September 20 th, 2026 (25 Sunday Ordinary A)

Dear brothers and sisters, we see today through these readings that Gods ways are not our ways. The prophet Isaiah says: “let him turn to the Lord for mercy; to our God who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways says the Lord. ” The way of God is generosity and mercy which is totally different from ours and the worlds. This is what Jesus Christ shows to us through the parable of the landowner and the workers. We see the zeal of God who like the landowner at every hour goes out looking to hire workers for his vineyard. God does not want anyone to remain wanting. God would like to hire all of us and to give himself totally and generously to us offering us his total forgiveness. In the world it is the opposite. We also like the world are merciless and do not like to give away anything for free. Like the man who complains to the master in the parable we demand justice. We always demand from the other and cannot give of ourselves. God is not like this. God knows that to remain idle is a tragedy. Not having a salary at the end of the day is tragic. Not to be loved and not to be shown mercy is the biggest tragedy we experience. The world suffers because there is no mercy. In the world everybody thinks for themselves. Me first. God is totally opposite to the world. God’s ways are totally different from our selfish ways. God in Jesus Christ constantly comes out looking for us wanting to show us his mercy and his generosity. Even if it is at the last hour and we have worked very little and badly, this is the payment he offers to all of us constantly, the forgiveness of our sins. Christ knows it is impossible to live without this. Without this mercy one cannot live. This is the justice of God, he gives it to us for free and unmerited. These are Gods ways that far surpass our ways. Today we see how God gives freely of himself to who he wants because he is generous and merciful. This is the nature of God, how God is.  God would like to give this spirit to us for free also, for this love and generosity to abide in us. This is the true justice and the true salary the world is waiting to receive.  

Peace, Fr. Nicholas