May the Lord give you peace in the Holy Spirit. It is on 24th September 2023. We celebrate the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time as Migrant’s Sunday. We reflect on Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20-24, 27; and Matthew 20:1-16. The theme of this year’s celebration of Migrant Sunday is, “Free to choose whether to migrate or to stay.”
God’s search for human beings never ends in this world. An ever-forgiving and generously merciful God is searching for us day in and day out for the work of the Lord.
When our minds are evil and idle, we settle down to our routine life and casual sins.
The first reading warns us that we all need to seek the Lord tirelessly and consciously leave our sinful ways of living. God judges not according to the commercial standards of the world. God forgives us, trusts us, and entrusts us with a responsibility time and time again even though our lives and hearts are searching for something else.
In the second reading, St. Paul shares his conviction on believing and living for Christ. Everyone must magnify Christ by spreading the Good News and through our charitable living.
Only in our witnessing to truth and love, we bring out Christ in our lives. The Gospel suggests that God treats us justly because God is generous and merciful. God does not ill-treat anyone but rather God wants all to respond to God’s invitation to work in His vineyard without grumbling, envy and jealousy.
It is up to God to recognize our presence and the role we play in His vineyard. It is not how long have been working for the Lord that matters but rather how faithful and loyal to the work that is entrusted by God to us.
It is indeed a warning to all of us that there is no distinction in God’s vineyard. All of us are just hired workers. It is not how long since we repented and believed in God would reward us differently than our faithfulness to God does.
Heaven is the reward for all those who are faithful.
Moreover, God welcomes everyone willing to work for God. It is the grace of God that rewards us. As God is so merciful and generous, we who believe in God must display the same quality of God with one another.
Let us be cautious in comparing with others and being jealous and envious of the way others are rewarded by God. We are entrusted with a task according to our nature, character, talent, and strength. God alone knows from whom God could ask for more and from whom for less. God will not underpay us for working for Him.
God never compares our work with another person. The perception and payment of God have a different standard than the worldly standard. God will never abuse us or demand us unjustly.
Our fidelity and faith will always reward us. God does not tolerate idleness in our lives and there is no room for being late.
In the end, God will look at the work we have accomplished in His vineyard as per His direction that would reward us with what God has agreed to pay for us.
May we put in the best we can in God’s work and leave the reward to God. May you have a good day.