It’s OK, Guacamole, I’m Extra Too

If teenagers or “young” people say you are “extra” these days, they mean you are over the top dramatic or excessively emotional, however, Jesus tells us that the wise always have a little extra with them. The story of the ten bridesmaids and the oil in their lamps gives us an idea of how we should foster our individual relationship with Christ. A relationship with God requires patience and sometimes a lot of waiting doesn’t it? Raise your hand if waiting patiently is NOT your forte. In our times of waiting on the Lord, it is important for us to store extra resources so that when we encounter Him, we can simply be fully present, fully engaged, and fully receptive. The waiting game goes both ways, as God is constantly waiting for us to notice Him, to come to Him, or to speak to Him. 

Oil represents the Holy Spirit and so our call today is to fill up on the Spirit through prayer, scripture, and service to one another, praise, thanksgiving, and radical love. This extra oil in our lamps will give us the wisdom to recognize our bridegroom when He comes and to have enough light to follow Him wherever He goes, and then it says, we get to party! We get to go to the feast. We are His “Plus 1”!!! 

Having “extra” requires thoughtfulness, discernment, patience, trust, and faith. These things are also required in relationships. Jesus wants us to be in a healthy relationship with Him and He tells us how…have extra. My prayer group and I call it “being prayed up”. Being prayed up means that when life hits you smack in the face as it does when we least expect it (like in the gospel, the bridegroom came at midnight!), you are ready to face the challenge with grace because you have extra. Now I know that we can’t get fixated on measuring grace or good deeds or “earning” God’s love, that is not my point, however, stocking up on the fruits of the Spirit through quality time and relationship with Jesus, give us the extra knowledge that we need to be wise in matters of the soul. Does that make sense?  

Today, I will take a look at my lamp to make sure I have extra oil for the surprise, but not so surprise visit from my Beloved. I only want to be super ready to jump up and follow Him. If that makes me “extra” then so be it. I once saw a t-shirt that said, “It’s OK, Guacamole, I’m extra too” – hopefully extra ready for the bridegroom. It is well with my soul. 

Reading 1 1 THES 4:1-8

Brothers and sisters,
we earnestly ask and exhort you in the Lord Jesus that,
as you received from us
how you should conduct yourselves to please God– 
and as you are conducting yourselves– 
you do so even more.
For you know what instructions we gave you through the Lord Jesus.

This is the will of God, your holiness:
that you refrain from immorality,
that each of you know how to acquire a wife for himself
in holiness and honor, not in lustful passion
as do the Gentiles who do not know God;
not to take advantage of or exploit a brother or sister in this matter,
for the Lord is an avenger in all these things,
as we told you before and solemnly affirmed.
For God did not call us to impurity but to holiness.
Therefore, whoever disregards this,
disregards not a human being but God,
who also gives his Holy Spirit to you.

Responsorial Psalm PS 97:1 AND 2B, 5-6, 10, 11-12

R.(12a) Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The LORD is king; let the earth rejoice;
let the many isles be glad.
Justice and judgment are the foundation of his throne.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
The mountains melt like wax before the LORD,
before the LORD of all the earth.
The heavens proclaim his justice,
and all peoples see his glory.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just! 
The LORD loves those who hate evil;
he guards the lives of his faithful ones;
from the hand of the wicked he delivers them.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!
Light dawns for the just;
and gladness, for the upright of heart.
Be glad in the LORD, you just,
and give thanks to his holy name.
R. Rejoice in the Lord, you just!

Alleluia LK 21:36

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Be vigilant at all times and pray,
that you may have the strength to stand before the Son of Man.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 25:1-13

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins
who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom. 
Five of them were foolish and five were wise. 
The foolish ones, when taking their lamps,
brought no oil with them,
but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps. 
Since the bridegroom was long delayed,
they all became drowsy and fell asleep.
At midnight, there was a cry,
‘Behold, the bridegroom!  Come out to meet him!’ 
Then all those virgins got up and trimmed their lamps. 
The foolish ones said to the wise,
‘Give us some of your oil,
for our lamps are going out.’ 
But the wise ones replied,
‘No, for there may not be enough for us and you.
Go instead to the merchants and buy some for yourselves.’ 
While they went off to buy it,
the bridegroom came
and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. 
Then the door was locked.
Afterwards the other virgins came and said,
‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ 
But he said in reply,
‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’ 
Therefore, stay awake,
for you know neither the day nor the hour.”

