Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, September 20, 2020       (today’s lectionary)
Ways worthy
I am weary of thinking more of myself, or others, than I ought. Who is to say my thoughts, born of incomplete understanding in a moment of the movement of time, have much ground on which to stand?
Let me turn to the Lord for mercy, to my God,
Who is generous in forgiving.
My thoughts are NOT your thoughts,
Nor are your ways my ways, declares the Lord.
At a meeting of spiritual directors our leader Mary presented us with a list of virtues, a wonderful list which lifted our thoughts. If I live out these virtues, then both I as an individual and my community will grow. I can pick and choose, of course, and even focus more on my self or my community, but all the virtues originate with God. And in claiming them as a created child, I stand up in humble silence and praise our Creator.
As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high
Are my ways above your ways
And my thoughts above your thoughts.
Thank God for that!
Here is the list of 73 virtues. During our reflection time I sorted them into two groups: virtues for me to grow as an individual and virtues to help me give to my community. It was an excellent exercise, one worthy of an hour of Sabbath.
Every day I will bless you,
Great is the Lord and greatly to be praised,
Good to all and compassionate upon all his works.
Jesus told a simple story for simple people like me, whose thoughts are not higher than God’s. God is the landowner, and I am a laborer in his vineyard. My work compares favorably to the work of my neighbor’s, but I worked far longer than he did, so I expect God will reward me according to what I’ve done.
No???
God gives everyone the same wage. What the heck?
As I begin to digest what felt at first unfair, I realize God’s embrace extends beyond my work, my thoughts, and my ways. 44 days before our elections on the first Tuesday of November, I do well to examine my own virtues and labor in that workshop for awhile, rather than measuring the virtues of others. God is happy to help me there, while he helps all his other children too.
           (Isaiah 55, Psalm 145, Philippians 1, Acts 16, Matthew 20)
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