Stewardship Reflection: Rejoicing in Our Neighbour’s Gifts

Craig Fernandes, a former seminarian at St. Augustine's Seminary, is now an engineering Master's student at the University of Toronto.

In the first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, we are reminded that God doesn’t think the same way we do: “For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” 

Not only are God’s ways different than ours, they are higher and better. 

We see this in the Gospel where the landowner in the parable gives an equal wage to the labourers regardless of how long they worked for. The labourers who worked the longest felt that they did not receive what was just. 

As stewards, we too can sometimes fall into the temptation of feeling that the gifts God has given us are not to the level we would have liked. Similarly, we may sometimes feel that other people should not have the gifts they have received. 

In doing this, we are subtly wanting God to think in the same way we do. Instead, we should strive to be stewards who are grateful for the gifts we have received. 

Moreover, we should even be grateful and praise God for the gifts of others. As we are all one Body of Christ, when one member has particular gifts, we all – as a Church – should celebrate and boast of that gift. St. Paul says in his letter to the Corinthians that within the Body of Christ, “if one member is honoured, all rejoice together with it.” 

Let us take some time today to thank God for His many gifts in our lives and the lives of our fellow parishioners. 

Summary

As stewards, we can sometimes fall into the same temptation of those in this weekend’s Gospel: feeling that the gifts God has given us and our neighbour are not to our liking. However, we should strive to be grateful for the gifts we have received and even be grateful and praise God for the gifts of others. Let us strive to grow in gratitude to God for His many gifts in our lives and the lives of our fellow parishioners.

Readings

• First Reading: Isaiah 55.6-9
• Second Reading: Philippians 1.20-24, 27
• Gospel: Matthew 20.1-16 - The Laborers in the Vineyard