Off With His Head

She could have chosen anything. She had been offered half of the king’s kingdom, and she chose revenge, retaliation, and rebellion. She and her family could have been set for life, but she wanted scandalous notoriety instead. “Off with his head!” Unfortunately, this dramatic story makes me think, “How many times have I refused God’s abundance for rebellion?” I’ve never asked for someone’s head on a platter, but I have definitely acted out of a place of lack and not my inheritance as God’s beloved daughter. Acting from lack rather than abundance temps us to claw our way up and out of situations, it puts us on the defense inciting us to fight, and it focuses our thoughts on what we don’t have. There is something called an orphan spirit that keeps us living as beggars rather than heirs of the kingdom. We settle for less than because we think we only deserve crumbs, but God made us and calls us to so much more. He doesn’t promise half of His Kingdom, but ALL, and yet I still choose lesser portions because I think I don’t belong. 

It’s time to start living from the abundance of grace that is freely given to us each day. It’s time to start living in obedience to that grace, rather than in rebellion to its fullness because of our feelings of unworthiness. It’s time to accept the inheritance that has been promised to us and to stop trading it in for heads on platters. Today’s gospel reminds me to step into gratitude for God’s abundant mercy and to stop begging for crumbs. Lord, may I be obedient to grace so that I operate out of your abundance and not my own lack. Yes, to my inheritance as a daughter of the King. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of the Passion of Saint John the Baptist
Lectionary: 428/634

Reading 1 1 THES 3:7-13

We have been reassured about you, brothers and sisters,
in our every distress and affliction, through your faith.
For we now live, if you stand firm in the Lord.

What thanksgiving, then, can we render to God for you,
for all the joy we feel on your account before our God?
Night and day we pray beyond measure to see you in person
and to remedy the deficiencies of your faith.
Now may God himself, our Father, and our Lord Jesus
direct our way to you, and may the Lord make you increase
and abound in love for one another and for all,
just as we have for you,
so as to strengthen your hearts, 
to be blameless in holiness before our God and Father
at the coming of our Lord Jesus with all his holy ones. Amen.

Responsorial Psalm PS 90:3-5A, 12-13, 14 AND 17

R. (14) Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
You turn man back to dust,
saying, "Return, O children of men."
For a thousand years in your sight
are as yesterday, now that it is past,
or as a watch of the night.
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Teach us to number our days aright,
that we may gain wisdom of heart.
Return, O LORD! How long?
Have pity on your servants!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!
Fill us at daybreak with your kindness,
that we may shout for joy and gladness all our days.
And may the gracious care of the LORD our God be ours;
prosper the work of our hands for us!
Prosper the work of our hands!
R. Fill us with your love, O Lord, and we will sing for joy!

Alleluia MT 5:10

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Blessed are those who are persecuted for the sake of righteousness,
for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MK 6:17-29

Herod was the one who had John the Baptist arrested and bound in prison
on account of Herodias, 
the wife of his brother Philip, whom he had married.
John had said to Herod,
"It is not lawful for you to have your brother's wife."
Herodias harbored a grudge against him
and wanted to kill him but was unable to do so.
Herod feared John, knowing him to be a righteous and holy man,
and kept him in custody.
When he heard him speak he was very much perplexed,
yet he liked to listen to him.
She had an opportunity one day when Herod, on his birthday,
gave a banquet for his courtiers,
his military officers, and the leading men of Galilee.
Herodias' own daughter came in
and performed a dance that delighted Herod and his guests.
The king said to the girl,
"Ask of me whatever you wish and I will grant it to you."
He even swore many things to her,
"I will grant you whatever you ask of me,
even to half of my kingdom."
She went out and said to her mother,
"What shall I ask for?"
She replied, "The head of John the Baptist."
The girl hurried back to the king's presence and made her request,
"I want you to give me at once
on a platter the head of John the Baptist."
The king was deeply distressed,
but because of his oaths and the guests
he did not wish to break his word to her.
So he promptly dispatched an executioner with orders
to bring back his head.
He went off and beheaded him in the prison.
He brought in the head on a platter and gave it to the girl.
The girl in turn gave it to her mother.
When his disciples heard about it,
they came and took his body and laid it in a tomb.

