Good morning. One of the most confusing and disappointing scripture passages for those of us who embrace the concept of free enterprise has to be that of the vineyard owner and the workers receiving equal wages no matter the amount of work put forth for the day. Today’s Gospel tends not to fit most of our ideas of fairness and the right way to live our lives. For most of us it only makes sense that if we work hard we’ll be successful, yet here Jesus comes along and tells us that none of that matters, that “the last will be first, and the first will be last.” Being first isn’t what God is all about, He doesn’t care who is first, rather He cares about a life lived well and not about what we have achieved. I think this is a difficult lesson for many of us to embrace. Even worse is that for those of us who have the fortune of being first, for those of us blessed with the good things of this world it can often be more difficult to grasp that God cares more about us living well versus living the good life. This so often can present problems for married couples. Too often couples lose track of each other in pursuit of the good life. Pope Benedict reminds us that unbridled passion for power, possessions and money is the modern-day plague. "Have not money, the thirst for possessions, for power and even knowledge, diverted man from his true destiny?" We live in a culture that tells us that it is a good thing to have financial comfort, to be successful, to strive to do great things; yet all of these things mean nothing if in the process we lose sight of the real goal. As we celebrate the crowning of our Blessed Mother as Queen of the world, of the Angels, of Heaven we should remind ourselves that a life lived well results in being crowned with eternal life. Our lives are a gift from God intended to be lived well and when lived well our lives are rewarded with the ultimate good—eternal life. A life lived well will sing Alleluia forever. Make a great day!
Today we celebrate the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Thanks for doing this, Donald. Couples have lost the ability to see what is really important. My Deacon husband and I coordinate RCIA at our parish. I tell them that marriage is not about "being in love" but wanting what is best for their spouse. It's sacrificing and it is not always a 50-50 deal. Too many couples are confused about what marriage is and they don't understand it from a Sacramental perspective. "We" have a big job to do in educating considering all the temptations in this world.
ReplyDeleteThank you for the above and your work. It comforts me.
ReplyDeleteSacrifice and suffering are unfortunately viewed as dirty words that invoke fear in western society. We go to great lengths to try and eradicate experiences that are demanding and exacting of us. I believe we find ourselves seeking control and self comfort and there are plenty of daily reminders/influences on television and in the market place. Its a tough fight. Sacrifice and suffering obviously force us to make a choice – we accept our lot or we fight it. They can both bear great fruit and are super force multipliers for growing in virtue and ultimately happiness. Too bad this is drowned out in the occident and divorce is just one testimony. At least we can share within our Faith these valuable “tools” to keep a foot in heaven and one on earth!