Spirituality for Beginners

Fr. Bede's almost-daily reflections. When it comes to the spiritual life, we're all beginners. I also send these out by email. Contact me at bcamera@anselm.edu. God bless!





Wednesday, August 23, 2017

God's generosity exceeds our limits

Wednesday, August 23, 2017

Today’s Gospel passage (Matthew 20:1-160 speaks of the generosity of God, a generosity which far surpasses our limiting ideas of “fair” or “just,” of “earned” or “not earned,” of “worthy” or “unworthy.”

It tells of the story of the man who got called to work at the last hour, but who ended up getting paid the same amount offered to those who had worked under the hot sun all day.

We customarily recoil from this tale: “it’s not fair!”

And that’s true, according to our usual way of thinking. But Jesus calls us to a fresh, new way of thinking about His Father and the abundance of His grace, His mercy, His forbearance and His sense of justice.

If we put it into practical terms, we may be able to grasp it better. Consider these examples

·         That dirty, rotten, scoundrel who has cheated and defeated you several times in your life calls upon the mercy of God and you discover that he is given the same place in heaven as you.
·         Those people you despise in your heart are blessed by God and delivered from their sins and their sufferings and enjoy peace and abundance forever in eternity.
·         The day you little sister got a bigger piece of cake than you did.
·         The person who was passed over you for promotion at work . . . and then becomes a resounding success.
·         The ones whose sin you consider to be the most detestable are surrounded and forgiven in the embrace of the Almighty Judge.

One last thought for you: Considering these things, how might you apply them to your life here in the present?


God bless you!

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