Woe Is Me

The beatitudes are a list of blessings and in the past couple of days Jesus has given us a list of woes or “miseries” that are bound to come along with reckless behavior. I know that when I receive a gentle rebuke in my spirit for things with which I have been reckless or careless or thoughtless, I appreciate the loving reminder to turn back toward blessedness. Jesus is firm and relentless with the scribes and Pharisees because of their hard heartedness. Tenderizing meat requires some pretty intense pounding, but the result is a suppleness that allows all the seasoning to permeate it. If our hearts remain supple or squishy enough, then our “woes” become gentle and loving reminders to simply turn and renew our minds to be more like Jesus. It is the hardness of the religious leader’s hearts that invoke the severe rebuke from the Lord, but even still, He only gives these warnings from a place of complete and total love. When our hearts are hardened then we also become somewhat hard of hearing. Working with hard of hearing people on a daily basis means that my voice is raised sometimes to yelling levels just so I can communicate. It used to throw me off guard because I felt like I was constantly screaming and that made me feel like I was being harsh, but it was more necessary to be heard and so I know that the volume of my voice is in direct relation to the hardness of their hearing. The same is true with Jesus’ “woes” to the religious leaders. The intensity is in direct relation to the hardness of their hearts and their hearing. 

Today, I am thankful for the revelation that I want a soft heart so that my “rebukes” from the Lord are gentle whispers that simply invite me to change my thinking, recover my thoughtfulness, and choose blessedness over misery. What tenderizes my heart? Daily time in His presence and simply being wrapped in who He says that I am. Quality time with Jesus squishes the “woe” right out of me. May you be squished today in His presence. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Augustine, Bishop and Doctor of the Church
Lectionary: 427

Reading 1 1 THES 2:9-13

You recall, brothers and sisters, our toil and drudgery.
Working night and day in order not to burden any of you,
we proclaimed to you the Gospel of God.
You are witnesses, and so is God,
how devoutly and justly and blamelessly
we behaved toward you believers.
As you know, we treated each one of you as a father treats his children,
exhorting and encouraging you and insisting
that you walk in a manner worthy of the God
who calls you into his Kingdom and glory.

And for this reason we too give thanks to God unceasingly,
that, in receiving the word of God from hearing us,
you received it not as the word of men, but as it truly is, the word of God,
which is now at work in you who believe.

Responsorial Psalm PS 139:7-8, 9-10, 11-12AB

R.(1) You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
Where can I go from your spirit?
From your presence where can I flee?
If I go up to the heavens, you are there;
if I sink to the nether world, you are present there.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
If I take the wings of the dawn,
if I settle at the farthest limits of the sea,
Even there your hand shall guide me,
and your right hand hold me fast.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.
If I say, "Surely the darkness shall hide me,
and night shall be my light"–
For you darkness itself is not dark,
and night shines as the day.
R. You have searched me and you know me, Lord.

Alleluia 1 JN 2:5

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Whoever keeps the word of Christ,
the love of God is truly perfected in him.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 23:27-32

Jesus said,
"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You are like whitewashed tombs, which appear beautiful on the outside,
but inside are full of dead men's bones and every kind of filth.
Even so, on the outside you appear righteous,
but inside you are filled with hypocrisy and evildoing.

"Woe to you, scribes and Pharisees, you hypocrites.
You build the tombs of the prophets
and adorn the memorials of the righteous, 
and you say, 'If we had lived in the days of our ancestors,
we would not have joined them in shedding the prophets' blood.'
Thus you bear witness against yourselves
that you are the children of those who murdered the prophets;
now fill up what your ancestors measured out!"

Face Recognition

I couldn't get to my computer yesterday, but this reflection is based on yesterday's gospel...

