Wednesday, August 20, 2008

recollection

Ezekiel 34:1-11; The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing is shall want; Matthew 20:1-16

The parable of the workers reveal much about the generosity of God. 

The landowner hired workers at different times throughout the day and at the end of the day he paid them all the same. 

Those hired first complained against what they perceived to be an injustice on the landowner's part.  They valued their own judgment of fairness rather than being overwhelmed by the generosity of the landowner. 

Their judgment value of fairness became a hindrance and source of irritation.  They were too occupied with their own standard and thus missed the greater reality of the standard of generosity exhibited by the landowner. 

Do we not do this with God?  Are we not often too occupied with our own standard of judgment of fairness and miss out on the greater standard exhibited by God, His true greatness.  

Just because we don't immediately see something as great doesn't mean it is not great.  This is what faith is about.  Faith is about setting aside our standard and opening ourselves up to the hidden generosity of God, a generosity that makes us all equal in Christ.

St. Bernard, whose feast we celebrate today warns us of the 'numerous preoccupations that can lead to a hardness of heart.'  He speaks of the necessity of having some time apart from activity and busyness  to recollect ourselves and to ponder the generosity of God in our life that we miss so often because we are to caught up in the fast pace world.

Only when we stop and think and pray can we truly recognize the depth of God's generosity in our life and in the life of those around us.  Then we can truly develop an attitude of appreciation and gratitude that will become for us a source of strength.  

Psalm 103 reminds us, "His justice reaches out to children's children when they keep his covenant in truth, when they keep his will in their mind."  The psalm invites us to take some time to hold in our mind the will of God, so that we can recognize the generosity of his will in our daily lives. 

Recollection of the mind leads to recognition in the sight which creates a heart filled with gratitude and a soul that overflows with appreciation that directs the life to be lived with generosity. 

This is the recipe for greatness.  This is the recipe of a soul well lived. 

St. Bernard pray for us
 



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