Prayers
With prayer as the center of our lives, we serve in simplicity and joy.
Daily we pray both alone and together.
Coming before God in solitude, we listen and respond to the Spirit.
Gathering in Jesus’ name we share his word with one another and the world as a whole.
In these pages we welcome your prayer requests
and offer our weekly reflections for each Sunday and those from special occasions.
Join us in this sacred journey.
Daily we pray both alone and together.
Coming before God in solitude, we listen and respond to the Spirit.
Gathering in Jesus’ name we share his word with one another and the world as a whole.
In these pages we welcome your prayer requests
and offer our weekly reflections for each Sunday and those from special occasions.
Join us in this sacred journey.
READINGS AND REFLECTION FOR SEPTEMBER 24, 2023
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TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY
IN ORDINARY TIME |
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First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9
Responsorial Psalm: Ps. 145:2-3,8-9,17-18 Second Reading: Phil. 1:20c-24,27a Gospel: Mt. 20:1-16a |
Reflection
As we read and reflect on today’s scripture selections, we can surely agree that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways. While our God is generous in forgiving and abounding in mercy, we humans find It hard to let go of grievances and to forgive. We hold on to hurts and grudges and sometimes just want to “get even” rather than show mercy.
Jesus’ parable in the Gospel also causes us to question. Don’t we all think that the workers who worked all day should receive more than those who only worked an hour? It really doesn’t seem fair at all. Again, the ways of the landowner which reflect God’s ways are not ours. The landowner knew that all of the workers needed the full daily wage to provide for themselves and their families. The fact that workers were still standing in the marketplace waiting to be hired at the last hour showed that they really were desperately in need of work.
We humans seem to always want to count and measure and compare. We want to be sure to get what we think we deserve or what is coming to us. We don’t want anyone else to get or have more than we do, especially if we think they haven’t earned it or worked for it. Our gracious God lavishes us with graces and blessings, with mercy and love, whether we deserve it or not, every single day. Let’s put away our calculators and measuring tapes and try to look upon others with generosity and compassion. Gratitude for what we ourselves have been given and been blessed to experience may help us.
Prayer - A Prayer for True Generosity
Lord, teach me to be truly generous. Teach me to serve others like You did: to give, when I have little to spare; to heal, when I myself need healing; to toil, when I’d prefer to have the day off; to be grateful, when I feel underappreciated. For I’ll know then that I’ll be very much like You.
----Adapted by Dan Dixon, S.J., from St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity
Maureen Irvin, OSF
As we read and reflect on today’s scripture selections, we can surely agree that God’s thoughts are not our thoughts and God’s ways are not our ways. While our God is generous in forgiving and abounding in mercy, we humans find It hard to let go of grievances and to forgive. We hold on to hurts and grudges and sometimes just want to “get even” rather than show mercy.
Jesus’ parable in the Gospel also causes us to question. Don’t we all think that the workers who worked all day should receive more than those who only worked an hour? It really doesn’t seem fair at all. Again, the ways of the landowner which reflect God’s ways are not ours. The landowner knew that all of the workers needed the full daily wage to provide for themselves and their families. The fact that workers were still standing in the marketplace waiting to be hired at the last hour showed that they really were desperately in need of work.
We humans seem to always want to count and measure and compare. We want to be sure to get what we think we deserve or what is coming to us. We don’t want anyone else to get or have more than we do, especially if we think they haven’t earned it or worked for it. Our gracious God lavishes us with graces and blessings, with mercy and love, whether we deserve it or not, every single day. Let’s put away our calculators and measuring tapes and try to look upon others with generosity and compassion. Gratitude for what we ourselves have been given and been blessed to experience may help us.
Prayer - A Prayer for True Generosity
Lord, teach me to be truly generous. Teach me to serve others like You did: to give, when I have little to spare; to heal, when I myself need healing; to toil, when I’d prefer to have the day off; to be grateful, when I feel underappreciated. For I’ll know then that I’ll be very much like You.
----Adapted by Dan Dixon, S.J., from St. Ignatius’ Prayer for Generosity
Maureen Irvin, OSF
