On
that day it will be said:
“Behold our God, to whom we look to save us!
This
is the Lord for whom we looked;
let us rejoice be glad that he has saved us!”
(Isaiah 25:9)
Let
there be no doubt about it, as I know personally from having talked
with a whole lot of people lately, they’re worried. They’re not
worried because politicians running for elective office are telling
people why they should be worried. No, people are worried because
they’re looking at the value of their homes decreasing and the value
of their retirement programs declining. They’re fearful they won’t
be able to take care of themselves or to provide for their needs at
some unspecified future point in time. For some, what they fear
most may be right around the corner. For others, doomsday may be
one year away or a couple of years into the future.
We
all know that living in fear isn’t healthy. It contributes to
sleepless nights and, as a result, increased weariness during the
day. Living in fear also contributes to an overall decline in
positive mental attitude and, as a result, in overall health and
wellness. It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure out that
fear and its by-products—increased stress and anxiety—decrease not
only our happiness but also our longevity.
When
misfortune strikes—like tough economic times and markets responding
to irrational panic—we view what happens as a negative because
everything we have put our trust in seems to have played a sadistic
trick on us. For example, we believed that, by taking out a
mortgage and paying for our homes over time, we’d be secure. We
also believed that, by investing money wisely in mutual funds or
pensions for retirement, they’d grow over time and build a nest egg
that would secure a comfortable retirement. Now, with housing
values declining and the markets in what appears to be a free fall,
many of us fear that everything we hoped for and pinned our hopes on
may be lost.
I
know of elderly people who were hoping to leave some money for their
kids. Now, they’re fearful they might not have enough to provide
for themselves if they live too much longer. They are actually
wondering whether it would be more cost‑effective to die sooner
rather than later.
I
know of couples who had hoped to pay off their homes. They’re
fearful they can’t afford the house in which they live but they also
can’t afford to sell their house because of the decline in the
housing market which has made their house worth much less than its
mortgaged value. Couples like these are actually wondering if it
would be more cost-effective to return the keys to the mortgage
bank, declare bankruptcy, and rent an apartment.
I
know of young people who have taken out loans to pay for college.
They are fearful they won’t be land a job after graduation that will
provide sufficient income to pay off those college loans when they
come due. And, to make matters worse, these young people are
fearful that if their parents sell their house and move into an
apartment, there won’t be any room for them to move back into.
Yes,
misfortune has spawned a lot of the fear that is out there. But, I
think, many politicians and pundits are pointing the finger of blame
in all of the wrong places. No doubt about it, greedy and
unscrupulous business persons are complicit in the misfortune we now
confront. Unethical politicians put self-interest ahead of public
interest and are complicit in the misfortune we now have to
confront. Reporters and media personnel who present only one side
of a multifaceted issue and don’t report the whole truth are to
blame, too, because they are complicit in the misfortune we must now
confront. But, to point the finger of blame at greedy and
unscrupulous business persons, unethical politicians, and biased
reporters and media personnel is to avoid pointing the finger of
blame squarely where it belongs. That is, to point it at ourselves.
Why?
When
we place our trust in human beings and in their creative inventions,
we don’t place our trust in God. Even when we’re not in full panic
mode, we look to human beings to provide the guidance and tips we
need if we are to grasp what we want so badly and to avoid what we
fear most. But, in doing so, we don’t look to God to provide the
guidance we need if we are to experience true happiness.
The
simple fact is that when misfortune occurs, we have no one to blame
but ourselves because there is absolutely nothing—refinancing our
home or diversifying our portfolio—that can undo misfortune. We
simply have to “deal with it” and to “learn from it.” That’s the
key.
So,
what might there be to learn from the misfortune many of us may
currently be experiencing or the fear that misfortune may soon
strike? A more spiritual way of stating that question would be:
“What are we to discern in the signs of the times?” That’s the
question the Second Vatican Council set about answering for the
Church and challenged Catholics to answer for their lives.
Let
me suggest a couple of items we may need to learn in these times of
misfortune, each of which is predicated upon putting our trust in
human beings and their creative inventions, things like home equity
loans, mortgage refi’s, and mutual funds and pensions that we
believe are never supposed decrease in value.