Earlier this year I had a bought with bronchitis that took me out for about 10 days. During that time I discovered that my iPad with face recognition does not recognize my face without makeup! At first I thought I was not directly in front of it, or that I missed a step, but nope it definitely refused to let me into my own iPad with my un-made up face! I tried every day when I was sick and denied access (I could get in with my pass code, but not with my face). I distinctly remember my first day back to work, having on my normal makeup, and so I thought I would test the theory that I had a hunch about, but I was also embarrassed at the thought of it being true. I mean, come on, do I look THAT different without makeup? IPad, are you judging me unworthy because I look plain? Who am I really? Am I that vain? I know I get carried away sometimes, but these questions really did come up, and of course, the darn thing opened immediately with my made up face. Ugh. I am that vain! Darn it. 

So I got to thinking…what if entrance into heaven is based on face recognition? Which face would it recognize? Would Jesus know me as I am? Or would he only know the me created in my own image? I started to think about why I wear makeup in the first place. Is it to cover or hide? Or is it to enhance and bring out what is already there? Obviously, I like the enhancing what is already there answer…it makes me feel slightly less vain. But, if we stick with that definition or reason for makeup then today’s gospel stirs something in me – being loved by God, love of God, for God, love of others, and love of self. Makeup your face with love to enhance the already present love that gives us the gleam in our eye, the sparkle in our smile, the glow in our cheeks. We can indeed enhance our own beauty by wearing more love and that changes our face. This changed face is what will be recognized because it reflects the one looking at it. The two commandments Jesus gives us today allow us to be recognized and also to recognize love made more, love enhanced, love that changes the way we look, and love that changes the way we see. 

All that from a silly technological glitch and isn’t God so amazing to speak to us in the ordinary? It is well with my soul.  

Reading 1 RU 1:1, 3-6, 14B-16, 22

Once in the time of the judges there was a famine in the land;
so a man from Bethlehem of Judah
departed with his wife and two sons
to reside on the plateau of Moab.
Elimelech, the husband of Naomi, died,
and she was left with her two sons, who married Moabite women,
one named Orpah, the other Ruth.
When they had lived there about ten years,
both Mahlon and Chilion died also,
and the woman was left with neither her two sons nor her husband.
She then made ready to go back from the plateau of Moab
because word reached her there
that the LORD had visited his people and given them food.

Orpah kissed her mother-in-law good-bye, but Ruth stayed with her.

Naomi said, "See now!
Your sister-in-law has gone back to her people and her god.
Go back after your sister-in-law!"
But Ruth said, "Do not ask me to abandon or forsake you!
For wherever you go, I will go, wherever you lodge I will lodge,
your people shall be my people, and your God my God."

Thus it was that Naomi returned
with the Moabite daughter-in-law, Ruth,
who accompanied her back from the plateau of Moab.
They arrived in Bethlehem at the beginning of the barley harvest.

Responsorial Psalm PS 146:5-6AB, 6C-7, 8-9A, 9BC-10

R.(1b) Praise the Lord, my soul!
Blessed is he whose help is the God of Jacob,
whose hope is in the LORD, his God,
Who made heaven and earth,
the sea and all that is in them.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD keeps faith forever,
secures justice for the oppressed,
gives food to the hungry.
The LORD sets captives free.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The LORD gives sight to the blind.
The LORD raises up those who were bowed down;
The LORD loves the just.
The LORD protects strangers.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!
The fatherless and the widow he sustains,
but the way of the wicked he thwarts.
The LORD shall reign forever;
your God, O Zion, through all generations. Alleluia.
R. Praise the Lord, my soul!

Alleluia PS 25:4B, 5A

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Teach me your paths, my God,
guide me in your truth.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 22:34-40

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees,
they gathered together, and one of them,
a scholar of the law, tested him by asking,
"Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?"
He said to him,
"You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart,
with all your soul, and with all your mind.
This is the greatest and the first commandment.
The second is like it:
You shall love your neighbor as yourself.
The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments."

List A, B, or C

If you have ever planned a wedding, then you know there are three separate guest lists right? Guest List A is the whittled down one with all the “must haves”. List B is the “we really want you to come, but if all of List A show up, we have no room for you”. And finally, List C is the “acquaintances that we would love to have come, but they didn’t quite make List A or B” or “friends of mom and dad that get to come if people from both List A and B don’t show”. Usually, List C’ers know they are on List C because they get pulled in at the 11^thhour. It’s all based on reception hall sizes, catering budgets, and familiarity to the wedding party. I’ve seen family fights over these precious guest lists and don’t even get me started on seating charts! Weddings are personal and close to our hearts and we want to share this special day with people we love, people that love us, and people that will bring honor to the occasion. Today, Jesus gives us a parable comparing the Kingdom to a wedding complete with Guest List A, B, and C. 

