Feast of Saint Hyacinth

"It isn’t fair!" These words are some of the earliest exclaimed by any child. And throughout most people’s lives this desire for fairness is forever a companion. This need for fairness is what prompts many people to cringe when they hear the Gospel from Chapter 20 of the Book of Matthew. The justice doled out by the land owner just doesn’t fit with how we think things ought to be. How often this limited sense of fairness pokes its way into our marital relationships. How often we make a point of who did what last, always checking our mental ledger for when and whose turn it is to attend to things. But like our aghast at the last workers receiving the same wages as those who were hired first, there is no ‘fair’ balancing out of the labor within a marriage. If we truly embrace the vows we took on our wedding day, fairness just isn't part of the equation in a covenantal marriage. Our love for each other and our call to be giving should draw us beyond our selfishness and concern for fairness. We should pray daily for the grace to be attentive to each other’s needs and to be above the need for fairness. When it comes right down to it, everything is a gift anyways and we should feel grateful for the opportunity to be there for each other. May we have the grace today to truly be giving to our spouse. Make a great day!

Today we recall the good life, gifts, and works of Saint Hyacinth.