A
first item to be discerned: “I don’t want to be a burden to my
children.”
An
understandable concept. Who would ever want to be a burden
upon one’s children? But, notice what happens. To secure ourselves
having this fear become reality, we consult savvy wealth managers
who invest our money in the stock market in the hope we will make a
double-digit annual return that, in turn, will make it possible for
us to live in comfort until we die…never becoming a burden to a our
children.
Misfortune reminds us about what family means, as God intended it in
and from the beginning. In a family, members bear obligations to
one another not simply by blood—which would be a burden—but by life
itself—which concerns a generous heart. The very notion that an
elderly family member would be a “burden” is a perversion of the
very nature of “family.” Just as no infant is a burden, so too, no
elderly member of a family is a burden…that is, unless we make it so
because we have other priorities.
Sure,
good fortune makes it possible to insulate ourselves from having to
deal with the burdens that old age place upon a family. We may even
be so lucky as to live in the equivalent of a cruise ship like the
USS Shannondell, but we do so at the high cost of living in a
fantasy world where we believe creative human inventions—like
low-risk investments—will protect us from ever being a burden or
having to bear a burden.
Luxuriating in our good fortune, however, we fail to realize—what we
need to discern in the signs of the times—is that we are living in
fear. Why? Despite all of our alleged “financial security,” we
don’t know whether normal market fluctuations will wipe out our
investments or, worse yet, whether our children truly love us or
view us as a potential burden. What we have failed to consider is
what God intended in and from the beginning for marriage and family
life. On living according to what God intends will we possess the
true happiness that can never be taken away, even by misfortune.
A
second item to be discerned: “I can have it all.”
Again, an understandable but far more wishful concept. Who doesn’t
want to have it all? The desire isn’t problematic. What is
problematic is the belief that we can, in fact, have it all. So,
acting in the belief that we can have it all, we decide to go and
get it all by placing at risk what we possess. We take advantage of
creative human inventions—like five-year ARMs and low-cost home
equity loans—to acquire all of those goodies we so very much
desire. In short, this is nothing other than “living beyond our
means.”
Luxuriating in good fortune, what we fail to realize—what we need to
discern in the signs of the times—is that we are living in fear.
Why? Despite all we possess, we know that all of it can be taken
away in the flash of an instant. And, when our possessions are
taken away, we blame everyone but ourselves. Why? We never learned
the important lesson: be careful lest your possessions possess
you. Possessing what we need—not everything we want—brings true
happiness, something misfortune can never take away.
In
today’s gospel, Jesus tells the chief priests and elders of the
people a parable about a king who hosted a wedding feast for his
son. The king invited all sorts of people, all of whom were very
busy working to earn an income they hoped would insulate them from
everything they feared and comfort them with everything they
wanted. These people not only didn’t respond to the king’s
invitation but, when reminded that they had been invited to the
wedding feast, beat and killed those whom the king had sent bearing
the RSVP. In the end, the king wrought utter destruction upon all
of those people, all of their possessions, and every institution in
which they had placed their hope.
The
lesson? In the end, only God is all powerful.
When
the king invites us to the wedding feast, nothing matters more than
to come, to participate, and to enjoy the festivities which will
provide everything we need…the true basics of life. However, if we
are to enjoy that banquet, we must reorder our priorities by putting
first things first. Then, feasting at the king’s banquet, we will
be filled with everything we need and will know what truly matters,
as God intended in and from the beginning.
St.
Paul also reminds us that misfortune does not paralyze. Instead, we
allow ourselves to be paralyzed by all of those things we believe
will make us truly happy. What matters most is neither abundance
nor its lack, but knowing where our true happiness is found. As St.
Paul wrote to the Philippians: “I know how to live in humble
circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every
circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being
well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in
need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me….My God will
fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches
in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever.
Amen.”
