Readings: Is 55:6-9. Phil 1:20c-24, 27c. Mt 20:1-16a
Based on our previous experiences with people and events, we come to expect that certain rewards will follow specific actions. We attach particular advantages to given parameters. For example, we may imagine that such things as age, office, responsibility, birth circumstances, vocation, etc are meant to give us an advantage over others.
We seem to take long to understand that Life is not just a rewarder of effort, but actually a gratuitous giver of gifts. What we enjoy is not simply a reward of our hard work. It’s more gift than reward. Even when we think we deserve a reward, the reward itself is more than we deserve. There’s thus no reason to begrudge others their current advantages, no reason to be jealous.
May Jesus Christ grant us the grace to see the generosity of God in our daily lives. And to rejoice when other people share in this generosity.
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