The
Lord is Near To All Who Call On Him
Psalm 145:18(a)
For the
second week in a row we hear a gospel story which, among other things,
describes the economy of the kingdom of God. In “The Parable of
the Unforgiving Servant”a steward whose debt is forgiven refuses to do the
same for someone who owes him a lesser amount. In “The Workers of
the Vineyard” those who are last to arrive receive equal pay as the other
workers. It is clear from these parables that kingdom's economy is
not based on the cost of money or gross hourly wage but rather on God's
"radical generosity."
As I considered what to write in today’s liturgical
notes I:
1. imagined 2 scenarios similar to the one in today’s
gospel
2. listened to a TED talk
3. prayed
Here is the first scenario. A person runs from their
parked car to the train platform. They need to make this train to be on
time for a do or die job interview. They make it up the stairs and rush
to the boarding train. People are standing outside its' open doors.
The train is jammed full. What if you or I were that person?
What if you or I were the person squeezed between a crowd of people and a train
door about to close?
The second scenario is quite similar to the first except the
person is no longer trying to get on a crowded train. They are struggling
to gain access to a lifeboat. What would you or I do now?
David Miliband is the President of the International Rescue
Committee. In his TED talk he tells this story about his grandmother and
her aunt. They were the only two people in the family to resist the order
of the Nazi authorities to report to the Brussels train station. Her
fleeing to a nearby village and a French farmer who ultimately hid 12 Jewish
refugees saved her life and made David's possible.
Finally, I took out the Rosary that I had recently received as a
gift from a friend who recently returned from Rome. Monday is the day
were the Joyful mysteries are prayed. The Annunciation, the
Visitation of Mary to Elizabeth, The Nativity... I reflected on the irony
of thinking about the thousands of children in refugee camps through the lens
of the joy of the coming of the Christ-child.
Perhaps today's gospel will help us to see, think and act just a
little differently.
You don't have to be a member of St. Mary's to get involved with our social concerns effort. Take a look at our web-page by clicking the following link:
or
Peace,
Bruce
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