Tuesday, August 18, 2015

20th Week, Ordinary Time, Wednesday, 19-08-15

Judges 9:6-15 / Matthew 20:1-16

One of our human follies is that we have this tendency to be jealous and to envy others.

We get jealous of others for getting a better deal than us, or better treatment than us, or simply just because they are better than us.

We get jealous of others instead of rejoicing with them in their good fortune, and we get envious when we don't get what others get and when we don't have what others have.

But if we are able to look at envy and jealousy clearly, then we will also see that we get jealous and envious simply because we are not looking at what we already have.

We look at what others have, and we say that it is not fair because their grass is greener, or so we think.

That was what happened to the workers who worked a full day in the vineyard.

Instead of rejoicing that the last-minute workers who were hired had something to bring back to their families, they resented that they were paid the same amount as them.

Yes, resentment is the product of jealousy and envy.

Let us ask the Lord to heal our resentment and jealousy and envy, so that with generous hearts we will rejoice with the Lord for His gifts and blessings to all of us.