In
the end, true happiness is not found by trusting in creative human
inventions but by trusting in God Who provides even in misfortune,
the “classroom” where we learn where true happiness is found. When
we learn that lesson, the prophet Isaiah reminds us: “On that day it
will be said: ‘Behold our God, to whom we look to save us! This is
the Lord for whom we looked; let us rejoice be glad that he has
saved us!’ ”
The allegory of the landowner and the vineyard Jesus used in today’s
gospel raises for our consideration those vineyards God has planted,
put a hedge around, dug a wine press, built a tower, and then has
leased…to us. God has entrusted us to care and
cultivate those vineyards, fully expecting they will produce
abundant fruit through our labor. Then, when God returns, God
fully expects we will present to him the first fruits of our labor,
evidencing wise stewardship of those vineyards God has entrusted to
our care and cultivation.
I don’t believe we reflect often enough upon that allegory and the
challenges it presents us in so many aspects―those
“vineyards”―of
our lives.
Consider, first, the vineyard of our wonderful nation.
Looking backwards historically, I think it safe to state that no
nation has been so richly blessed by God as has our nation. For the
most part, we enjoy a standard and quality of life that is the envy
of most people in the free world. Poverty is a problem, yes;
but, even our nation’s
poor have it better than the poor in almost every other nation.
Race relations continue to be a problem, yes; but, social inequality
and injustice are matters that many, if not most, of our fellow
citizens are not just concerned about but are also active in rooting
out.
Yet,
how often do we forget that this vineyard we call our “homeland” and
its fruits do not belong to us? No, God has entrusted all of
this to us. Our nation is not our vineyard, individually or
collectively. No, we are merely tenants who will be replaced
by other tenants when our day has passed. Our task is to care
and cultivate this vineyard so that, when God returns, we will
present him the first fruits―those
very best fruits―of
our labor. This message challenges us to consider many things,
including: how we care and cultivate the less fortunate among us,
the environment, our natural resources, and so many other important
national issues.
In contrast to this vision, consider the events of the past ten
days.
“Armageddon” is the word we’ve heard numerous politicians and media
pundits invoke to describe the financial debacle—“bigger than the
Great Depression,” some opined—that would befall our nation if the
President’s proposed “bailout” package was not enacted by Congress
immediately. Words like “Armageddon” and phrases like “bigger
than the Great Depression” are carefully chosen to ensure maximum
impact, that is, to produce the greatest possible amount of anxiety.
The cause of this debacle? It’s extremely complex, but some
blame greed in the form of unscrupulous business persons and
politicians. Others blame a lack of oversight on the part of
governmental regulators. Sure, there’s a lot of guilt to be
spread around. But, did these people cause this
debacle?
No. None of this would have happened had hundreds of thousands
or millions of fellow tenants—perhaps even many of us—lived within
their means rather than deluding themselves to believe they could
pile up debt upon debt in the false belief there would be no day of
reckoning. But, that day has arrived and all of those people
now have nothing―except
bankruptcy―to
present to God for the blessings of life, of liberty, and the
pursuit of happiness in one of the greatest vineyards in the world.
Why? The answer is that all these people cared about and
cultivated was what was their selfish, self-interest. Sad to
say, but let’s not be so self-pretentious and defensive to forget:
unscrupulous business persons and politicians need greedy fellow
tenants, that is, if those scoundrels are to further their
mischievous ends.
Yet, as
important as our nation’s
economic woes are, all of that pales in comparison to its abortion
statistics. Since the 1973 Supreme Court ruling in Roe v.
Wade, “industry
statistics”
(yes, that’s
what they’re called because it is an industry)
indicate that documented abortions have terminated the lives of more
than 50 million unborn babies in the United States. Were those
50 million fellow citizens alive today, they would be standing
beside us in caring for and cultivating the vineyard of our nation.
How richer and more productive this vineyard would be! But,
sad to say, those human beings were condemned to a premature death
for what can be described as nothing other than purely selfish
reasons.
It’s
all too easy to point the finger of blame at unscrupulous business
persons and politicians or those who choose to or participate in
aborting a human being. It’s not so easy to
point the finger
of blame at ourselves. God has entrusted the vineyard of this
nation to us. We are to care for and cultivate it. So:
What are we are doing to secure economic security and social
justice? And, more importantly: What are we doing to secure
life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness for the unborn?
