for the readings of today's mass, go
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/092020.cfm
Today's homily is one that I have adapted and abridged from the homily Thomas Cardinal Collins, Archbishop of Toronto, asked to be shared on this Stewardship Sunday with the parishioners of the Archdiocese of Toronto. For the full text of the Cardinal's homily, go to
https://www.archtoronto.org/stewardship/Documents/sunday-2020/stewardship-en.pdf
25th Sunday of Ordinary Time "A" Mt. 20: 1-16
How generous are you? With your time, your talents, your financial resources?
Consider God’s generosity. It is immense. For example, God does not measure out His mercy to us in little tiny amounts. God also acts with great generosity in the way in which He gives to us the grace in our lives, and the blessings with which we are surrounded.
We see this generosity in today’s Gospel. We hear of a landowner who hires people to work in his vineyard. The first that are hired, early in the morning, are given the proper amount for a day’s work at the end of the day. But the landowner keeps calling others to work throughout the day, and even at the eleventh hour, just before the working day ends, he calls more. Those who are called last have only worked about an hour, but also receive a full day’s wage. It is hard not to sympathize with the people who were hired at the beginning of the day. “What is going on here? Did we not work through the heat of the day? Should not we get more – and yet those who worked only an hour got the same amount as we did?” But the master says, “No, my friend, can I not be generous with that which is mine?”
But what we need to do is to look at this not from the perspective of the angry early workers, but from the perspective of the generous master. Yes, his generosity is unexpected. In many ways it is reflective of what we hear God say to us through the Prophet Isaiah in our in our First Reading today (55:6-9), “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.” For only someone incredibly generous, like God, would be so generous to those that only worked an hour. In many ways it makes me think of how the promise of eternal life is offered even to those who only turn their lives around at the final stages of their lives. Perhaps that is part of the message.
Today’s parable has similarities to the famous Parable of the Prodigal Son (Luke 15:11-32). When the younger son returns, the loving father warmly welcomes him and throws a party for him. The elder brother, like the early workers in today’s Parable says “No, no, how can you do that? It’s not fair. My younger brother does not deserve it.” Which is true. And the father’s reply? “We need to do this - your brother was lost and now is found.” Again the words, “My thoughts are not your thoughts … my ways and not your ways…” are lived out. For the Father is very generous.
Let’s consider and reflect upon some aspects of the mystery of God’s generosity. First, we are the receivers of His generosity. God owes us nothing, and yet God gives that in abundance, starting with our lives. He also gives us faith, He gives us grace, He gives us the gift of time as we live our life. He gives us everything – all from the magnificent generosity of God.
But we are also called, as His servants, to show to others that same spirit of generosity in the way we share the gifts that we have received.
We are not the Master. If we were the Master we would not be as generous as the Master in today’s Gospel. No, we are servants, but not just servants, but also stewards. A steward is a servant who has been entrusted with the gifts received from the Master. And we are called to use them well, to use them fruitfully, as in the Parable of the Talents (Mt. 25:14-30). Recall in that parable the Master hands out various talents to 3 servants. Two use them fruitfully, with generosity and creativity. But one buries it in the ground. What a waste. Unlike that one, we are called to be stewards of the gifts of God. Those gifts are entrusted to us by our generous Master and He calls us to use them well, like the other 2 in the parable. Generously and creatively.
Cardinal Collins invites us to think about this especially this weekend which in our Archdiocese is called Stewardship Sunday. It is a time when we are called to reflect upon what is to be a disciple of Jesus – a grateful steward of the many gifts that each one of us has received from the Lord. Yes, those gifts and talents will vary from person to person – but all of us have been blessed – and all of us are called to recognize them and share them.
As we do so, here are a few things the Cardinal invites us to consider. First, stewardship is an attitude - a profound attitude of gratitude for all the gifts we have received from God, and then a commitment in gratitude to nurture and share those gifts in thanksgiving to God and the benefit of others.
Secondly, as a parish community, we need to ask: what are the different gifts that we can see in parishioners around us? If we all begin to fruitfully use these gifts, not burying them in the ground or forgetting them or not recognizing them, but nurturing and sharing them, then our whole community will flourish and grow. All around us people will say “Look at that parish, so filled with people sharing the gifts of God”!
Thirdly, we need to remember that one day we will be held accountable for what God has given us. Going back to the Parable of the Talents, when the master returns, he asks the servants, what have you done with the gifts I entrusted to you? Likewise, there will come a time at the end of our life when we will be asked by God: how did make use of the various gifts I gave you? What did you do with the gift of your life – all that time you had on earth? What did you do with the many talents that I shared with you – did you recognize them, nurture and share them? And what did you do with the gift of your treasure? Did you horde it or did you share it generously? All of this was given to you to be shared for the glory of God and the benefit of others.
To those questions, a true Christian will be able to look the Lord in the eye and give answers that will please Him.
May the Lord bless us all in this sacred mission: to be faithful, creative stewards of the many gifts that we have received from our good and gracious God.