Sunday, September 20, 2026 – Mt 20:1-16a – 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
At my first parish assignment, every Saturday night before the vigil Mass a parishioner sat on the bench in the vestibule. I would say, “Hi George. How are you doing tonight?” He always said back to me, “It’s better than being six feet under.”
Then one day I sat down with him and asked, “Do you really believe that? If heaven is all that we think it will be, don’t we long to be there with Christ and knowing it is a better place?” To that George replied, “Yes. But that is assuming that’s where I’m going.”
Saint Paul says in his letter to the Philippians, “I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.” Saint Paul’s message is that he longs to be with Christ in Heaven, but he knows that he still has work to do for God on this earth?
We are here at this holy Mass to acknowledge how God is part of our life and to be nourished in Word and Sacrament. We are here to be taught how to live our lives of faith and discipleship. To discern what work God is asking of us during out time on this earth.
Jesus teaches us how to live by using everyday examples. Today’s Gospel describes the human condition in how we can fall into the trap of measuring ourselves by comparing ourselves to others and to the things of this world. We heard the landowner hire workers five times during the day, starting at dawn, then at 9 am, Noon, 3 pm, and hiring the last workers at 5 pm. Now, let us imagine if we were the worker that was hired at dawn. How would you react when you see the worker get the same pay as you that started later in the day? It is not that the worker was initially upset, after all he took the job when it was offered and at the pay that was offered. It was only when he saw the other workers that started later in the day who were paid the same wage.
We live in a world where people compare themselves to others. We all fall into this tendency of comparison at times in our lives. Whether it is comparing ourselves to other people’s money, looks, possessions, marriage, success, and so on? I certainly did this during my life before seminary. I did this in seminary. And I even fall into this as a priest.
Early on in my priesthood, as we might often do when we start any new path in life, we see others and compare ourselves to them. We can be jealous or envious. For me watching other priests, I would think things like, “He is a better homilist than me?” or “I wish I could sing like him.” or “I wish I could be more prayerful like he is.” However, as my priesthood went on, I realized every one of us as individuals, as created by God, have our own gifts. That is part of the beauty of God’s creation. It is when we seek to see the gifts within us and nurture those gifts and use them as God is asking, we realize the true value of who we are in God’s eyes – the true value of who we are in this world.
Like Saint Paul, let us long to be with Christ in heaven. But until that day comes, let us do as the Prophet Isaiah says, “Seek the Lord while he may be found, call him while he is near.” Let us seek the Lord by finding the value of who we are in the gifts God has given to each of us. Then let us use these gifts to fulfill what God is asking you and I to do for his Kingdom here and now in His creations entrusted to our care. Amen.