Dear friends,
Today’s gospel reading brings to our attention one of the most forgotten aspects of our faith, that we become Christians and therefore disciples for a purpose: to partake and participate in the work of evangelization, the work of making the world the kingdom of God. The gospel message embraces this Sunday’s celebration theme, which is coined “Catechetical Sunday”: “I received from the Lord what I also handed on to you.” In virtue of our baptism, we are all called to teach and share the good news of our salvation, and say like Saint Paul: “Woe to me if I do not proclaim the Gospel.”
The landlord’s multiple encounters with and calls to those out there waiting while there is enough work to do remind us of our own attitude towards the work of evangelization: we are Christians for the sake of building the kingdom, no matter what stage of life we are in. Moreover, God tells us that it is never late for us to respond to His call. Some respond in their early life as children, other as youth, still other as young adults, and finally as seniors. Each one of us hears the call at a certain time, and we are expected to respond with a confident “Yes” knowing that God will afford us the opportunity and the blessing to bring in our contribution no matter how small or big it may be. We just hand on to others what we have received from the Lord.
Like many who respond to the Landlord that “nobody hired them”, we also can time and again give excuses to refrain ourselves from fulfilling the work evangelization, and therefore burry the grace of our discipleship. We may say, “we do not know what to do,” or “the call to new evangelization is puzzling since it seems too new to us,” or “I feel comfortable where I am at with my faith…” Yet today’s gospel shows us that the important thing is less our concern about our capabilities to change or to contribute than the disposition to accept the call and the ability to make ourselves available for God. What we give to others, the testimony of our faith, our commitment to discipleship and the courage to bear witness, all this is about God, not us.
As we gather today to learn from Christ Himself, let us ask Him to lead us where He wants us to be the difference and to participate courageously in the work of evangelizing and bringing Him to the peripheries, among brothers and sisters, the least and less fortunate whom He identified himself with. And let us continue to pray for one another and for our parish family.
Have a blessed Sunday!
Fr. Emery