By Lucy Johnson

“And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder.” ~Matthew 20:11

“It’s not fair! She got more ice cream. He got to stay out later. I did the dishes the last time.”

Anyone who has spent time with children has most likely heard some kind of grumbling. And children may not be wrong. Wouldn’t we all like life to be fair?

Understanding and Appreciating

As we mature, we realize that life isn’t fair. Acceptance of this isn’t easy. Take today’s Gospel reading where the workers hired earliest in the day were paid the same as those hired last. The householder paid them equally, but in the workers’ eyes, it wasn’t fair. Those who had labored all day received the same reward as the newcomers.

Sharing our God-given gifts

So, what is Jesus’ point with this parable? Is it to show God’s generosity, or is there a lesson for us to reflect on today? Yes, God is generous. Everything we have comes from Him. But what is our response? Are we grateful, willing to share this generosity, or do we in some ways consider God’s generosity “not fair”?

I’m thinking about “deathbed” conversions. How do we cradle Catholics feel about people who live a scandalous life and convert as they lay dying? Are we grateful that they have joined the Church, or do we grumble about it?

Recognizing God’s gifts in others

What about new parishioners coming into “my” church and wanting to make changes? Is our response “let me help you” or “but that’s not the way we do things here”? My favorite is, “we tried that in 1985, and it didn’t work.” 

I remember a time when a new group wanted to chair a parish dinner. The old guard knew they would fail because it wasn’t being done right. They were stepping away. Perhaps if they had stepped aside, they could have helped to mentor the newbies. But it wasn’t to be. 

Or the time when the parish bulletin asked for more volunteers to help prepare the Lenten soup supper. A new, young chef showed up with his own knives only to be told by the established kitchen crew that “they didn’t need any help.”  Sadly, he never volunteered again.

Perhaps today’s Gospel message is that we need to model the generosity of Jesus in our parishes, embracing old and new members’ ideas equally. Rejoice with deathbed conversions and new parishioners who eagerly want to be involved. No grumbling!

Prayer:

We give You thanks, O Lord, for all your wondrous gifts bestowed on us and others. With Your grace, help us to recognize the gifts in others and rejoice in their success. Let us be grateful and not grumble because their gift might seem better.

Call to Action:

Today, introduce yourself to someone new and learn one thing about them that connects the two of you.

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