September 19-20

Dear Brothers and Sisters in Christ,

How often have we heard, especially these days, “Oh, it isn’t fair!”  Most of us indeed have a sense of fair-play, fair-pay; and what is rightly due me.  This is the way we perceive justice is to be administered.  Human nature doesn’t change much over the centuries because the same attitude prevailed in the days that Our Lord walked the earth.  But once again Our Lord upsets the apple cart.  In today’s parable of the hiring landowner, we hear of workers being engaged throughout the day and all ending up with equal remuneration.   It causes a most unhappy stir.  Cries of unfair and unjust rouse those who feel they have been poorly treated.  Sadly, jealousy rears its ugly head and co-workers in the field nearly come to blows.  Anger than flare-ups and even the generous landowner comes under attack.

Should we not hear the echo from today’s passage from Isaiah: “As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.”  Faith, of course, demands far more from us than a worldly sense of fairness.  The Lord asks us to be generous like God, forgiving like God and think like God.  Certainly this is a tall order, but God is happy to give us the grace to fill it if only we avoid the pitfalls and sin of jealousy and anger.

Recently I had the privilege of ministering to an elderly man whose final days, if not hours had come.  He had a profound love of God, but somehow had not got around to being a member of the Church.  He asked for Baptism and Anointing.  After a brief catechesis I happily Baptized, Confirmed, Anointed and fed him with the Body and Blood of Christ.  I told him there was great joy in heaven and you had to be there to see the joy of his face.  A late comer, to be sure, but one who nonetheless received the “landowner’s” generous wage.

We offer our profound congratulations to Eric Diehl and Emily Jonas who married yesterday.  In the midst of these trying times love prevails and hope for the future endures.  Thank you Eric and Emily for being witnesses to God’s love for the world and in the world.

And our heartfelt congratulations this day (at 7:30 Mass) to Lucie Frey Henry, D.O. who has been received into the fullness of Faith by Confirmation and the reception of the Holy Communion.  Lucie and Philip Krupka, M.D. will be married next Saturday at St. John’s.  We are privileged to share their joy and assure them of our prayers and  support.

With Blessings,

Father Langan