Meditation
for Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A
(Is
55:6-9; Phil 1:20-24,27; Mt 20:1-16)
The first reading opens with a striking advice: “Seek the
Lord while He may be found, call upon Him while He is near; let the wicked
forsake his ways.” In our meditation today, we see how God’s mercy and generosity
are the only opportunities we have to encounter the Lord. That is why the prophet
Isaiah says, “Let him return to the Lord, that He may have mercy on him, and to
our God, for He will abundantly pardon.” So, the mercy of God sustains the
righteous man, and gives room for the unrighteous man to seek the Lord and to
find Him.
The parable of the hired laborers for the vineyard
demonstrates the depth of God’s generosity in showing mercy. The story shows how
God, the Householder, takes the initiative to give us the opportunity to
participate and contribute to His Kingdom. What would have happened to those
talented and willing laborers if the Master did not find them out? It would be
like laborers who came out to put their skills to use and earn a living, but they
stayed idle all by themselves and went back without making any impact and
gained nothing in the end! Think about what would have happened to their hunger
for life and wellbeing. But the Lord has visited His people; His mercy has
given us opportunity, even at the ‘eleventh hour’, to contribute and
participate in the heavenly rewards.
The prophecy of Isiah is here fulfilled, for God can now be
found since we are at the hour of His mercy. Though the ways of God are far
removed from the ways of man, just as the heavens are higher than the earth, His
love and mercy have bridged the gap, and justified us to receive His generosity.
We do not ‘begrudge his generosity’ as the first laborers did when they
complained about being paid the same amount as those who came at the eleventh
hour. Instead, we rely on His generosity, and abide by it as a rule, and follow
it as an example. This is how we become laborers of His Kingdom, using our gifts
and talents to contribute to the Kingdom of God, and earn a living by participating
in the heavenly riches and at the end, eternal life.
As we meditate on the parable, we marvel at such generosity
that is beyond human comprehension. Those redeemed by the Master’s love and
generosity ought to live in thanksgiving to Him. This is the new life we have
in Christ Jesus. That is why St Paul says in the second reading, “Christ will
be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is
Christ, and to die is gain.” We begrudge His generosity by not looking up to
His example and following unrighteous ways. On the other hand, we acknowledge Jesus’
saving generosity by ensuring that our manner of life is worthy of the gospel.
Amen.
Fr Jude Chinwenwa Nwachukwu, C.Ss.R
Saints Peter and Paul Catholic Church,
Tedi-Muwo, Ojo, Lagos.
Sunday September 24, 2023
www.nwachinwe.blogspot.com
