XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
GOD: PATIENT, GENEROUS AND JUST
By our Pastor, Fr. Carmelo Jimenez
The readings for this Sunday make us reflect on the infinite mercy of God for the sinner. In the Gospel today we hear, specifically in the figure of the landowner, a reflection of God the Father: generous and trusting, patient and just. Generous because he “planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower,” in other words he made everything in the vineyard that the tenants would need. Trusting because “he leased it to tenants and went on a journey,” thinking that they would do their part. Patient because not just one time, but many times he forgave them, but they took advantage of his patience. In the end, justice prevailed.
I will tell a story that caught my attention without sharing a time or place because I know that more than one family could be identified. There is a couple that has been married for many years that now and has adult children. Each of their sons and even the daughter likes the happy life: alcohol, dancing and a comfortable life. The couple contacted me wanting spiritual direction and someone had given them my cell number, so by phone, because of the distance, I accompanied them. At the beginning of their marriage they had many problems just as many marriages do. He was very chauvinistic; he would leave for work and not return until very late and half drunk. Many times they would fight and he even hit his wife. Over time, her social circle became the family and she found herself without friends and subjected to her husband. Praise God they were able to make progress economically and their finances are stable. He changed and has become a good father and is a pretty good husband – only he is jealous – but he provides his wife with everything she asks for or wants. After many years of living a tranquil life, from one day to the next, now she is the one that doesn’t want to continue; she got tired. Now the husband is the one trying, with patience, to win the love of his wife. I know that sometimes he loses hope because he sees that she doesn’t pay attention to him or their children, preferring to be with her friends. One day I visited with them and I sadly heard how she treats him as a servant: Bring me that! Go get that! Reach up there and get me that! Etc. And from one moment to the next, she can go from being content to being desperate to end their marriage. The children, despite being young adults, suffer seeing their mom without any desire to attend to them or their father. Now it seems that their separation is imminent. What is the hope for this family? That the husband loves his wife and respects her the way she deserves (changing completely). That the wife forgives her husband and goes back to valuing her family. That their children, seeing the situation of their parents, behave responsibly with their lives. That both the spouses learn to be patient with each other and with their children and help them to grow into the responsibilities of life.
Now let us compare our lives to the Word of God. God is generous with human beings because he gives not only what we need, rather more than what we need. Trusting, because in his great wisdom he makes man free, in other words he gives us the freedom to choose the life we want, good or bad, and respects our choice. Patient, because many times the human race has erred, and we too have chosen the wrong path and we have turned our backs on God. Many times he has forgiven us and he hasn’t told us: enough! No more! Instead he invites us to return and he in return gives us his forgiveness. But remember brother, the call to conversion is for now, because tomorrow may not come.
Jesus foretold of his death and his triumphant end. He knew he would be rejected by his own people and killed, but he also knew that would not be the end. After the rejection would come the glory. He entrusts each of us with his gifts and grace and he gives each of us a mission to complete in his vineyard. He promises that everything we do for him will not be in vain if we persevere with faith until the end. We can expect trials and difficulties for working in the Lord’s work, including persecution of those who oppose the Kingdom of God. But in the end we will see triumph because Christ is the cornerstone and his promise is true. Do you work for the Lord with joyful hope and with confidence in his victory?
May God grant us the grace of conversion, with love and mercy and perseverance in his Kingdom, trusting that God will always sustain us during the trials and difficulties. With our hope in the Lord may we change our mentality and our hearts, and in that way change our families, toward the love of God.