Faith Questions
25th Sunday of Year A
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“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?”
1ST READING
If you ever experience God being ‘distant’ the words of Prophet Isaiah may help. He speaks and writes to God’s people feeling distant and away from home. Yet they cannot go back to Jerusalem and the Temple. They are refugees in Babylon and their Jerusalem Temple has been demolished. Isaiah invites you to turn inward, seek the Lord where he may be found – in your heart. Does your lifestyle allow for quiet time to stop and listen to your spirit and to God?
2ND READING
Paul is writing from Prison. He may be put to death. He could argue with Roman authorities that he has been unjustly treated and begin the legal battle. He could be passive and let God’s plan unfold. He is torn in two directions. Have you experienced being torn between two good options? An earthquake and conversion of the jailor provides the way forward. Could you trust God’s design of providence and guiding your life like Paul?
GOSPEL
Laborers would often stand in the middle of town waiting to be selected for jobs. At the heat of midday, and not having been selected for a job, many would walk home downcast. What do the laborers feel? In desperation some continue to stay until 4pm! What is strange about the landowners (God) behaviour?
The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard is also called the Parable of the Generous Landowner. It is only found in the Gospel of Matthew. Matthew’s Christian community was Jewish but gradually became filled with more Gentile converts. Jews who had served long and hard in faithful obedience to the Laws of God now witnessed Gentiles coming in at the last ‘hour’ and receiving the same ‘reward’. They were upset. God is unmasked in this parable as one who is generous. Were you upset or delighted in this parable? Why?
The landowner’s (God’s) generosity in the parable creates a problem. The world’s expectation is strict justice. More hours worked = more money earned. Few hours worked = little money earned. Does this build a ‘just society’? Why is justice easier to manage than mercy? Why is it easier to be legal than loving? Does it mean that we give up control of destiny and judgment? Why should everyone receive a ‘just wage’?
The ways of God are different from worldly ways. As a member of the community building the ‘kingdom of God’, what would it look like to be generous with your money like the landowner? Does your giving establish true justice or maintain charity with unjust structures and policies? check out http://www.caritas.org.nz
SOURCE: Living the Word resources are created by Fr Frank Bird a Marist priest and Mrs Bev McDonald, ACSD, distributed by Marist Laity Auckland, NZ
1ST READING
1. The invitation of God is constant and insistent, sometimes loud, other times almost imperceptible. On the spiritual journey, it is part of our task to attune our ears to his voice and to call on him while he is still near.
2. Life takes many surprising turns; it is only when we look back that we can see the pattern devised by God, according to which all things work together for good for those who love God, who are called according to his purpose. (Romans 8:28)
3. The sheer mystery, the abyss and beyond of God are part of every authentic spiritual experience. But there is a way in! In the words of Rumi, “Love is the astrolabe of God’s mysteries.”
2ND READING
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. Paul has really given over his whole self utterly to Christ, no matter what transpires—inspiring and challenging.
2. When faced with significant dilemmas, what have been my considerations?
GOSPEL
POINTERS FOR PRAYER
1. “I was there first”. Envy easily comes to the surface when faced with the good fortune of others, especially when compared to what seems less favourable treatment of ourselves. Can you recall that feeling in yourself and what it did to you? Can you also recall times when you were content with your lot, even though it seemed others had greater gifts, better opportunities, etc.
2. A parent or teacher who gives a lot of time to a difficult child does not love the others less, but if we are one of those other children we may not see that. Recall a “Jesus person’ in your life who helped you to overcome feelings of envy and helped you appreciate that the ap- parently more favourable treatment of another did not mean a lessening of love for you.
3. Generosity can make us uncomfortable. We feel more comfortable when we see ourselves as having done something to deserve the generosity.
But perhaps you can recall a moment of great need, when you were at the receiving end of someone’s generosity, a time when you recognised you had done nothing to ‘deserve’ that response, a time when all you could do was to say “thanks”?
4. This leads us to the core message of this parable, namely, that God’s love is a free gift and not earned. Recall moments when you were particularly conscious of the gift that God’s love is to you.
5. “It is too late now” are words some- times uttered to justify doing nothing about a situation. This parable tells us that where love is involved, it is never too late. Can you recall times when you got a positive response after taking action when you thought it was “too late”?
SOURCE: Hearers of the Word
1ST READING
”Seek the Lord while he may be found, call on him while he is near.” Can God always be near you? What helps you remember the injunction to “find God in all things” in your life?
Isaiah is writing about a call to conversion in this reading. “Let the scoundrel forsake his way.” For what ways do we need to ask for mercy, and need to “forsake”? What about environmental, or racial or immigrant injustices, and fixing the wrongs? Does God ever withhold mercy or pardon?
2ND READING
Is there someone or some group who “magnifies” the Lord for you? Every time you are around him/her/them, do you feel Christ is somehow present. Why is that? What is it about them that “clears your eyesight”? Could they be ordinary saints?
GOSPEL
Do you think God wants you to forgive your neighbor just for your This Gospel reading is not about strict justice but about outrageous generosity. Are any of us ever “worthy of grace,” first hour worker or eleventh? How would grace be handed out if people made the rules? What is the message for you in your everyday life?
SOURCE: Sunday Web Site at Saint Louis University
GOSPEL
1. Make a list of all the things you find “unfair” in the Church. What practices do you find unfair in your parish? What are the reasons or explanations given for the things you think unfair? Do you understand the explanations given? Who is responsible for this unfairness? Can you do anything about it?
2. Have you ever been the victim of unfair practices where you work or where you spend leisure time? Were there serious instances of unfair practices in your family of origin? Have you ever perpetrated unfairness upon other people? Why? Is there anything unfair in the practices of your city or state government? What about the federal government?
