Breaking Open the Word

By James Cavanagh

Sept. 21: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Scripture readings:

• Isaiah 55:6-9
• Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
• Philippians 1:20-24, 27
• Matthew 20:1-16

Theme: Generous mercy. Our first reading comes from that part of Isaiah known as the "book of consolation." It was written during the Babylonian exile (sixth century B.C.) at a time when Israel had lost hope of returning to Jerusalem. The Temple had been destroyed, the city was in ruins and they were living among heathens. God seemed very far away. But Isaiah tells them to “Seek the Lord while he may be found (and) call him while he is near.” God’s mercy is not limited by time or space, but is available to all who call upon him. In the second reading Paul consoles the Philippians that no matter what happens, no matter how bad things get, the Lord is always near. Whether he lives or dies, Paul knows that Christ is with him. In this week’s Gospel Jesus tells a parable to illustrate how incredibly generous God is in his mercy. Those who have been laboring in vineyard for only an hour receive exactly the same wages as those who worked all day long. The striking disparity in compensation drives home the point that God's mercy knows no bounds.

Key verse: "Let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving" (Is 55:7).

“Catechism of the Catholic Church”: "(God's) outpouring of mercy cannot penetrate our hearts as long as we have not forgiven those who have trespassed against us. Love, like the body of Christ, is indivisible; we cannot love the God we cannot see if we do not love the brother or sister we do see. Forgiveness is a high-point of Christian prayer; only hearts attuned to God's compassion can receive the gift of prayer. Forgiveness also bears witness that, in our world, love is stronger than sin" (No. 2840; 2844).

Pope Benedict XVI: "The sacrament of charity, the holy Eucharist is the gift that Jesus Christ makes of himself, thus revealing to us God's infinite love for every man and woman. This wondrous sacrament makes manifest that greater love which led him to "lay down his life for his friends" (Jn 15:13; “Sacramentum Caritatis,” 1).

Application: God's mercy far exceeds whatever wrong you may have done. He is always more ready to forgive than we are to pray. God is so generous in mercy that "he gave his only begotten Son, so that all that believe in may not perish but have everlasting life" (Jn 3:16). When we look at the cross we see just how generous God is. When we partake of the Eucharist we "taste and see the goodness of the Lord."