Generosity Changes Everything

 Live the Gospel of Generosity

Sunday Readings September 20, 2020

The Gospel is full of generosity. Today’s parable about the owner of the vineyard paying all workers the daily wage, the woman at the well, the woman caught in adultery, the Good Samaritan, the Prodigal Son and many more.  Something consistent about generosity is that it is “other” oriented.  In today’s Gospel, for the workers to appreciate God’s generosity, they have to look at how he has met the needs of the workers, especially those who started late in the day.  God gave to them what they needed.  His care was not based on the work they put in, but on their willingness to work.  This is gospel generosity.  This is gospel justice. 

My challenge as a human being to be “other centered” rather than “me centered”.  I have to go beyond my natural instincts to do what I see as fair.  Parents do this with their kids.  Some kids need more structure and care to achieve in school.  Others complete their task with little to no assistance.  If I give each child the same amount of assistance, time and praise, one may fail because their need is greater.  Isn’t this what the owner of the Vineyard (God) did with the workers?  He continued to hire and pay.  That is what the workers needed.  He did not force anyone to work.  He was simply generous with those wanting work.  This simple generosity is difficult to do in our daily lives.  American society is centered on the “self”.  Generosity is centered on the “other”. May we take time this week to recognize when we are not being “other” centered and therefore not being generous as God has modeled in the gospels.  Recognition is the first step to orienting our lives to being people of generosity like our generous God.

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