August 23, 2017 Wednesday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time-A
Judges 9:6-15
Psalm 21
Matthew 20:1-16
And on receiving (their pay) they grumbled against the landowner… Mt. 20:11
Lord, in your kingdom those who worked all day in the sun would have rejoiced with those who were hired last because they were blessed with a full day’s pay. But in the kingdom of man it is not so. No, we could argue it’s not fair. We could criticize the late-comers for being lazy or not industrious enough to get up early and be ready to work. That’s not how you look at us. You measure your generosity to us by our needs not our abilities. You loved both the early risers and the late-comers. Both had families to feed. I chuckle, Lord, because in your story you intentionally paid the last hired first so everyone would see how they were blessed. In your kingdom mercy trumps justice. While this story may not be the ideal model for labor negotiations it is the ideal for how generous you are with your mercy and forgiveness. You don’t worry about whether one person has been a faithful Catholic for 80 years or one with a deathbed conversion. Both are welcomed into the home you have prepared for them since the beginning of time where there is no envy or jealousy. Amen.