XXV Sunday of Ordinary Time -- Year A

First: Is 55: 6-9; Second: Phil 1:20-24, 27a; Gospel: Mt 20: 1-16a

THEME of the READINGS

"Way" is a word that recurs very frequently in the Bible, and is explicitly or implicitly present in this Sunday’s liturgy. First of all, there is the way of man. "They grumbled at the householder, saying, These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have born the burden of the day and the scorching heat" (Mt 20: 11-12). Then there is the way of God, "Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity" (Mt 20: 13-15). This is why, in the first reading we read: "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways" (Is 55: 8). Finally, the way of the Christian is shown to us by Paul: "I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account" (Phil 1: 23-24). The way of the Christian is that of the will of God as it is made manifest over time.

DOCTRinal MESSAGE

The way of man. As humans, we are accustomed to thinking of our inter-personal relations in terms of a contract and of commutative justice. Certainly, this occurs in employment relations, where the worker by contract exchanges his labor for a wage. However, people apply these categories to their relationship with God – relations based on a contract, on merit, on justice! In the face of this situation, in today’s liturgy, God tells the person who thinks he is right, "You are wrong. My relations with individuals is not those of an employer, nor are your relations with me those of an employee." God is not unjust. He goes beyond justice – "For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways" (Is 55: 9). Here the freedom of love and goodness prevail. The "just" man is disconcerted by this divine way of acting and feels the grip of envy. This means that he has not undertaken the way of God, the way of freedom and goodness of the Father. He will have to change his mentality, to make the transition from being "just" to being justified.

The way of God. "Just" is certainly one of adjectives attributed to God, but this is not the way chosen by God in his relations people in history. Furthermore, Revelation speaks of the "justice of God," not in commutative, but rather in salvific terms: God is just insofar as he justifies us, saves us from our sins and redeems us through his Son. His justice alters our justice, because it is impregnated with love and goodness. How far God’s justice is from mere contractual justice! This is why, the final phrase of the text of the Gospel is disquieting for some and comforting for others. "Thus the last will be first, and the first, last." Those that seek commutative justice in their relationship with God will be last in the Kingdom of God, while those that let salvific justice act in their life will be first. Such are the ways of God, so distant and different from our own! The way of the Christian. Paul is the symbol and figure of one who has been conquered by Christ, the figure of a genuine Christian. Like Jesus Christ, Paul has made the will of God the way of his existence. This is why he does not have "personal ways," but rather lets God manifest his will to him in the events of each day. While his wish would be to die and be with Christ, his mission is such that he feels called to continue living to preach the Gospel. He does not choose. He lets God show him the way, whatever it may be, and he is ready to follow that way with promptness and joy. A Christian does not have "his own way." It is God who opens up the way to him, day after day.

PASTOral SUGGESTIONS

Our concept of God. In order to "adjust" our relationship with God, we must first "adjust" our knowledge, because it is evident that a person relates to others or to God according to their idea of them. There are many names and attributes associated with God, but there are always some to which we give greater emphasis. In concrete terms, which attribute of God has the greatest significance for me? In my preaching and pastoral ministry, which of God’s names do I emphasize the most? When I meditate or pray, what is the image of God that is clearest in my mind? When faced with my sins and those of my brothers and sisters, which image of God comes to mind most spontaneously? What can I do to inculcate in all the parishioners or members of my community a more evangelical image of God?

Our relationship with God. Being a Christian means, in a very special way, to live our relationship with God in the same way as Christ. Jesus Christ addresses God with a single name, "Abba." For Jesus Christ, God is almighty, just, holy ..., but when he speaks to him, he does not choose any of these names. God is his Father and he is like small child, a favorite son. Paul, in both in his letter to the Romans (8: 15) and to the Galatians (4: 6), insists that this is how we should treat God as Christians. This way of behaving towards God is not spontaneous, nor is it the result of a speculation on the most adequate relationship between man and God. First and foremost, it is Revelation by the Son, Jesus Christ, and then vital appropriation by the Spirit, the teacher within who teaches us to say "Abba, Father."

Source: http://www.clerus.org/clerus/dati/2004-05/21-13/CICLOA.html by P. ANTONIO IZQUIERDO L.C. (1948-2013)

[참고: 이 파일은 저서명 "가톨릭 교회의 말씀 전례에 따른 성경공부 해설서"(엮은이: 소순태, 출판사: 가톨릭출판사)의 각주의 연장으로 마련되었습니다].