Filled With Joyous Expectations

The prophet Isaiah (55:8-9) reminds us how we little creatures are often marred by pettiness:

For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways like your ways. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. 

Is it clear? Let us never forget it.  

On this 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, today’s unusual parable (Matthew 20:1-16) there is Jesus’ response to Peter’s self-serving question about what he and his companions, who had left everything for the Kingdom of God, will get as recompense. (Cf. Mt 19:27) Peter had shown a touch of pettiness and ignorance of God’s incredible generosity (“What eye has not seen, and ear has not heard, and what has not entered the human heart, what God has prepared for those who love him,” 1 Corinthians 2:9). But he did not reach the level of having the evil eye of the worker who labored for the entire day and expected more than he had agreed for. 

The phrase “are you envious because I am generous” translates the original Greek “is your eye evil because I am generous?”

We must not worry about how generous God will be and avoid at all costs developing an evil eye. Instead, we should rejoice in God’s incredible generosity. We should celebrate always the uniqueness of our God’s insane largesse. We should capitalize on it and love every minute we spend basking in his unmerited gifts.

Let us imagine that God asks us: Do you have an evil eye because I am generous? Now, which disciples of Christ risk developing an evil eye by wanting what the Lord gives to someone else? Having been a priest for over 54 years tells me that those with an evil eye are believers who claim they deserve more from God due to their good works. And they complain whenever they sense that he is not impressed by their good deeds and impeccable conduct. Unmindful of Jesus’ sweeping statement: without me you can do nothing (Jn15:5) their evil eye alters their perception of reality. They expect a substantial recompense for good deeds done exclusively through the power of the Holy Spirit. 

Hence, sadly, they live outside the supernatural reality of unmerited grace and count on non-existing merits. They do not know how to appreciate God’s gift, how to enjoy life, how to bask in God’s love and forgiveness and, worst of all, they do not know how to love. They do not know how to love God, how to love the other workers in the vineyard, including those who didn’t break a sweat to get the same pay they will get. They take issue with the fact that, dying on the cross, Jesus assured the repentant thief of the same eternal reward set aside for Peter and the other disciples who had left everything to follow him: “Amen, I say to you, today you will be with me in Paradise.”( Luke 23:43)

That thief toiled for less than an hour and got full pay!

It is unfortunate that many of those who were called to work in God’s vineyard from the first hour of the day do not appreciate the security of being chosen, of being provided for handsomely, by the Lord. So, let us ask ourselves: Is a case of evil eye keeping us from appreciating being guided by the light of God’s Word, strengthened by his Sacraments, comforted by his presence, sustained by the prayers and faith example of others from our childhood?” Secretly, do we still believe that we’ll get credit in the eyes of God for our hard work, for our many prayers, sacrifices, fasting and religious practices?”  

Here is, then, another question: “Do we want a God who applies our brand of justice or a God who is an incredibly generous and merciful landowner?” Even the quickest glance at our heart should convince us that we want always and exclusively a merciful and generous God whom we long to love and trust as much as it is humanly possible.

What he wants is our trust, our appreciation, our humble gratitude, our docile obedience, our admission of having been smothered by his infinite love. In return he wants us to enjoy life as a continuous gift from him, to live in harmony with all others, including those of the last hour, those who had to suffer outside his vineyard until the last moment. He wants us to be filled with joyous expectations of something incredibly beautiful, eternal and totally unmerited to come our way.