Do the prayers we say lead us to love our neighbor, no exception?

 

Twenty Sixth Sunday in OT  A  2023

 

If you remember last week’s Gospel parable, it was rather shocking and seemingly unjust. The landowner sent workers to work in his vineyard at different hours of the day. The master then paid the workers who worked one hour the same pay as those who worked in the heat of the day all eight hours. It wasn’t fair. It is difficult, is it not, to give up the religion of merits and believe in the gratuitous love of God.

To repeat, it is difficult to give up the religion of merits and believe in the gratuitous love of God.

In today’s Gospel parable, a man had two sons whom he wished to send out to work in the vineyard. The first said initially no and later changed his mind and then went to work in the vineyard.  The second son said yes but did not go to work in the vineyard. Which of the two did his father’s will?

Today’s Gospel parable is a conversion story. A man said to his first son: ‘Son out and work in the vineyard today. He said in reply, ‘I will not go,’ but afterwards changed his mind and went. Saying yes to God means giving up one’s own thoughts and accepting His. Conversion happens in our lives when we open ourselves to God’s plan for our lives.

Conversion for ourselves is not a onetime happening in our lives but each and every day we are challenged in our discipleship of the Lord Jesus. On this day, are we opening ourselves up to God’s plan for our lives?

Where do we find ourselves in this Gospel parable?

The scribes and the Pharisees were ones who said yes to the kingdom of God as the religious elite. Their Achilles’ heel was their illusion of being saved by their pious religious practices, and yet Jesus in this parable is being very direct and confronting with the religious leaders of his day by saying the tax collectors and prostitutes were going to enter the kingdom of God first. The kingdom of God welcomes unexpected folks.

This parable challenges us as well:  what effect have our prayers and religious practices had on our daily life?

Are we motivated in our prayer to love our neighbor, no exceptions? Does our prayer enable us to let go our judgments and our negativity? Are we led to share more generous with people in need?

 

In the second Scripture reading, Paul begins his beautiful hymn to Christ by encouraging the Philippians to have the same mind that was in Christ Jesus. Paul writes: “Have in you the same attitude that was also in Christ Jesus. Who, though he was in the form of God, did not regard equality with God something to be grasped. Rather, he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, coming in human likeness; he humbled himself, becoming obedient even to the point of death, even death on a cross?”

What does it mean for you to have the same attitude as Jesus Christ? Are you in touch with your own conversion story? God calls us who are sinners, who have said no to God’s call in our sinfulness, but now may we open ourselves to the grace in our lives and trust more fully in the Lor Jesus.

In today’s Gospel parable, the father told his two sons to work in the vineyard today. As you pray over this gospel, into what vineyard is the Lord sending you today -- the vineyard of your family, of your neighborhood, of your parish? Into what vineyard is the Lord sending you to?

Indeed, the Lord sends us to the vineyard of supporting others in need throughout our 12-county diocese. We can do this by our generous support of the annual diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal.

This is the time of the year when we focus on the annual diocesan Catholic Ministries Appeal --- CMA. The CMA reminds that we are all part of the bigger church…we are citizens of the Kingdom of God. We are called to a life of stewardship. We are to share what we have been given.

People are still poor, hungry in need of pastoral care, education, and employment. The faithful are in need of ministry and a vibrant parish life. Our youth and young adults are yearning to learn and grow in their relationship with Christ. The Church and our Diocese are in need of trained and educated seminarians, deacons, and pastoral leaders to our lead our Church into the future. We cannot close our eyes to these needs.

Our support of the CMA is part of our stewardship commitment to share our giftedness with people in need. I intend to increase my giving to the CMA this year. And I ask you to do the same if you are able.

We will never regret our generosity in supporting people in need.

Our parish goal this year is $87,000 to support the Catholic Ministries Appeal. Instead of this number as a mandate, may we see it as an opportunity to share what we have with those in need. Last year, we had 251 generous donors last year. Our goal this year is to exceed that number. Hopefully, you received a letter with a pledge from Bishop Matano and me this past week.  It would be great if you responded to the request in a timely manner. Or you can go to our parish website and give online or there are envelopes at the entrance of Church for your convenience.

May we all give in the spirit in which we have been blessed.  No amount is too large or too small.

Like the sons in the Gospel, are we saying yes or no to God’s way in our life? May a component of our conversion story be a desire to share, to share in supporting people in need in our diocese, in our commitment to building up the Church.

Have a Blessed Day.