Church of St. Mary at Clinton Heights

Are You Envious Because I Am Generous?

The owner of the vineyard in today’s gospel parable reserves the right to pay his employees not on the basis of their own merits but rather on the basis of his own compassion.

Generosity condemned as injustice

In today’s parable, why should such generosity be condemned as injustice? This idea finds its roots and deepest meaning in the Old Testament understanding of God the Creator who is good and generous to all who turn to him. This is the God in whom Jesus believed and lived, but in the person of Jesus, the divine compassion, the divine mercy, the divine goodness surpassed the divine justice. Therefore all who follow Jesus as his disciples and friends much imitate this extraordinary compassion and lavish generosity and never question, deny it or begrudge it.

The eleventh-hour workers

Perhaps many of us feel strongly with the disgruntled workers at the end of the parable. How often have we known whimsical employers who have compensated lazy or problematic workers far too generously, rather than acknowledging the faithful, dedicated day-in day-out workers? We may ask ourselves: How can God be so unfair? How can God overlook his most faithful workers? Underneath this parable is the issue of bargaining with God. From the very beginnings of religion it has been assumed that we mortals can bargain with the gods to obtain from them what we want.

How many times have we experienced this in our Church belonging and service? Some may grumble and claim that their long, dedicated, tireless service qualifies them instantly for higher pay, higher rank, and greater privilege and prestige. It is precisely at moments like this that we must humbly acknowledge that we are like those eleventh-hour workers.

Not one of us deserves the blessings that God has prepared for us. Our grumbling and lateral gazing often lead to serious resentments that are hard to shake off. All our good works give us no claim upon God. How much less do we have the right to demand, even if we have done everything we ought to do, that we should be honored and rewarded by God in a special manner as if we were such meritorious indispensable persons in His service? The word “entitlement” does not exist in the vocabulary of the Kingdom of God.

The only remedy to such sentiments is to look upon the merciful face of Jesus and thus recognize God’s lavish generosity in the flesh. Human logic is limited but the mercy and grace of God know no limits or boundaries. God doesn’t act by our standards. This means that we must see God and accept Him, in our brother and sister just as God has wished them to be. When God chooses a person, granting him particular graces, blessings or gifts, God does not reject the other person nor deprives him of His grace.

God’s graces and blessings are boundless, and each person receives his or her own share. God’s choice of a person or people should not be a cause of pride in those chosen, or rejection of those not chosen. It is only when the two parties live in humility and simplicity, and recognize together a God of love and mercy at work in their lives, that they will they will begin to learn the real meaning of love and justice, and finally come to reconciliation and deep, mutual understanding.

Last weekend, our scriptures invited & encouraged each one of us to consider our stewardship of God’s grace and virtue; most particularly, in the ways that we admonish and correct and build up one another.  This weekend, our Sacred Scriptures are inviting us to consider more aspects of the Stewardship of God’s grace: we possess the ability to forgiveand do so often & freelyand we possess the inclination to be a Christian people filled with hope.

Last weekend, I invited each of us to consider reflecting on gossip and derision: those self-centered inclinations toward judgment and ultimately, toward sin.  I invited you to seek forgiveness from someone whom you may have hurt or toward whom you had been unkind.  If you made such an attempt, you did so with some fear, with humility, yes…but also with a sense of hope: hope that they would see your goodness, hear your confession and offer you a new start; welcoming you back into an authentic friendship with them.  Hopefully, the words of the prophet Sirach guided the person you approached:

Wrath and anger are hateful things, yet the sinner hugs them tight. The vengeful will suffer the LORD’s vengeance, for he remembers their sins in detail. Forgive your neighbor’s injustice; then when you pray, your own sins will be forgiven.

This is one of the reasons for our hope, is it not?  The Lord reminds us through the prophet that although we are inclined to grasp hold of anger and resentment, we are made for something very different: we are made for an ongoing cycle of reconciliation and forgiveness; we are made for enduring little deaths so that we might cling to new life; we are made to move through the difficulties and sufferings of this present age so that we can have our hope fulfilledthat we can live fully in the life of the Risen Christ.

Yes, Jesuswho died on the Crossshared an encounter with us who have faith: an encounter with the living God and an encounter with a hope stronger than the sufferings of fear, of terror, of horror and of death.  And it is this encounter with hope that can now transform us anew: to be a people of faith in God’s promise; to be a people of ongoing forgiveness; to be a people of ever-growing hope in the face of God who loves us, draws near to us and deeply longs for our friendship.

And we see so clearly in the story told by Christ in today’s gospel that because we are forgiven time and time again, we, too, must offer forgiveness time and time again.  We ask for forgiveness with a sure and certain hope that we will be received and forgiven; we offer forgiveness time and time again so that hope in our own forgiveness will be assured.  This ongoing cycle of loving reconciliation is a further demonstration that our hope is not foolish, but rather, our hope is a gift of God’s grace.