Consider, second, the vineyard of marriage.
God has entrusted to many women and men this very special and sacred
vineyard, trusting that they will care for and cultivate it, the
first fruit of which is the cornerstone of any society that could be
called
“great.”
Then, on the day when God returns, he fully expects husbands and
wives to present the first fruits of their labors―the
very best fruits―from
this vineyard. What could ever engender more joy in a husband
and wife to present to God their fruit of healthy, happy, and
virtuous children and grandchildren?
Yet, today in this vineyard we might wonder just exactly what all of
those tenants are up to? In the United States, the divorce
rate for first marriages is 50%, for second marriages 67%, and for
third marriages 74%, according to Jennifer Baker (Forest Institute
of Professional Psychology in Springfield, Missouri). You’d
think that after a second divorce, these men and women would begin
to get the idea: they’re
simply not cut out for marriage! But, get this: the divorce
rate among Catholics is 21%. That’s
one in five marriages ending in divorce!
Inconceivably,
13% of Protestant ministers have divorced―that’s
more than one in ten...and raising a “red flag” to all of those who
are calling for married priests
(Barna Research Group, 1999).
The cause of this debacle? To be sure, it’s extremely complex.
Some argue that divorce is due to the greater incidence of
cohabitation before marriage. Others argue that a culture of
rampant individualism makes it impossible for spouses to enter into
the intimate communion of mind, of heart, and of body that is
required if a marriage is to succeed. In reaction to the media
which generally trumpets such low expectations with regard to
marriage, some argue that young people set their expectations for
marital bliss so high—verging on the stuff of pure fantasy and
delusion—that no marriage could possibly meet these expectations.
Sure, there’s a lot of guilt to be spread around. But, did
these
cause this debacle?
No, quite likely not. Why? None of this would have
happened had those millions upon millions of men and women—perhaps
some of us—contemplated and taken seriously what the words “I will
love you, honor you, and obey you all the days of my life…” really
mean and what they actually require. Anyone who lives in a
good marriage knows that
“wedded bliss” in the
vineyard of marriage requires constant care and cultivation.
Weeds seem to keep cropping up no matter how much the vineyard is
weeded. The only way to battle all of this is to do battle
with it! Patient and persistent weeding is how spouses who
love, honor, and obey each other build strong, sacramental
marriages, as God intended in and from the beginning.
Sad to say,
with
the day of reckoning now having arrived in the form of the
termination of so many marriages as if they are the equivalent of
defaulting on a automobile loan or mortgage, these ex-spouses have
nothing to present to God from this vineyard which God entrusted to
them to care for and cultivate. Sure, the reasons for divorce
are complex, but we all know that no marriage will end up in divorce
court when both spouses make a total and free commitment to love,
honor, and obey each other all the days of their lives and renew
that commitment each and every day of their lives.
Furthermore, statistics indicate that couples who pray together
daily and worship together weekly have a lower incidence of divorce,
ranging from 3% to 8%, far below the national averages.
So, for
those who are contemplating spending their lives in the vineyard of
marriage, the questions are simple and straightforward:
-
Do you want to present to God healthy, happy, and virtuous
children and grandchildren?
-
Are
you and your intended spouse willing to pray together each day
and to worship together weekly?
If not,
chances are that you’re
going to be visiting an attorney and, perhaps sooner than later.
Use there
two
tools to care for and cultivate your marriage and you will present
to God the best first fruits of your labor in the vineyard of
marriage. No doubt about it.
Consider, third, the vineyard of life itself.
God has entrusted to each of us the vineyard of a life, trusting
that we will care for and cultivate that most precious vineyard.
Then, on the day when God returns, he fully expects that we will
present to him the first fruits―the
very best fruits―of
our labors.
God has entrusted us with different talents, to be sure. None
of us is good at everything, but all of us are good at one thing or
perhaps even a few things. Caring for and cultivating those
talents, especially in service of other human beings, is certainly
an important aspect of the labor we must perform in this vineyard
called
“life.” But, let us not forget that labor in the vineyard of
life is not simply to provide for ourselves everything we need and
want. No, labor is also is a means by which we care for and
cultivate others in this vineyard.
