, were like those workers in the parable who were ready and eager at dawn to begin their labor in the vineyard. But Matthew, remember, had chosen to become a tax collector. He wasn't looking very hard for God in his life, and so he was like those other workers who missed the morning round of hiring. Matthew was definitely working for the wrong outfit, and so it was his own fault that he was the last apostle called in the Gospel, and because he recognized it was his own fault, Matthew probably wouldn't have complained too much if the other apostles, those who had started work early in the morning, were given some kind of preferential treatment by Jesus.
But in fact, Jesus gave Matthew all the trust and love that He gave to the other apostles. Matthew was even given that special privilege of becoming an Evangelist, of writing one of the Gospels. As we celebrate this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which overshadows today's feast of St. Matthew today, we joyfully recognize that he has been rewarded with the full wages of an apostle, even though he began working in the Master's vineyard a bit later than others.
When Jesus invited Matthew to leave his tax business and become a disciple, Matthew must have had a thousand reasons against becoming a follower of Jesus. But none of these mattered when confronted with the Lord's call. Matthew realized that only the Son of God could inspire such faith that Matthew had no qualms about leaving his materially comfortable but spiritually agonizing living as a tax collector, in order to undertake the arduous work of a job in the Lord's vineyard. Matthew understood that only the Messiah could offer such hope that Matthew dared to imagine that his life of sin and corruption could become a life of virtue and dedication by surrendering his will to the transforming power of the Messiah. And Matthew recognized that only Jesus the Lord could tender such love that made all the sacrifices of following the Lord absolutely worthwhile.
Today, Jesus is inviting every single person reading this virtual retreat reflection to work in His vineyard. He has a special job for each of you. He asks many of you to be dedicated Christian parents - this is not an easy job (I know I don't have to tell you that)! You are called to be good Christian examples for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your neighbors. The Son of God will give you faith to guide all your labors. He, the Messiah, will give you hope to persevere through your greatest trials. He, the Lord Jesus will give you His love, and it's your responsibility to build your family on the foundation of this love.
Others of you are being called, as was Matthew, to serve the Master of the harvest as a special laborer in His vineyard, as a priest, as a sister, or in some other role of consecrated religious life. The Son of God will give you faith and courage, just as He did for me, so that you too can step forward when the time comes to answer His call. He, the Messiah, will give you hope, so that you too can envision yourself, as I envisioned myself, changing your life and becoming, through the Messiah's transforming power, what one could never become on his own. He, the Lord Jesus, will shower you with His love, and evoke such love and dedication from you, that working in the Lord's vineyard will be in itself the source of joy in your life.
The Lord needs many different kinds of laborers in His vineyard. There's a place there for me, and a place for you. No matter what we are - young or old, rich or poor, strong or weak, the Lord offers us full wages in exchange for spending the rest of our lives in His service. Jesus says He came that we might have life to the fullest - Life to the fullest - that's something that just doesn't come pro-rated or in half measures. Like Matthew, each of us is called in a different way to this full life of working for the Lord, but it demands our forsaking everything in our life that we've put before the Lord. Seek the Lord today while He may be found, call Him and answer His call, while He is near, then you, like Matthew, will spend the rest of your life reminiscing and proclaiming the improbable, the almost unimaginable, but the Oh-so-real, generosity of the Lord of the Harvest!
Is 55: 6-9/ Ps 144(145): 2-3. 8-9. 17-18 (18a)/ Phil 1: 20c-24. 27a/ Mt 20: 1-16a
From today's readings: "Seek the LORD while He may be found, call Him while He is near.... The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.... For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.... The Kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard...."
Can you imagine that?
Today's parable is one of the most difficult of all the Gospel stories to make sense of! Why in the world would the owner of a farm ever pay a worker a full day's wages for only an hour of work? That such a thing should ever happen is not only improbable, but almost unimaginable. So it's no wonder that this parable is only found in the Gospel according to St. Matthew.
You see, Matthew didn't find the generosity mentioned in the parable to be beyond his imagination, because he had experienced this generosity firsthand. Before Jesus invited them into His vineyard, most of the other Apostles had already been actively looking in some way for the coming of the Messiah - these men, such as Andrew and Philip, were like those workers in the parable who were ready and eager at dawn to begin their labor in the vineyard. But Matthew, remember, had chosen to become a tax collector. He wasn't looking very hard for God in his life, and so he was like those other workers who missed the morning round of hiring. Matthew was definitely working for the wrong outfit, and so it was his own fault that he was the last apostle called in the Gospel, and because he recognized it was his own fault, Matthew probably wouldn't have complained too much if the other apostles, those who had started work early in the morning, were given some kind of preferential treatment by Jesus.
But in fact, Jesus gave Matthew all the trust and love that He gave to the other apostles. Matthew was even given that special privilege of becoming an Evangelist, of writing one of the Gospels. As we celebrate this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, which overshadows today's feast of St. Matthew today, we joyfully recognize that he has been rewarded with the full wages of an apostle, even though he began working in the Master's vineyard a bit later than others.
When Jesus invited Matthew to leave his tax business and become a disciple, Matthew must have had a thousand reasons against becoming a follower of Jesus. But none of these mattered when confronted with the Lord's call. Matthew realized that only the Son of God could inspire such faith that Matthew had no qualms about leaving his materially comfortable but spiritually agonizing living as a tax collector, in order to undertake the arduous work of a job in the Lord's vineyard. Matthew understood that only the Messiah could offer such hope that Matthew dared to imagine that his life of sin and corruption could become a life of virtue and dedication by surrendering his will to the transforming power of the Messiah. And Matthew recognized that only Jesus the Lord could tender such love that made all the sacrifices of following the Lord absolutely worthwhile.
Today, Jesus is inviting every single person reading this virtual retreat reflection to work in His vineyard. He has a special job for each of you. He asks many of you to be dedicated Christian parents - this is not an easy job (I know I don't have to tell you that)! You are called to be good Christian examples for your spouse, your children, your friends, and your neighbors. The Son of God will give you faith to guide all your labors. He, the Messiah, will give you hope to persevere through your greatest trials. He, the Lord Jesus will give you His love, and it's your responsibility to build your family on the foundation of this love.
Others of you are being called, as was Matthew, to serve the Master of the harvest as a special laborer in His vineyard, as a priest, as a sister, or in some other role of consecrated religious life. The Son of God will give you faith and courage, just as He did for me, so that you too can step forward when the time comes to answer His call. He, the Messiah, will give you hope, so that you too can envision yourself, as I envisioned myself, changing your life and becoming, through the Messiah's transforming power, what one could never become on his own. He, the Lord Jesus, will shower you with His love, and evoke such love and dedication from you, that working in the Lord's vineyard will be in itself the source of joy in your life.
The Lord needs many different kinds of laborers in His vineyard. There's a place there for me, and a place for you. No matter what we are - young or old, rich or poor, strong or weak, the Lord offers us full wages in exchange for spending the rest of our lives in His service. Jesus says He came that we might have life to the fullest - Life to the fullest - that's something that just doesn't come pro-rated or in half measures. Like Matthew, each of us is called in a different way to this full life of working for the Lord, but it demands our forsaking everything in our life that we've put before the Lord. Seek the Lord today while He may be found, call Him and answer His call, while He is near, then you, like Matthew, will spend the rest of your life reminiscing and proclaiming the improbable, the almost unimaginable, but the Oh-so-real, generosity of the Lord of the Harvest!
posted by FrPitstick | 9/20/2008
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