Today, on September 11^th, God’s gifts of grace are still flowing. Earlier today, Pope Benedict expressed his prayerful solidarity with each of us as our country marks the 10th anniversary of the attacks of 9/11.  Our Holy Father writes:

“On this day my thoughts turn to the somber events of September 11, 2001, when so many innocent lives were lost…. I join you in commending the thousands of victims to the infinite mercy of Almighty God and in asking our heavenly Father to continue to console those who mourn the loss of loved ones.”

The Holy Father continued:

“The American people are to be commended for the courage and generosity that they showed in the rescue operations and for their resilience in moving forward with hope…”

God’s grace is encouraging useven nowto be a people of faith and of hope.  So, as a people of faith, let us pray together, today during this Mass and for a few moments outside at our memorial firepray that God will receive the souls of those who died so unexpectedly and unjustly on that day ten years ago.  By doing so, we can affirm our Gospel faith that however and whenever death comes for us, life is changed, but not ended.  We can remember that wethe livingcan help others after their deaths by our continual prayers for them.  And we can strengthen our hope that our own lives, even when burdened by worry and overshadowed by death, will lead to a wonderful and glorious future with the heavenly saints, and angels…and God himself.  Pray, too, for those who continue to suffer from fear and ongoing terror: such sins against God’s love for us.  Pray, finally, that we will be a new people of forgiveness and peace, founded on the virtue of hope

On this anniversary of 9/11, and whenever the troubles of earth tempt us to lose sight of heaven, let us remember the truths of our faith and the gifts of God’s grace.  Thus the sting of death is diminished and the light of hope shines on the path ahead of us.

God love you…always

“Father, your gifts of grace once lost by disobedience are now restored by the obedience of Your Son”

Today’s Mass will find these words on my lips and in your hearts as we open our Eucharistic Prayer.  And while September traditionally finds our parish reflecting on Stewardship and the use of our gifts of time, talent and treasure, I wonder if it might serve us well to consider the gifts of God’s grace poured out upon us and within us, and how our stewardship of virtue might be cherished and nurtured among us.

In our first reading, the prophet Ezekiel hears the stern warning from God:

“If you do not speak out to dissuade the wicked from his way, the wicked shall die for his guilt, but I will hold you responsible for his death. But if you warn the wicked, trying to turn him from his way, and he refuses to turn from his way, he shall die for his guilt,…but you shall save yourself.”

Clearly, we have a responsibility that God places on our shoulders to lovingly correct and encourage one another.  When we see or hear sin in another, it is important for us to warn the perpetrator.

And in our gospel today, although many may question the actual words used by the MasterJesusno one can question His message:

“If your brother sins against you, go and tell him his fault between you and him alone. If he listens to you, you have won over your brother.”

Clearly, Christ is encouraging us to serve the needs even of our brother who wrongs us.  He clearly instructs us to serve the needs even of that brother by going to him and sharing with him the fault that you have witnessed.  He does not say to tell the fault to others.  He does not invite us to magnify the fault, to gossip about it, to spread rumors about our brother who wrongs us: His response is simply and directly to speak to our brother with a view toward charity.  Our goal is not to embarrass, but rather to encourage the growth of virtue in our brother, so that he might be loosed from the sin he has committed…and be free once again to walk in God’s grace.

I bring this point home because it appears to me that so often weeach of usis often tempted to engage in gossip.  When we don’t know facts or answers, we often tend to assume certain things or to make-up certain “facts” so that we can move on to make a damning judgment against another.  Why?  I’m not sure, but I wonder if it’s to make ourselves appear better, smarter, stronger, holier.  But when we make a judgment about anything we run the risk of shutting out accurate information or authentic truth…and we actually run the significant risk of making ourselves worse, more ignorant, weaker and fall further into sin.

Just this week alone, Hurricane Irene had nothing on the whirlwind of derision that floated across my desk: complaints about the Parish Picnic being held on September 11^th; complaints that claim “he’s doing way too much at our parish!” (I must admit I’ve never heard of someone being ridiculed for trying to do too much); complaints about not having air conditioning while in the same breath saying that they would never pay for it; disruption of our common union when one parishioner decides to talk and complain throughout any part of our liturgies, apparently making inappropriate and mean-spirited comments…thus distracting and giving scandalous witness to others around them.  Clearly in this last example, this poor person is failing to see the great gift and grace that we are in the midst of…Christ’s own Body as we are gathered here.

And again, Hurricane Irene didn’t slow down gossip this week either…here are just a few examples: that I made the wrong decision to hire our new Associate for Liturgy & Music; gossip that claimed to know an injustice in the salaries that I pay to staff members; rumors that I am never here…I promise the parish staff wishes that were true!

These are just some of the many examples that I hear of and try to respond to each week…yes, each and every week.  While I am strongly tempted to sin myself and allow my frustration with gossip to become a sin for me by responding in anger, by throwing up my arms and simply walking away, I also need to recall and recommit myself each day to living out the gospel of virtue: to be most patient; to warn my sisters and brothers of impending danger; to be loving; to be kind in my dealings with others.  I’m not perfect and oftentimes I fail in a quick moment of frustration or disappointment…but then I trust that anothermaybe one of youwill come to me, reveal my sin to me, and win me over again to a life of virtue.

