Call Me Irresponsible!

 

Upon Reflection:  Here's the scene: You are a regular "Mass goer."  Every Sunday, there you are in the same pew, always a few minutes early to hear and to take note of the announcements and always remaining until the last lyric of the closing song is sung.  You tithe every week, and you volunteer regularly.  Clearly, you are a "good Catholic" and have no problem thinking of yourself as such.  But every year, when Christmas and Easter come around, you get annoyed.  You never get to sit in your usual pew.  Sometimes you have to stand in the back because there are no seats to be had.  "Who are these people?" you ask. "Where did they come from?  They only come to Mass twice a year.  Shouldn't they be the ones standing in the back?  Don't I deserve more than they?"  

 

Anyone who is a so-called "regular" at Mass has most likely thought these things in the past, maybe even verbally expressed them.  I know I am guilty of it.  This is why I think that in addition to the Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time (Year A), today's Gospel should be read before every Christmas & Easter Liturgy begins (throw in Ash Wednesday too if you would like).  It is a good reminder of just exactly what kind of God it is to whom we are offering thanksgiving.

 

We give thanks to a God who loves indiscriminately and without any conditions.  In fact, our God loves in such a way that we might even call it unfair, unjust and downright irresponsible.  We say, "thank you" to our God who pays no attention to how long it took us to accept God's offer of love.  There is no "first come, first served" with this God of ours - no "be the first to sign up and receive a bonus!" propositions. 

 

This parable of Jesus reveals that our concept of the words "deserve" and "earn" do not apply whatsoever when it comes to who, how and when God loves.  God's love is never deserved and cannot be earned. It is freely given equally to all at all times. (I invite you to re-read the previous two sentences over and over again until you feel it has sunk in).  

 

When we come to know God this way, we can go down the self-righteous path: grumbling and complaining about an unfair and irresponsible God who blesses people who, in our judgment, do not deserve nor have earned that blessing as much as we have, or we can go down the humble and honest path:  breathing a sigh of relief and saying, "Thank You!"

 

Be it today, tomorrow, Christmas, Ash Wednesday or Easter, which path will we take?