3. Make a list of all the times and instances when God has been overwhelmingly generous to you, going far beyond fairness. Count the times. Why does God transcend fairness in dealing with us? What explanation does God give for going beyond fairness? What does this say to us as disciples of Christ?
CHRISTIAN ACTION
Select one person toward whom you will go beyond fairness in your dealings this week. Decide how you will be generous.
SOURCE: Portland Diocese
1ST READING
How easy or hard is it for us to accept and embrace a God whose ways are sometimes not our ways?
2ND READING
Paul’s attitude towards life and death is quite astounding. What might help us to get to a point where we too could say: “For me, death is gain”?
GOSPEL
Do you ever struggle with the whole issue of fairness in life, e.g., bad or irreligious people doing well, and really good people experiencing a lot of pain and hardship?
How big or small is your God? Do you think that career criminals, dictators, or rapists who turn to God on their deathbed (e.g., the good thief) should be admitted to heaven?
Name one thing today’s Gospel says to us that we disciples of Jesus need to heed and act on.
RESPONDING TO GOD’S WORD
Share with the person next to you one way you can act on this week’s readings. Suggestion: Seek to enter into God’s compassion for those who come late and do less.
SOURCE: Ascension Catholic Parish, Melbourne, FL
25th Sunday of Year A
My Ways Are Not Your Ways
Just because we have a faith life, does not give us the insider’s view into God’s intentions. Life’s unfairness should not discourage us from a faith in a just God. Nor should we hunker down into our self-protected cocoons to keep the evil at bay. Second Isaiah reminded his audience, just as he reminds us that God is the Lord of the good and the evil. And we should accept those who wish to repent. This is God’s will.
How do you balance a belief in a loving, compassionate God vs. the notion of a moral Church? How do we maintain the purity of the Church, while welcoming back sinners?
SOURCE: Word-Sunday Permission for use. All materials are the property of Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2022). Viewers may copy any material for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
25th Sunday of Year A
Style and Substance
Style can rise to the level of substance, even in Scripture, yet it should never overtake the spirit of the verse. Worship, like other parts of the Christian lifestyle, requires a style, but in never reducible to style. In praise, style is a means to an end, giving glory to God.
What is your style of worship? How important is that style to you? How does it support your life as a Christian?
SOURCE: Word-Sunday Permission for use. All materials are the property of Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2022). Viewers may copy any material for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
25th Sunday of Year A
The Choice Between Now and Eternity
Do you ever wonder what heaven will be like? Do you sometimes wonder if life after death will be better than the life you have now? Explain.
Did Paul have a death wish?
These short verses from Philippians present a sense of indecision on Paul’s part. Writing from prison, Paul toyed with the idea of the afterlife. But, was his reason for writing genuine longing for life in Christ, or did he write out of a sense of melancholy? We may never know. However, the text clearly demonstrated Paul’s love for the Philippians and his desire to join them again. If he could not be with Christ, he wanted to be of service to his brothers and sisters again.
Like Paul, sometimes we might feel the weight of the world bearing down on us. Like Paul, we might feel “imprisoned” by people or events out of our control. We might desire life with God over our present circumstances. In these times, let us remember that we are not our own masters. We live for the Lord. If we find life closing in on us, let us reflect on our place in God’s design. He wants us to be where we find ourselves, so we can serve others.
SOURCE: Word-Sunday Permission for use. All materials are the property of Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2022). Viewers may copy any material for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
25th Sunday of Year A
Justice in the Kingdom
What is the difference between fairness and justice?
How many of us have felt someone treated us unfairly? Has someone favored another over us? All of us have endured some hurt when our dreams are dashed or ambitions denied. Preferred treatment can lay the foundation for bitter memories.
Yet, does our ill treatment serve a greater good? Do others in need benefit? Sometimes we endure unequal treatment in the name of justice. In Matthew’s gospel, Jesus presented the Kingdom as one of justice, not necessarily of fairness.
What image of the parable strikes you? How does the perceived injustice help you understand your place in the kingdom?
When has the need for charity required you to set aside your desires for the needs of others? When have you set aside your fair share for the good of others?
There is a difference between fairness and justice. The question of fairness is really based upon self-interest. When we insist upon our rights without regard to needs of others, we become narcissistic. Even our ministry emphasizes the word “our” (or “mine”). How can God reward us when we insist upon making ourselves “Number One?”
The question of justice, however, is based upon the needs of others. When we focus upon the needs of others, even if they encroach upon our rights, we sacrifice ourselves for the Kingdom, just as Jesus did. Our ministry becomes more transparent. Our leadership really leads others to Christ.
Ultimately, service means sacrifice. What are we willing to give up for the Kingdom of God?
Reflect upon your sacrifices. What sacrifices face you now? Pray for the strength and wisdom to make those sacrifices for the good of others.
SOURCE: Word-Sunday Permission for use. All materials are the property of Larry Broding (Copyright 1999-2022). Viewers may copy any material for use in any non-profit ministry. Materials may not be sold or used for personal financial gain.
Final Prayer
Thank you, Oh Father, for having revealed to me your Son and for having made me enter in his inheritance, in his vineyard. You have rendered me a branch, have rendered me a grape: now I only need to remain in Him, in you and allow myself to be taken as good fruit, ripe, to be placed in the press. Yes, Lord, I know it: this is the way, I am not afraid, because you are with me. I know that the only way to happiness is the gift of self to you, the gift to the brothers. That I may be a branch, that I may be good grapes, to be squeezed, as you wish! Amen.