At the same time, let us also not forget that God has entrusted each
of us with caring for and cultivating the gifts of the Holy Spirit.
Important as it is to care for and cultivate our talents so that, at
a minimum, we will be able to provide for our basic temporal need
(and to the degree possible for the temporal needs of others), it’s
all the more important that we care for and cultivate wisdom,
knowledge, counsel, fortitude, understanding, piety, and fear of the
Lord. Why? Because each of us possesses the talent to be
expert in each and every one of these gifts. These are
essential to what is absolutely important in the vineyard of life,
namely, a solid and vibrant spiritual life.
While we might believe the sole beneficiary of all our work in the
vineyard is God, it’s not. We also are the beneficiary because
as we care for and cultivate all that God has entrusted to us, we
become the person God has entrusted to us in creating each of us.
For God and for each of us as well, there is nothing greater, more
wonderful, and more fulfilling than to become that person and to
present that person to God as the first fruit―the
very best fruit―of
our labor in the vineyard.
The allegory of the vineyard Jesus used in today’s gospel begins
with the incredible love God had by entrusting his vineyard to us.
But, let us not forget, Jesus also indicates a very bad end for
those who fail to produce good fruit. It’s
all about caring and cultivating, not taking and squandering for
ourselves! For those who fail to care and cultivate and take
and squander solely for themselves, Jesus said:
“The kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a
people who will produce its fruit.”
Those words are not intended to threaten, induce fear, or cause
anxiety. No, those words are intended to remind us as
disciples to “think about these things,” as St. Paul said.
That is, think about our nation, our marriages, and our lives from
the landowner’s
perspective...not from our own, narrow, and sometimes selfish
perspective. God has done everything he could to provide a
productive vineyard for the tenants. Was the
landowner—God—foolish for entrusting his vineyard to lousy tenants?
If not, then what first fruits are we prepared to present to God
when he does return? Consider carefully how you are caring for
and cultivating the nation, the marriage, and the life God has
entrusted to you.
What God has entrusted to each of us is true, honorable, just, pure,
lovely, gracious, full of excellence, and worthy of praise.
“Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and
seen…,” St. Paul encourages us.
A brief
commercial break...
1) With the commemoration of All Souls coming on November 2nd,
families might want to introduce an ancient custom for observing All
Souls Day into their annual calendar.
First:
at some point during the day on the Solemnity of All Saints
(November 1), have each family member remember (or write down) the
deceased members of the family, relatives, and friends who have
died, who used to be called the "Poor Souls."
Second:
just before beginning dinner on the evening of All Saints Day, place
a blessed candle―symbolizing
"Jesus the Light that has come into the world"―in
the center of the dinner table and gather the family around the
dinner table.
Third:
have one family member extinguish the lights and, in the darkness
and beginning with the youngest member of the family and proceeding
to the oldest member of the family, identify by name each of the
"Poor Souls."
Fourth:
have the oldest child light the blessed candle as all family members
say, "Jesus Christ is the Light that has come into the world."
Fifth:
in response, the family prays together:
"Eternal rest grant unto them, O Lord. And let perpetual light
shine upon them. May their souls and all the souls of the faithful
departed rest in peace. Amen."
This very brief ritual reminds everyone in the family that life is
immensely precious and death is all-consuming. With Christ and in
the resurrection of the body, there is light, warmth, life, and
hope.
2)
With only 81 days left until Christmas Day, the people at Magnificat®
produce a companion edition for the season of Advent. Similar to a
what older Catholics may remember as a "prayer book," the companion
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and activities for every member of the family to prepare each day of
the season of Advent for the coming of Christ at Christmas.
Grandparents might consider purchasing a copy for themselves and
copies for each of their grandchildren. Confirmation sponsors might
consider purchasing a copy for themselves as well as the person they
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Parents might purchase a copy for the family and use it to lead
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The
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Furthermore, orders are filled in the order received. So, place
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To
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