25th Sunday- A

That's not fair... 

Once as I was talking to other church ministers, there came a talk about the Rapture.  the Pentecostal minister said, " we are all going to take up". And the Baptist, the Presbyterian and the Anglican ministers said, "we are all going to be taken..." Then they looked at me and said, "What about you Catholics and I said, "we are not worried at all. It's because we are the people who are making the rapture..." They said, "That is not fair" 

Once a man visited his best friend who was dying and said, "you know what we have been friends for many, many years and we both love baseball.  All I want to know is, please find out whether there is baseball in heaven and let me know..." After promising the friend passed away. The very next day, his friend came in his dream and said, 'By the way, I have good news and bad news for you". The Good is there is baseball in heaven and the bad news is you are pitching tomorrow". 

All the friend said was, "That is not fair". 

We often hear these words from so many people saying, "That is not fair". We hear children saying, "why should I take out the garbage and that is not fair" and adult saying, "my chores are too difficult and that is not fair". My wife is sick and that is not fair and my husband is finding a good job and that is not fair.  

Once I met with a couple who stopped coming to church and when I visited them, do you know what they said? They said, "We used to go to that church over 37 years and when we went the last time, some strangers took our seat and thus we stopped going to church and that's not fair people taking our seat. 

There are people saying, "you know what, I went to school and I studied so hard and I did my best to find and good job and now I am making good money and why should I share my money with others and that's not fair and it's my money. 

God blessed us all with this precious life and He who never says "NO" to us showers upon us His countless gifts. Once Christ our Lord said, "When your child asks for a fish, will you give him a snake or if he asks you bread, will you give him a stone instead. If you who are evil and conditioned know how to give good things to your children, imagine how much more your heavenly Father who loves you with His unconditional love gives the Holy Spirit to those who ask Him." 

If we know the love and kindness of God Almighty, then how can we say that He is not fair.  

In today's gospel, the people are grumbling against the master saying, "That is not fair. These last one worked only one hour and the master made them equal to us who have suffered the burden of the day and scorching heat".  

We hear people saying, "we are womb to tomb Catholic and they are just converts and how come they are equal to us? 

Why should I share my money with the poor and the needy and that is not fair? 

Once Bishop St. Ambrose said, "when you have two shirts and one you have on you and the other one belongs to the naked person who stands at your door knocking..." This is called solidarity. One of the social teachings of the Catholic Church. We are called to be generous as our heavenly Father is generous to us. 

Conclusion: 

Instead of questioning His generosity and instead of criticizing His compassion towards others, we are called to imitate Him.  

Instead of being critical of others and their gifts, let us thank God for them and thus we too be like the Father who made us in His own image and likeness. Amen.