An Act of Mercy

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 
24 September 2017

First reading

Isaiah 55:6-9

Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts.
Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him,
to our God who is rich in forgiving;
for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth
as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.

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Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 144(145):2-3,8-9,17-18

                

Second reading

Philippians 1:20-24,27

Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results – I do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
  Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.

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Gospel Acclamation

Alleluia, alleluia!

Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord!
Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens!

Alleluia!

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Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16

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.’

Reflection

by Gary Tulabut

A few semesters ago, five of our graduating students found themselves in a situation which may postpone their graduation to another semester. They had failing average in one major subject.

In situations like these with graduating students, we, their professors, convene a deliberation meeting to decide on what to do – whether to give them a failing grade outright or to give them another change. If we choose the latter, what kind of final chance do we give them? Most of the time we give them a comprehensive exam.

And so another chance we gave these students.

But alas! Some lower year students shouted foul and complained. At first I did not understand what they were complaining about until a thesis advisee of mine explained to me via FB private message. It turned out they find it unfair that just because those students were graduating, we would give them another chance, something we do not grant to lower year students. I told him that was the point, we give them the chance because they were graduating. He further argued that if we just gave them, the lower years, the same chance, they would not wait for two semesters before they would graduate. “But where do we draw the line?” I asked. “Why don’t we just give second, or third, or fourth chance to every student with failing grade then?”

But no matter what I explained to this student of mine, his mind was already closed on the idea that it was an unfair treatment to them. And so I just listened to whatever he was saying like a counselor.

What he did not understand was that what we did was an act of mercy to the failing students. It was not a right.

Just like our salvation, which was represented by the wages of the workers in the vineyard in today’s Gospel reading, God’s Mercy is freely given. It is not earned. It is not a right. It is born out of His love for us.

Prayer

Thank you Jesus for Your mercy. While we were sinners You died for us so we would gain salvation which we do not deserve. Nothing can we do in this world can ever repay Your love. All we can do is to love You though other people because You first loved us. Amen.