Saint Mathew 20, 1-16
Hello friends and brothers: Peace and good
We begin our meditation on the word of the Lord
IN THE NAME OF THE FATHER, THE SON AND THE HOLY SPIRIT. AMEN.
We invoke the Holy Spirit to help us understand and know the true mystery of the Lord’s word so that each day the beauty of the word touches us and transforms us from our entire person to live as children of God.
Today is the twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time/ We meditate on the reading of the Gospel according to Matthew 20, 1-16
The parable that we meditate today in the Gospel is in a certain way «scandalous», because it seems to favour a social injustice, or at least a certain «despotism» in the owner of the vineyard when it comes to paying the laborers. Now nobody would accept that one who works half the time as another, charges the same. In today’s world, forgiveness, or generosity, or gratuity does not enter too much. In the mind of God, yes. But Jesus’ intention is certainly not to teach us a lesson in social justice in work relationships, but rather to present, once again, the portrait of a God who is kindness and mercy, full of peace. Although we often do not understand God’s plans, these plans are full of love and grace, not just justice. the prophet Isaiah prepares us to hear this parable by reminding us that our ways are not God’s, nor are his plans our plans.
THEN THE MESSAGE OF THE LORD’S WORD TO US
In today’s parable we see that this goodness of God appears. The statement «I am good» is what gives meaning to the whole parable. It is not a lesson in wage justice – the owner of the vineyard pays everyone just enough – but in the generosity that God has, who admits as day laborers those who show up only at the last minute, without giving too much importance to this delay, and then he pays the latter more than they would have to do. God is generous. He does not reward only according to our merits, but according to his goodness. Your salvation is always free and free.
God is fair. But, in addition, and fundamentally, it is good. The apostle John told us that «he who does not love has not known God, because God is love.» We have to learn the ways of God, recognize his sovereign freedom, and not be scandalized because sometimes «the last are the first» and God is «too good» to sinners and also gives them his denarius, like Jesus to the good thief who at the last moment he showed signs of conversion. God continues to call young and old, strong and weak, men and women, religious and laity, etc. to work in his vineyard.
We would not have to project our calculations and measurements onto God. Sometimes we find ourselves perplexed before God, and we have no choice but to recognize that God is the Whole Other, that he is mysterious, that we cannot enclose him in our measurements, nor do our computer programming admit him. Sometimes we are silent before God. We don’t have an answer for everything. But what we can be sure of is that he does have it, that he loves us as a kind Father, who does not keep accounts of our «overtime», but gives us his gifts freely. He is not governed so much by justice, as by grace.
Well, my dear brothers and friends: to finish our meditation we are going to ask Saint Mary to help us to forgive and reconcile with our brothers and to wish to live and act like Jesus with our brothers. with mercy. We also ask for the brothers and sisters suffering from the coronavirus.
Peace and good
