Throughout my 60+ years that I have been a priest, I have met people here and there who have a real hard time with the gospel for today. It is so difficult to try and explain what Jesus was teaching here about God's unconditional love for all of us. God created the whole world that every human being could live with dignity. I don't think that God was particularly concerned about the many very wealthy people or how they got that way, as he was in the fact that not everyone is living with dignity or has a means to live an exciting and enduring life.

    In a way I find in the first reading from the prophet Isaiah a very strong reminder that God's ways are not our ways, nor our ways God's ways. In a way it depends on our concept of God: how do we know God, how do we see God. That is why it is important to reflect on the words of the first reading, "Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his ways and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God who is generous and forgiving." Part of our problem is that we do not understand the full meaning of the words 'generous and forgiving' as applied to God. It is quite easy to think of these words as we apply them to ourselves. The reading continues to help us understand the true meaning of today's gospel.

     The first reading continues, "'For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways,' says the Lord. 'As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.'" Not truly aware of the meaning of these words, we have difficulty in trying to understand how people who worked from sunup to sundown would be paid the same amount as those who worked for only one hour. However, if we reflect on the words at the beginning of the gospel reading, "After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them to his vineyards." According to scripture scholars, that amount was enough to take care of himself and his family. The basic message of this gospel is that Almighty God who loves us with unconditional love, is concerned about every one of us living with dignity, meeting all our needs.

     It is worthwhile to remember that Almighty God has nothing against wealth as long as it is not had at the expense of those who do not have enough. We all realize that there are some very wealthy people who are very generous and are totally concerned with justice. That is not to say that we also know of many people who are generous to the extreme, sharing what little they have. There are other scripture readings that challenge us to do the best we can for ourselves but never at the expense of others.

     In the second reading St. Paul reminds us of all that God has done and continues to do for all of us so perhaps we should reflect on his words to deepen our understanding of the gospel, "If there is any encouragement in Christ, any solace and love, any participation in the spirit, any compassion and mercy, complete my joy by being of the same mind with the same love, united in heart, thinking one thing. Do not out of selfishness or out of vainglory; rather humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out for his own interests but also for those of others. Having in you the same attitude that is also in Christ."

     I love to reflect on the responsorial psalm because as I pray it reflectively, it helps me to put together the teachings of all the readings for the day:

Every day will I bless you and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the Lord and highly to be praised. His greatness is unsearchable.

The Lord is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The Lord is good to all and compassionate towards all his works.

The Lord is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The Lord is near to all who call upon him, to all call upon him in truth.