The Greatest Gift
It is tempting to think like the laborers in Sunday’s Gospel that God is more generous with others than with me. This temptation arises when we desire the wrong thing: what God gives instead of God Himself. What the laborers who had worked all day in the field failed to see was the same thing that the older brother in the story of the Prodigal Son was blind to: they had the far greater gift to be with the landowner all day.
When we die, our reward for following Christ will not be wages or wealth, land or goods; it will be union with God.
This is our aim. This is what will bring us true happiness. And all the circumstances of our lives are intended by God to bring about this union and to draw us ever closer to Him. So the job that you did not get, the misunderstandings that occur between spouses, a difficult child who rebels and becomes addicted to drugs, and the next great thing you cannot attain—these are all permitted by God so that we can seek Him. He is our end. And if we keep this always in mind, we will see that God is always generous with each of us—so generous, in fact, that He tailors even the smallest details our lives to us (while respecting our free will) in order to guide us to Him.
So, when the temptation to be jealous or envious of others arises, say to yourself: “Lord, I have you. What more do I really need?”
*****************
One way in which God has blessed our parish during the past few years is through the tireless work of our Operations Director, Ewelina Sokolowski. God has been calling Mrs. Sokolowski to dedicate more time to her family, so she will be leaving our parish. Mrs. Sokolowski has played an integral and important role in ensuring that our parish operations run smoothly and efficiently, and the entire parish staff is grateful for her service, collaboration, and leadership over the past few years. Thank you, Ewelina; we will miss you and we ask God to bless and reward you!
Yours in Christ,
Father Arthur
Readings for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time: Lectionary 133
Tags: #arthurmarat, #fatherarthurmarat, #olw, #olwparish, #reflection
Comments are closed here.