Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time - Cycle A

First reading - Isaiah 55: 6-9

Responsorial Psalm - 145: 2-18

Second Reading - Philippians 1: 20-27

Alleluia Verse - Acts 16:14

Gospel - Matthew 20: 1-16

Why do you see evil in the good I do?

Sin begins with discontentment for what you have been given and a desire to have more. Sin happens when you selfishly take for yourself that which God does not freely give you. Adam and Eve were not content with just being friends with God in the Garden of Eden. They wanted to be like God instead and they were convinced by the devil that they could be if they only did the one thing God told them not to do. They ate the fruit off of the tree of knowledge, sinning against God by taking that which he did not give, bringing death and suffering into the world. Envy has been one of the most powerful tools the devil has used to get man to sin against God from the very beginning of time and he has had a long time to perfect his craft.

In the parable from the gospel today we see a landowner hiring laborers to work in his vineyard for an agreed upon wage. He continued to add laborers throughout the day, even until the very last hour. There is dignity in work and the landowner gave all who needed it an opportunity to provide for themselves and their families without having to beg for help. At the end of the day, when it came time to settle up the accounts, each man was given the wage that was agreed upon. The laborers who began working at the beginning of the day were angry with the landowner because they felt that they should have been paid more because they worked more hours. Their hearts were filled with envy for the generosity of the landowner towards those who worked less.

Envy demands that which is not earned, deserved, or given. Envy is a thief of love and the seeds of hate. Envy is always divisive, separating one from another. It is an all-consuming fire that destroys all it touches. Our world in general and our country in particular are being consumed by envy. The powerful are using it as a tool to turn every class of citizen against another with the promise that they will punish the group you are envious of if you will only give them the power over your lives to do so. The Church is not immune to envy. More and more Catholics are giving into envy and demanding the Church get with the times and give them the changes they desire. These include things like allowing divorced and remarried Catholics to receive the Eucharist, supporting co-habitation, abortion, and the use of artificial contraception. They demand to celebrate a Mass of their choosing and they demand the ordination of women. Envy, in return, demands obedience and it will not be silenced until it gets what it wants.

If sin begins with discontentment for what you have been given, then the first step to a sin-free life is having gratitude for all that you have been given, including your trials and sufferings. Everything we have has been given to us from the love and generosity of God. Even our trials and sufferings give us the opportunity to grow closer to God and trust in him even deeper. We should be thankful for them. If you truly loved your neighbor, you would take joy when they are successful. Jesus did not fault the landowner for making money off of the laborers he employed. He did not say that the landowner owed the workers more. He chastised the workers who were not content with what they were given. Those who put themselves first in this life will be last in heaven. Those who put themselves last, serving others with sacrificial love, will be rewarded in heaven. Sacrificial love conquers envy. Gratitude stops sin in its tracks.

Be thankful for all you have been given and do not be envious of anything anyone else has.

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