The God of superabundant generosity

 

Welcome to my blog and peace be with you.

You will find here the daily readings from the Scriptures assigned by the Catholic Church.

If we take time to listen to God speaking to us through them, we will experience the joy and peace that God alone gives to his children.

Wednesday 19 August 2020

The God of superabundant generosity

Ezekiel 34:1-11

An oracle against bad and selfish shepherds

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy and say to them:

‘“Shepherds, the Lord says this: Trouble for the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves! Shepherds ought to feed their flock, yet you have fed on milk, you have dressed yourselves in wool, you have sacrificed the fattest sheep, but failed to feed the flock. You have failed to make weak sheep strong, or to care for the sick ones, or bandage the wounded ones. You have failed to bring back strays or look for the lost. On the contrary, you have ruled them cruelly and violently. For lack of a shepherd they have scattered, to become the prey of any wild animal; they have scattered far. My flock is straying this way and that, on mountains and on high hills; my flock has been scattered all over the country; no one bothers about them and no one looks for them.

‘“Well then, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. As I live, I swear it – it is the Lord who speaks – since my flock has been looted and for lack of a shepherd is now the prey of any wild animal, since my shepherds have stopped bothering about my flock, since my shepherds feed themselves rather than my flock, in view of all this, shepherds, hear the word of the Lord. The Lord says this: I am going to call the shepherds to account. I am going to take my flock back from them and I shall not allow them to feed my flock. In this way the shepherds will stop feeding themselves. I shall rescue my sheep from their mouths; they will not prey on them any more.”

‘For the Lord says this: “I am going to look after my flock myself and keep all of it in view.”’

THE WORD OF THE LORD

Prayerful reflection

In this passage God through his prophet, Ezekiel, bitterly criticizes the shepherds of Israel. They neglected the spiritual welfare of God’s people and looked after their own earthly interests. We are all in some way shepherds of others. If we neglect the sheep whom God has entrusted to us, then we too will receive the bitter criticism of the Chief Shepherd.

The responsorial psalm teaches us how to shepherd those entrusted to us.

The good shepherd spends himself for his sheep and leads them to green pastures. He is there to encourage them when they are disheartened. Through his example he will lead them on the path of truth and integrity and he is always with the sheep walking with them even in the ‘valley of darkness.’ The good shepherd is an image of God the Chief Shepherd and through him God makes himself known to the sheep. The good shepherd will lead his sheep into the house of God. Most of all, the good shepherd loves his sheep, each one of them and especially the sick and the lame. It is this love for the sheep that has him give himself for them.

 

 

Psalm

Psalm 22(23)

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

The Lord is my shepherd;

there is nothing I shall want.

Fresh and green are the pastures

where he gives me repose.

Near restful waters he leads me,

to revive my drooping spirit.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

He guides me along the right path;

he is true to his name.

If I should walk in the valley of darkness

no evil would I fear.

You are there with your crook and your staff;

with these you give me comfort.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

You have prepared a banquet for me

in the sight of my foes.

My head you have anointed with oil;

my cup is overflowing.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me

all the days of my life.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell

for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd: there is nothing I shall want.

 

 

Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16

Why be envious because I am generous?

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD

 

Prayerful reflection

We are all creatures of God. In that sense we are all equal. In a worldly sense some have more than others. Some work harder than others and with ingenuity. They earn more and do better. But at the end of the day, we are all mere creatures and have been given a life fit only for this world. As creatures we are to live according to the will of the Creator whether only for this world or whatever.

However, Jesus is telling us that none of us, however hard we work or however hard we strive to obey God, have any right to live for ever after death in the glory and communion of God. That life can only be a pure gift to anyone. God does not think like human beings. He is superabundantly generous and is happy to give eternal life to one who comes to him even at the last hour – like the thief on the cross. Those who don’t come, don’t receive anything. Those who come, early or late, receive everything. That’s the way God is.

Let us make sure that we get into the vineyard, even if it is only for the last few minutes. Do you live a life of loving obedience to God?