17th of August 2022

Wednesday in the 20th week of Ordinary Time, Year 11

_Ezek. 34:1-11_

_Mtt. 20:1-16_

*God's generosity is not confined to human justice*

Friends in Christ, on a day like this, we gather to reflect on the justice of God, a justice that does not play according to the rules of human understanding and not confined to the limits of human justice.

Thee parable of today's gospel gives us an insight on this generous nature of God. It is the story of a land owner/employer who paid the same amount of money to those he hired, not minding the time he hired them and the time each has worked. 

Dearest friends in Christ, at the first glance of today's gospel, what came into my mind was the generosity of God. We have a God who has been so generous and whose generous spirit is not confined to human strict justice. In the parable, the employer gave the workers opportunities, again, he gave them what was just by choosing to pay them a living wage as agreed. We all have been blessed by God, let us appreciate this generosity.

•Replace envy with gratitude. Unfortunately, it does seem that some us are envious of the Lord's generosity. In the parable, the landowner paid all the workers the same amount as agreed. At this, the others who came earlier grumbled. Do you know that there are some people who have a feeling of anger over the fortune of others? In the gospel of today, those who worked for the full day were not angry at what they were given, but were angry and envious at what others were given? Check on yourself, eschew those traces of envy in you. A Nigerian musician Mr. 2Kay in one of his songs said _"My brother God can bless anybody, make you no looku down on anybody, as you see me so no be by power, nobody special pass"_ Remember, God does not need your permission to bless anybody, be grateful than envious.

•Finally friends, we have a kind of contrast in the shepherds of the first reading and God our Good shepherd represented in the land owner. While those of the first reading were interested in enriching themselves, were not interested in the sheep entrusted to their care, the owner of the land in the parable sought those sheep who need opportunities, those yet to be hired though willing to work, and he paid them a just wage. Generosity against selfishness.

_I pray that we be found at the right place at the right time, doing the right thing, and that we get hired._

(Fr. Camillus Nwaigwe)