A WORD FOR TODAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2020

A WORD FOR TODAY

MAKE USE OF YOUR OPPORTUNITY TO FIND ETERNAL LIFE

"And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too."(Matthew 20:6-7)_

Opportunities come to us in life from time to time and if we take them and act rightly, we shall benefit from it, but if we choose not to take them and click ignore, we will be the ones to live with the regret when it shall dawn on us that we have wasted the opportunity that would have brought us promotion and joy.

In the first reading of today, the prophet Isaiah tells us that God's ways are not the way of men. God does not think, reason or behave like men. His ways are different and His thoughts are different. The people of Israel missed their opportunity when they disobeyed God and were taken to exile, now they were afraid that God will not forgive them, but Isaiah is reminding them that they can find mercy if the change their ways.

Saint Paul in the second reading reminds us to always let God's will be done. He wants to go and be with God, but he remembered that he has some unfinished business with the people, but in the end he allowed God to fulfill His plans in his life. We must strive always to let God's will be done and in that way we will not choose to do what we want above what God wants.

_The parable of the vineyard owner and those whom he hired to work in it and how he paid each of them the same amount at the end of the day, teaches us a lot on taking our opportunities when they come.

Some of the workers were idle when they were hired and if they had not followed the man and gone to work, they may have gone home hungry and without anything to show for the struggle of that day.

We have come to believe in Christ at different times and none of us can lay claim to being the one that He loves most and favours more. The vineyard belongs to God and He has called us at different times to follow Him and He will pay us when the time comes. He will pay us as God and not according to human standard.

Our mission will be to take opportunities that life and God presents to us when they come so as not to live with regret later. If we fail to live for God now, we shall regret it later, if we fail to love and make sacrifices for Him now, we will not be rewarded with eternal life in the end.

When you started believing does not really matter, but how well you run the race set before you. Do not be jealous or angry about those who just came to know Christ, instead rejoice and be glad with them that God has given them opportunity to know Him and find salvation just as you have found so many years ago.

We are all equal in the sight of God. Focus on your mission in the vineyard and body of Christ. Carry out your task well and when the time comes, God will reward you. Do not patronize idleness. Engage yourself and begin to do good for God and He will reward you immensely when the time comes. Everything we receive from God is by His grace and not by merit, we must therefore, let Him do His work in us and reward as He chooses to

When you get opportunity to show love, help the needy, show compassion, instruct the ignorant, proclaim the message of salvation and so on, do not fail to take it, so that you will be admitted into the reward of eternal life in the end. A missed opportunity may never come back. Therefore, be wise and use your time well here on earth and help others to meaningfully engage themselves in doing good things in order to find eternal life in the end.

Good morning dearest one. Smile🙂as you begin your day and do have a great Sunday. May Jesus help you to take your opportunities to do good when they come so as to find eternal life. Amen. And may the Almighty God bless you: the Father and the Son and the Holy Spirit. Amen.

Meditation: Isaiah 55:6-9/Psalm 145:2-3,8-8,17-18/Philippians 1:20-25,27/Matthew 20:1-16

Watch-word: The Lord is close to all who call him.

Take your opportunity as they come, because you may not have the some moment again.

(Twenty fifth Sunday in the ordinary time. Cycle A)