25th Sunday Ordinary Time cycle A. Ngay 17-18Sep 2005

Các Trưởng và Thiếu Nhi Thân mến,

The gospel we are hearing today is a beautiful reading. Once I shared this parable with my friend who is not catholic. After listening to my story, he said, it is not fair. Perhaps for some of us, who for the first time listen to this parable, we could have the same reaction, and say the same thing: it is not fair. So why do we say that. The gospel is not suggesting that this is the message, which Jesus wants to tell us. But in fact, the gospel is presenting to us a different picture. Of course, the master was just. He contracted the first workers for one denarii, which they accepted. But he was also generous. He freely gave the same amount to the last workers. But first let us stay with the ideas of it is not fair.
Let us take a look at our lives. In the family, the youngest child is allowed to date at a younger age. ‘It is not fair,’ the older brothers and sisters cry, as they watch the youngest brother pampered by their parents. But, meanwhile the youngest child sees his older teenager brothers and sisters getting to drive the car, stay up later at night, and get a better allowance. What does the youngest say? It is not fair.
Or think about an elderly mother who needs nursing home care. More often than not only one of the children is there for their elderly parent. That one daughter visits her mother everyday. Helps her with her grocery shopping. The other children visit, may be, on Mother’s day. In her tiredness, the good daughter says, it is not fair; I’m the only one taking care of our mother.
The truth is, life is not set up to be fair. Like some people have heart disease, others don’t. Very few of us will be rich, beautiful, athletic, and healthy. Others will be poor, and ordinary. A lesson we learn early and face often is: it is not fair.
How about God? Is God fair? The answer is No. God is not fair! God is generous. God is mercy and love and forgiveness. God goes well beyond being fair. Our God is a generous God, and God is the giver of gifts. The all-time best story of God’s generosity is to give a son to Abraham and Sarah. Longing for a child, Abraham and Sarah had pleaded with God. Sarah even told Abraham to have a child by their slave-girl, so much did they want a baby. Then, when Abraham was already one hundred, and Sarah was on the other side of ninety, God said, Sarah, you shall have a son. (Genesis 17:15) Such a gift, Abraham and Sarah cracked up laughing, from joy, from surprise. Is God fair? No, God is generous. God gives wonderful gifts.
God is merciful, forgiving even the worst sins. Remember the sins of the Apostle Paul. Paul was a Pharisee: insisted that all Jews strictly obey the Law of Moses. When Paul sees people following Christ, breaking the Law of Moses, Paul and his hit squad went after them. It was Paul who led the stoning of Stephen, (acts 7:58), making Stephen the first martyr for Christ. Is God fair? No, God forgives. God not only forgave Paul after Paul persecuted Christians, God then called Paul to be his Apostle. Made Paul the Apostle to the Gentiles.
My dear brothers and sisters, the message of the gospel today invites us to be like God. Because God is love and mercy, generous and forgiving, we are to be loving and generous and merciful and forgiving. We are to imitate God. Listen to this story. A seven-year-old boy, on vacation with his family, was killed by robbers on a highway south of Naples, Italy. Thieves fired into the car, thinking it someone else. Nicholas, the child, died immediately, and his parents decided to donate his organs. By their generosity, seven Italians received an organ transplant. The parents simply said they wanted to see something good come from the tragic death of their son Nicholas. He had been an exceptionally caring boy, and by the organs his caring goodness would continue.
Our call is to be like God. Because God is love and mercy, generous and forgiving, we are to be loving and generous and merciful and forgiving.
‘Lord, may I serve you and my neighbour with a glad and generous heart, not looking for how much I can get but rather looking for how much I can give.’ Amen.