Weddings in the Middle East were a seven-day event. Imagine having to pay for seven days of festivities for the whole village. This story tells us again that God invites us all to the banquet. The king in the story summoned all the “invited” guests to come party for seven days but they refused the invitation. Don’t you just hate when people don’t RSVP? How much food do I buy? How much wine? So he sends out his servants a secondtime to those “invited” this time with the menu for the feast so as to draw them in via their stomachs. I am guilty of wondering what food is going to be served at the parties I’ve been invited to and I find this to be a darn good strategy on the king’s part. It says only some ignored the invite and the rest killed the king’s servants. WTH? Was this a foreshadowing of the martyrdom of the Apostles? The king was pissed needless-to-say and destroyed those that did this to his servants. Don’t mess with the king!

The king said, “The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.” To me it sounds like he’s talking about the religious leaders here who were the ones with all the education, scripture, and liturgical practices but were still missing the deeper message of God and definitely of the Messiah. So the king says, “Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.” Yay!! That means us!! Get your dancing shoes on! The servants gathered “all” that they found “bad and good alike and the hall was filled.” 

The Apostolic church has been highly successful in gathering people for the feast, good and bad. What do we wear to the party? This is the twist in the story. In the Middle East, if you are hosting a wedding, you provide the proper wedding garment for each one of your guests, similar to how yamakas are supplied in Jewish temples for those that don’t have one. Remember that this story is about a king who would definitely follow this protocol. So all were invited and accepted the garment offered them to enter the wedding in the proper fashion (pun intended) except for one man. When the king noticed the man he said, “My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?” The man was “reduced to silence” because the answer was “your servants gave me the garment but I refused to put it on.” 

How often do I know the right thingto do and I deliberately choose the wrong? How often do I defy the rules that I think are pointless? How often do I refuse God’s unconditional love? How often to I disrobe God’s generosity and ignore His invitation to the table?  

Our human nature and pride tend to cloud our good judgment and keep us from receiving the free gift of grace that God wants to constantly clothe us in. May we decide today to accept the invitation and to wear the garment of God’s love that is freely given so that we can get out there on the dance floor and celebrate the king’s son on his wedding day! It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 422

Reading 1 JGS 11:29-39A

The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.
He passed through Gilead and Manasseh,
and through Mizpah-Gilead as well,
and from there he went on to the Ammonites.
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD.
"If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said,
"whoever comes out of the doors of my house
to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites
shall belong to the LORD.
I shall offer him up as a burnt offering."

Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them,
and the LORD delivered them into his power,
so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them,
from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all)
and as far as Abel-keramim.
Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection
by the children of Israel.
When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah,
it was his daughter who came forth,
playing the tambourines and dancing.
She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her.
When he saw her, he rent his garments and said,
"Alas, daughter, you have struck me down
and brought calamity upon me.
For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract."
She replied, "Father, you have made a vow to the LORD.
Do with me as you have vowed,
because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you
on your enemies the Ammonites."
Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor.
Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains
to mourn my virginity with my companions."
"Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months.
So she departed with her companions
and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
At the end of the two months she returned to her father,
who did to her as he had vowed.

Responsorial Psalm PS 40:5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10

R.(8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me. 
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Alleluia PS 95:8

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables
saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."

Go Into My Vineyard

Today’s gospel has many layers for us. The first thing we need to note is that the Landowner went out to find the workers who were standing idle in the marketplace. This made me think that we must be still in order for Jesus to be able to come to us. When we wait on the Lord, He will come to us with the same invitation that the Landowner gave, “Go into my vineyard.” We have the opportunity to say yes or no to that invitation. If we are waiting for it, chances are we will say yes to it. 

The next thing to look at is that Jesus says, “And I will give you what is just.” Every other time I have read this gospel I could have sworn that he originally said I will pay you a day’s wage, but he clearly says here, “What is just.” We really need to wrap our hearts around God’s way of justice and not our own. We categorize people into various levels based on income, work ethic, neighborhood, education, physical ability, marital status, age, religion, etc. and we think it “fair” that people within these categories get what they “deserve.” God doesn’t even know how to categorize and sees us all as beloved and worthy of unconditional grace. The only way we can adopt this kind of thinking is to stay close to the source, “to go into my vineyard”, and get back on the vine. 