Consider your own life in the last three days: where have you been judgmental of another?  When have you gossiped about another or others?  When have you failed to encourage a virtuous life in those around you?  Remember, all it takes is for us to share ourselves more fully with God’s grace…to cultivate it in our daily actions and to serve the needs of even those who sin against us.  May God’s grace find us as good stewards of virtue, and may He always restore us to His friendship.

May God love you and keep you close, Fr. David

There is a maxim in our Church’s moral teaching that presents “authority & power” as the ability to discern or discover what is right and good, and flowing from that knowledge, the ability to bring it about.  In other words, we do not have the authority to decide what is good or rightonly God has such an authorship.  Our authority rests in discovering what is good and right according to the Lord.  Once our discernment allows us to see rightly, we then have the power to exercise the good and that which is right.

Since these are the case, clearly the problems that the prophet Isaiah has with Shebna in our first reading are justified.  Shebna, being given authority and power over King David’s household, abuses these by taking bribes, serving his own, personal interests above those of the realm and its people.  Even Isaiah’s condemnation of Shebna is harsh, because in his selection of Eliakim, Isaiah chooses wrongly in establishing a new “keeper of King David’s keys”.  Yes, even Eliakim abuses his authority and power as did Shebna.  Such is the case of much of our human history, is it not?

If we look at our own earthly rulers, for example, we see the corruption of authority and the abuse of power in establishing laws that are not in keeping with ‘the Good’…and instead they claim the right to establish & decide what is good, what is right.  In other words, they claim authorship that is never ours (see our second reading: Paul praises God who’s knowledge and ways are inscrutable and unsearchable, but ways that are still revealed to us as ‘the Good’).

But thanks be to God who gives us His Son!  In our gospel, Peter, once he professes Jesus as “the Christ, the Son of the living God”, authority is seated within him (keys to the Kingdom of Heaven) and power is thus shared (to loose and to bind).  It is from Peter’s profession of faith, and his living in the midst of God’s own life, that he receives such authority and power.

And so it is for us as well: from our baptism, from our profession of faith, we too are now enabled to exercise authority in discerning and discovering what, in the mind of God, is good and right and true.  Once we see such things, we are then given the power to bring them about in our own day.  We are able, for example, to proclaim with full voice that human life is God’s pure gift to us and it mustin all its varied formsbe respected and reverenced.  We are able, for example, to declare that certain laws against immigrants are truly unjust, not befitting people who live by truth and justice.  We are able, moreover, to proclaim that a troubled economy must never abandon the poor and the vulnerableour sisters and brothers who are so unfortunate in their gifts, who need to be protected and secure, who have no one to care for them except our whole society.  In all of these examples, and many more, we are God’s people when we acknowledge that “Jesus is the Christ, the Son of the Living God” and we then work in our world to fulfill His commands to love and serve the least of our brothers and sisters.

May St. Peter pray for us; may our Church encourage us to know the right and to follow it; and may all God’s people flourish in right authority and power…for good.

God bless you,

Fr. David

Once in contact with Christthe Word made fleshthe Canaanite woman of today’s gospel is convinced of the truth of God’s Word.  Although Jesus does not at first accept the request she makes on behalf of her possessed daughter, still in her conviction and faith, she pleads with the One who is sent by God.  By this encounter, her daughter is healed and, no doubt, this woman’s life is changed from that moment onward.

What has contact with Christ, either in the Eucharist or in our hearing of the Word made flesh, done to you and your daily life?  Have you been convinced yet that God’s power is enough…and His word is true?  For example, when the Lord said to His disciples, “No one has greater love than this, than to lay down one’s life for one’s friends”, have you been so changed as to love in this kind of way: selflessly, fully, generously?

Today, is the Feast of St. Maximilian Kolbe, my absolute favorite saint.  Killed in a concentration camp at Auschwitz in 1941, Maximilian clearly heard Christ’s invitation to love fully by laying his life down for another.  In July of ’41, after the escape of a prisoner, ten men were chosen to be slaughtered in retribution and set as an example of punishment for others contemplating escape.  Although himself not chosen, one of the 10 was a father of young children.  Knowing this, Maximilian offered his own life as a trade so that the young father would be spared.  Happily, the guards took the valuable life of this saintly priest by killing him the following month.  Clearly, once Maximilian experienced Christ in the Eucharist and in God’s living Word, he was absolutely convinced of the Lord’s power and truth…so much so, that he offered the entirety of his livelihood…actually laying down his life as an ultimate gift for another.

Nowin this very hoursince we have come in contact with the living Word of God and have touched the Eucharist, are you convinced that God’s power is enough; that His word is true; that through faith in Him, we might live holy lives?  If not, ask God for such a faith.  If so, thank God for the gift of such a faith.

In either case, may St. Maximilian Kolbe, pray for us!