From the Pastor's Desk (9/20/26)

From the Pastor's Desk
9/20/26

Are You Envious Because I am Generous?
On this Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time, our natural reaction to the parable in today’s Gospel (Matthew 20:1-16) is that those who worked the longest should have gotten paid the most. The Lord, however, gives us this parable not to teach about justice but about God’s call and our response. Through this story, the Lord explains why the Gentiles were entering the kingdom and experiencing the forgiveness and grace of God. They were offered salvation and redemption as much as were the Jewish people who struggled to stay faithful to the covenant for centuries. The Lord teaches us that God’s goodness and generosity invites all people to life in His presence. Secondly, notice that the owner in the parable did not compare one group of workers with another. They were all paid because they answered the call. The same is true with us. The Lord doesn’t compare us with each other. Each of us has a unique combination of talents, challenges and opportunities in life. What the Lord asks of us is that we follow Him with what ever we have as best we can. We should not look at how the person next to us answers the call. This parable is not just about Jew and Gentile, not only about the different times when people find the Lord, not only about the uniqueness of our call. It is also about the seasons of life. Whatever our age, we all bring strengths and gifts to the vineyard. At each hour of the day and at each season of our life, the Lord is calling with a place for us and work for us in His vineyard. (Reflection by Father S. Joseph Krempa)
 
Prompts for Faith Sharing

1. What is your reaction to the parable in this week’s gospel reading? Do you think that the landowner’s generosity is “fair?” What does it tell us about God’s love for us?
2. Isaiah tells us that God’s ways are not our own; God’s thought are not our thoughts. Is it comforting to think that God is so beyond us, or is it challenging or frustrating? 
3. Where have you seen God’s unexpected generosity? Where have you struggled to understand God’s action in your life (or seeming lack thereof)?

 
The Order of Deacon
We are blessed to have two Deacons at Mary, Queen of Saints Parish: Deacon Bob Bittner and Deacon Joseph Samchuck. The Diaconate is the first of three degrees of the Sacrament of Holy Orders, followed by the priesthood (priests) and the episcopacy (bishops). The term “deacon” comes from the Greek diakonos, which means “servant” or “minister.” This definition is not merely technical; it encapsulates the very essence of the diaconal ministry: serving others as a reflection of Christ’s love. Deacons are ordained ministers who, although they do not consecrate the Eucharist, play a crucial role in the liturgical and pastoral life of the Church. They can proclaim the Gospel, preach, assist the priest at the Altar, administer the Sacraments of Baptism and Matrimony, bless people and objects, and, above all, serve the most needy. The diaconate is not simply a “job” within the Church; it is a divine calling deeply rooted in the theology of service. Deacons embody Christ the Servant, the one who “came not to be served but to serve and to give his life as a ransom for many” (Matthew 20:28). The diaconate is a powerful reminder that Christ calls us to serve with love and humility. Let us invite the Holy Spirit to transform our hearts and actions so that, following the example of the deacons, we may be faithful servants and bearers of Christ’s love in our world. May we also thank the Lord for all Deacons, especially Deacon Bob and Deacon Joseph!
 
Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen Facts
With the upcoming Beatification of the late Archbishop Fulton J. Sheen on September 24, in St. Louis, Missouri, here are a few interesting facts about this well-known and loved American prelate:
 

• He was ordained a priest for the Diocese of Peoria (Illinois) on September 20, 1919, at the Cathedral of the Immaculate Conception where he used to be an altar boy and is now entombed. 
• His doctoral thesis earned him the prestigious Cardinal Mercier Prize in Belgium in 1923, becoming the first American to win the international prize. 
• He taught philosophy and theology at the Catholic University of America for about 25 years and was National Director of the Society for the Propagation of the Faith for 16 years starting in 1959.
• He authored nearly 70 books in his lifetime.
• He is best known during his lifetime for his iconic television show “Life is Worth Living’ launched in 1952 and running through 1957. He won an Emmy Award in 1952 for the Most Outstanding Personality on American Television. He reached an estimated 30 million weekly viewers at the peak of his broadcast career. 
• He attended all the sessions of the Second Vatican Council between 1962 and 1965.
• He became Bishop of Rochester, New York in October 1966.
• Two months before his death in 1979, he was embraced by Pope John Paul II who told him: “You have written and spoken well of the Lord Jesus Christ. You are a loyal son of the Church.”
• His official cause for canonization was opened in the Diocese of Peoria in 2002 and was declared “Venerable” by Pope Benedict XVI in 2012 after his heroic virtues were officially recognized.