The Landowner goes back out at noon, three o’clock, and five o’clock and offers the same invitation to “go into my vineyard and I will give you what is just.” Obviously, the Landowner had more work that needed to be done and in order to complete the work; he needed to keep adding people to the payroll. We are all called at different times in our lives to come into the vineyard and each time we say yes to the invite, we say yes to the promise of eternal life. 

The next thing the Landowner does really shakes things up. It’s time to pay the workers and he pays the ones he hired last first and the ones he hired first last. He pays them all the same amount and of course, the ones who worked all day have something to say about it. According to the world’s standards this is totally unfair! Yep, that’s Jesus’ point; our standards are not God’s standards. Jesus is reiterating that God’s mercy is endless and His goodness is beyond our human standards (thank God). It is not for us to compare God’s generosity and to turn it into something that can be obtained if we work harder, follow more rules, or check more boxes off of our how to get to heaven list. God’s love, mercy, kindness, and goodness are meant for everyone and all we have to do is accept it. 

One of my sweet elderlies is currently close to death and wonderful hospice nurses/volunteers have been keeping vigil by her bedside. She and I have developed a friendship over the years and our conversations migrated from the superficial to the supernatural. She told me one day that she felt like she was losing her faith and asked me to tell her about mine. Our friendship then became one rooted in prayer and the spiritual. Since she has taken a turn, I try to stop in a few times daily to sing and pray over her. Most of the time she is not really coherent, but the minute I start singing, her body relaxes and a stillness descends. One time she just kept rubbing my arm as I played guitar. Two days ago she was awake and in a very labored voice, she told her nurse, “This is my friend.” As I sang she locked her gaze on me and received every note like a sponge. When I asked her if I could pray, she nodded, and a tear trickled down her cheek. I traced the sign of the cross on her forehead. She wanted to do the same for me, but she added a little something extra, as she proceeded to lick her thumb before tracing the sign of the cross on my head. It was my first wet willy blessing ever! It was all she had to give and I was humbled by the tenderness with which it was given. I know she questioned the veracity of her faith, but God’s persistence in today’s gospel broke through in her late hour and calls her to “Go into my vineyard.” Sometimes we need our friends to sing over us until we accept the invite, but God keeps pursuing us until the very end. It is well with my soul. 

Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
Lectionary: 421

Reading 1 JGS 9:6-15

All the citizens of Shechem and all Beth-millo came together
and proceeded to make Abimelech king
by the terebinth at the memorial pillar in Shechem.

When this was reported to him,
Jotham went to the top of Mount Gerizim and, standing there,
cried out to them in a loud voice:
"Hear me, citizens of Shechem, that God may then hear you!
Once the trees went to anoint a king over themselves.
So they said to the olive tree, 'Reign over us.'
But the olive tree answered them, 'Must I give up my rich oil,
whereby men and gods are honored,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'Come; you reign over us!'
But the fig tree answered them,
'Must I give up my sweetness and my good fruit,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then the trees said to the vine, 'Come you, and reign over us.'
But the vine answered them,
'Must I give up my wine that cheers gods and men,
and go to wave over the trees?'
Then all the trees said to the buckthorn, 'Come; you reign over us!'
But the buckthorn replied to the trees,
'If you wish to anoint me king over you in good faith,
come and take refuge in my shadow.
Otherwise, let fire come from the buckthorn
and devour the cedars of Lebanon.'"

Responsorial Psalm PS 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

R.(2a) Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
O LORD, in your strength the king is glad;
in your victory how greatly he rejoices!
You have granted him his heart's desire;
you refused not the wish of his lips.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
For you welcomed him with goodly blessings,
you placed on his head a crown of pure gold.
He asked life of you: you gave him 
length of days forever and ever. 
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.
Great is his glory in your victory;
majesty and splendor you conferred upon him.
You made him a blessing forever,
you gladdened him with the joy of your face.
R. Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

Alleluia HEB 4:12

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel MT 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off. 
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."