The Mystery of Divine Providence

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

As I listened to the Opening Prayer, the first reading and the Gospel Reading of today's Mass, I knew instantly that the theme of this Sunday is the Mystery of Divine Providence. Divine Providence is for me one of the most consoling truths in religion. I want to highlight this theme through today's liturgy.

Opening Prayer:

"Father, guide us as you guide creation according to your law of love…"

God created heaven and earth and found everything He created good. He guides His creation with love and power. My deepest desire at this time is that my free-will will cooperate with God instead of being a hindrance in God's perfect guidance of my life.

First Reading: (Isaiah 55: 6-9)

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

The above scripture defines the mystery of God's providence. If you can figure out the thoughts of God, then you can figure out His ways. From the Responsorial Psalm 145, we learn that "Great is the Lord and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable."

The Gospel: (Matthew 20: 1-16)

"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard….

6

Going out about five o'clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'

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They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'

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When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.'

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When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage.

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So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.

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And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner,

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saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.'

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He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. ⁴ Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?

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⁵Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?

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(Or) am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?'

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Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

 

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

If only I would remember in my hour of confusion and doubt that God's ways are not my ways and His thoughts are not my thoughts, I would ask for grace to respond to God's ways with trust and obedience.