September 28th 2014 A.D. Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time Which son did the father's will?

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Today’s story is not intended to be a paradigm for labor-management relations nor material for a business school ethics seminar. It has but one purpose, to teach us about the nature of God’s love. All other lessons are not pertinent to the story. It would seem that the outline of this story was well known to those who were listening to Jesus.

It was a rabbinic story which ended with those who came at the 11^th hour working so hard that they earned the day’s wage. Jesus characteristically twists the ending in a very different direction. He shows those who came late wasting their time wondering how much pay they will get.

The emphasis is not on their industry but on the generosity, one might almost say the crazy generosity of the farmer. That’s what God is like, by human standards his generosity is crazy.

Fr. Greeley's Last Book:

Once upon a time Tom Sawyer and Huck Finn were doing their white wash scam on the local kids. It worked every year. They conned five kids to white wash all the fences.

Then when they had finished, Becky Thatcher – you remember her, don’t you? – said to the suckers, come on guys, Tom and Huck are going to take you down to the ice cream score for a cone. Hey, Tom and Huck said, we didn’t promise that. But you’re going to do it, she replied, because you’re nice guys and you want to be generous to these kids. Generous to sucker? Shush, Becky said. You want them to come back next year.

Well . . . OK, but next year we won’t. We’re not THAT crazy!  Yes, you are said Becky because both of you are very generous people.

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Psalm 25:4-10,14

4 Make me to know your ways, O LORD; teach me your paths.
5 Lead me in your truth, and teach me, for you are the God of my salvation;  for you I wait all the day long.
6 Be mindful of your mercy, O LORD, and of your steadfast love, for they have been from of old.
7 Remember not the sins of my youth, or my transgressions; according to your steadfast love remember me, for your goodness' sake, O LORD!
8 Good and upright is the LORD; therefore he instructs sinners in the way.
9 He leads the humble in what is right, and teaches the humble his way.
10 All the paths of the LORD are steadfast love and faithfulness, for those who keep his covenant and his testimonies.
14 The friendship of the LORD is for those who fear him, and he makes known to them his covenant.

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This book has a chapter about Fr. Greeley and is dedicated to him. Great read!
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