HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY FIFTH SUNDAY OF THE YEAR IN THE ORDINARY TIME – YEAR A

Rev. Fr. (Dr.) Osmond Anike

Readings:

First Reading:: Isaiah 55:6-9 – My thoughts are not your thoughts

Responsorial Psalm:Psalm 144(145):2-3, 8-9, 17-18 – The Lord is close to all who call him.

Second Reading:Philippians 1:20-24, 27 – Life to me is Christ; but death would bring me more.

Gospel:Matthew 20:1-16 – Why be envious because I am generous?

When I was a child, I had a horrible experience that taught me the greatest lesson I have ever learnt: My parents were teachers trained by Catholic missionaries. During that epoch, teachers were highly regarded as the light and beacon of the society. In our household, holistic discipline was of primordial importance. But as kids, rivalry between siblings was not uncommon. During dinner, food was usually served to everybody on his/her plate, and the portion was typically enough to satisfy each person. However, I always used to complain that my immediate younger brother got the same quantity of food as I did despite the fact that I am his “elder” (in Igbo culture, elders were usually highly regarded and given preferential treatment in the society). I reasoned that, being older than my younger brother, I was supposed to get greater quantity of food than him. I always had my fill though, but still, I complained. My mother put up with my constant complaint for long until one fateful day.  After the meal was served that afternoon, I still complained as usual that being older than my younger brother, I ought to get larger portion. My mother then harkened to my complaint and “sided” with me. She said that I really ought to get larger ration because as “an elder”, I had larger stomach. She then said that, to compensate me for all the “injustices” that had been meted out to me for so long, she was going to take my brother’s share of food and add it entirely to my own. However, this came with a caveat: I must not leave the house until I finished the two portions of food. When she took my brother’s portion and passed it over to me, my brother started crying; but I was very happy. I then settled down to eat my hard-earned “elder’s portion of food”. I hadn’t even eaten half of my own portion when I was filled up. I told my mother that I was filled up and satisfied, but she would have none of it. She insisted that I must finish the two portions of food in front of me. It was then I realized that eating food could be a heavy punishment. Needless to say that I was locked up in a room for the rest of the day with the two plates of food in front of me and my stomach protruding with excess. I cried loudly to no avail. In the evening, my mother opened the door and said to me: “Now that you have realized that your own portion of food is enough to fill your stomach, allow others to have their own portion whether you are older than them or not”.

This experience entirely changed my thinking and attitude. It was after this, and as I grew up to maturity, that I realized that the reason why people are not contented is not necessarily because they don’t have enough. Although it is a fact that many people don’t have enough, the primary reason why most people are unhappy is not because they don’t have, but because they don’t want others to have. Most people are satisfied with what they have until they see that others have it too. Then dissatisfaction sets in. When they see others having the same thing that they have, they become dissatisfied with their own, and, unhappiness sets in.

This strange human behaviour was demonstrated in the Parable of the Vineyard recounted in the Gospel of today. The early workers called to the vineyard duly and satisfactorily negotiated their wages. Everything was happily going on fine with them until they realized that the late callers received the same wages as them. From then onwards, dissatisfaction and grumbling ensued. A prisoner who had spent 30 years in prison was granted amnesty. To celebrate his freedom, he organized a press conference where he extoled the virtues of that government. One of those who attended the press conference was a young journalist who was imprisoned two days earlier but who luckily benefited from the general amnesty. When our special guest learnt of this, his demeanour changed, and he yelled: “This is the most unjust government in history. I was imprisoned for 30 years and this man just spent only two days in prison, and both of us were released together”. See human nature!

Listen also to this story from Anthony de Mello’s The Prayer of the Frog, vol. 1: An old woman died and was taken to the Judgement Seat by the angels. While examining her records however, the Judge could not find a single act of charity performed by her except for a carrot she had once given to a starving beggar. Such, however, is the power of a single deed of love that it was decreed that she be taken up to heaven on the strength of that carrot. The carrot was brought to court and given to her. The moment she caught hold of it, it began to rise as if pulled by some invisible string, lifting her up towards the sky. A beggar appeared, clutched on to the hem of her garment and was lifted along with her. A third person caught hold of the beggar’s foot and was lifted too. Soon there was a long line of persons being lifted up to heaven by that carrot. And, strange as it may seem, the woman did not feel the weight of all those people who held on to her. In fact, since she was looking heavenward, she did not even notice them. Higher and higher they rose until they were almost near the heavenly gates. That was when the woman looked back to catch a last glimpse of the earth and saw this whole train of people behind her. She was indignant! She gave an imperious wave of her hand and shouted, “Off! Off, all of you! This carrot is mine!” In making her imperious gesture she let go of the carrot for a moment – and down she fell with the entire train. De Mello concluded from this story that the cause of every evil on earth is the statement: “This belongs to me!”

Back to our Parable of the Vineyard! It is not the amount of time put in a work that counts; it is the amount of work put in the time that matters. During my seminary days back in Nigeria, we used to do weekly manual labour as part of our formation. The rule guiding the manual labour was that you stay in your duty post until the bell for the end of the manual labour is rung. However, experience showed that labours were done more when there was an adjustment of the rule with an instruction: “Finish and go!” Students always put in more effort in order to finish their portion of labour and still have some spare moments which they could utilize for their private use. The fact that the early vacationists put in more time does not necessarily mean that they worked more than the late ones in terms of productivity. Therefore, they have no justification for complaining based purely on the number of hours put in. Maybe, if their complaints had based on the output realized, perhaps they would have made some point.

As Christians, our concern should focus on getting our fair share of God’s blessing when we must have done our work. If God chose to extend that blessing to others, to Him be the Glory.