2023-Sep-24: The 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time

 

 

Isaiah 55:6-9

Isaiah 55:1-9, part of Deutero or Second Isaiah aka Book of Comfort, comprises most of the final hymn of the exilic portion of Isaiah, which invites exiles living outside of Judah in the sixth century B.C., at the dawn of Persian rule, to uproot themselves, move to a land their generation never knew, and reclaim their ancestral home. Despite the allowance of Cyrus and the Persian Empire for them to return, it was not a prosperous time. The city had not been rebuilt since its destruction by the Babylonians fifty years earlier, social and economic structures were weak, and there were struggles for the most desirable land between the returnees and those who had been in the land in the meantime.

For me: the affirmation that God’s thoughts are not human thoughts, nor are human ways God’s ways 

Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

Psalm 145, is called an individual hymn of praise that tells the story of the Israelites in the post-exilic period. The Israelites have returned to their land; they have rebuilt their temple and resumed many of their worship practices; but they cannot have a king leading them, so David appears prominently in Book Five (in Psalmic superscriptions) and, in Psalm 145, leads the people in celebration of God, not a human like himself, as king over Israel.  is in the last group of Psalms 139-145, of Book Five commonly identified as "Psalms of David.” Some scholars suggest that the Psalter ended with Psalm 145 at some point in its transmission history and that Psalms 146-150 were added as a concluding expression of the words of Psalm 145:21: “My mouth will speak the praise of the LORD, and all flesh will bless his holy name forever and ever.”

The Psalmist reminds readers of what they may already know. God’s greatness is beyond measure. God abounds in mercy and love. God is the supreme ruler, worthy of praise because God has made all that is and will ever be.

Philippians 1:20-24, 27

Scholars generally agree that Paul’s statement on suffering for Christ indicates that not only Paul himself is experiencing a difficult life confined in a Roman prison with the distinct possibility of execution probably sometime between 61 and 63 AD, but that the people in Philippi are too suffering under the yoke of Roman domination. But in their suffering, Paul reminds the Philippians that as followers of Christ, they have to continue to live as citizens of Philippi keeping Christ at the centre of all they think and do. One of the most striking features of Philippians is how it places Christ at the centre: at the centre of worthy pursuits (3:4b-14), at the centre of thinking (2:5), at the centre of ethical reflection (2:1-11), at the centre of life (1:21-26), and at the centre of worship (2:9-11).

For me, despite being, beleaguered, perhaps ostracized or harassed, we like the Philippians are told simply to hold fast their hope in Christ, without being intimidated by those who oppose us, and implicitly without reacting in fear or hatred. If you trust in the Lord then he will give you the strength to face all of life's challenges

Matthew 20:1-16

The “parable of the labourers in the vineyard”, unique to St. Matthew. presents a conundrum: contractual obligations for the early hires, and unexpected generosity for those hired later. The owner’s treatment of the hired workers is such that everyone gets the opportunity to work, and everyone receives enough to live — regardless of the quantity or quality of their work. This is not how the world operates, we want fairness and equality, when it serves our interest, but not if it means that we all get the same prize in the end. But the generosity of God the Father is above the wicked ways of the world.

Some have suggested that the Jews were the first to be chosen and were expecting to be treated especially compared to Gentiles who were late to the party (so to speak)

The question for me is, would I be disappointed to see someone I despise in Heaven jealous that they too received forgiveness, eternal life, and salvation reserved only for believers like me?