The readings this weekend remind us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His thoughts are not our thoughts. In the Gospel, Jesus tells us the parable of the workers in the vineyard, where those who worked only one hour receive the same wage as those who labored throughout the entire day. At first, this can seem unfair to us, because we naturally measure things by what we believe people deserve. Yet Jesus is teaching us something deeper about the generosity of God.
The Lord does not give His love and mercy according to our calculations; He gives freely, abundantly, and without limit. Perhaps there are times when we look at another person and wonder why God would bless them after the choices they have made, or why someone who came to the faith late in life should receive the same eternal reward as someone who has served God faithfully for many years. The answer is found in the words of Isaiah: “Seek the Lord while he may be found.” God’s mercy is not something we earn by comparison with others; it is a gift we are invited to receive. Rather than worrying about what others receive, may we be grateful that the Master of the vineyard has called each of us to work in His vineyard and promises to welcome us home.
A couple weeks ago the Quincy Deanery Council of Catholic Women, including our Ladies of St. Francis Solanus, worked to host the Springfield Diocesan Council of Catholic Women. It was such a great event with a wonderful speaker, Teresa Tomeo. Thank you to the Quincy Deanery leadership, including our very own Fr. Ken Ahanonu for the work they did for such a great event.
This week Mrs. Julie Radel announced she is planning to retire from administration as Principal at the end of this year! Julie has been such a gift to our school. She is so organized, communicates so well, has reorganized how we discipline in the school, guided many upgrades, and much more. She is a delight to work with and will be missed. I pray she stays in education as she has such a passion, knowledge, and love for the work. Please thank Julie for all she has done and please pray for our efforts to find a new principal.
September 30 at 6:30 p.m. at the VIP 3 theater in the Quincy Mall, please come see the movie, “From Slave to Priest,” about the life of Venerable Fr. Augustine Tolton. Tickets are available online. Find more info at www.toltonshrine.org.
Pax et bonum,
Father Arisman