GOSPEL:  Matthew 20:1-16
'Now the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage." So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?" "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too." In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, "Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first." So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying, "The men who came last have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day's work in all the heat." He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the lastcomer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?" Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'

REFLECTION
This week we hear the parable of the landowner who went out at dawn to hire day laborers for work in his vineyard. He agreed to pay them the standard daily wage. Several hours later, the landowner saw several more workers in the marketplace. He told them: “Go to my vineyard and I will pay you a fair wage.” So they went to the vineyard. The landowner went out at noon and again at 3:00 p.m. He sent more laborers to his vineyard, promising to pay them for their work. And he did the same at 5:00 p.m.

At evening, the owner told his foreman to bring the laborers so he could pay them. However, the owner added: “begin with the last one hired and end with the first laborer who was hired.” The foreman did as the owner asked. The laborers who were hired late in the day were very surprised when they received a full day’s wage. After all, they had only worked a short amount of time. They went away very pleased. When the laborers who had been hired first thing in the morning came to receive their pay, they assumed that they would receive more than the wage they had negotiated. However, they received the same wage as all of the other workers that had been paid. These workmen were outraged. After all, they had labored all day long in the heat and they had worked many more hours than the men who were paid the same wage for only a couple of hours of work. The owner was not being fair! How dare he?

The landowner, however, stood his ground. He told them: “I am not cheating you! I am paying you the wages you agreed to. Tell me: how am I cheating you? If I decide to be generous, do I not have that right?” Jesus ends with the astounding statement: “The last shall be first and the first shall be last!”

I assume that most of us identify with the upset day laborers. Americans place a high value on fairness. Jesus’ statement may not fit the criteria many of us may attribute to our concept of fair play. However, Jesus challenges us to step beyond our societal norms. The landowner was a generous man and he made the choice to pay each of his laborers a full day’s wage, regardless of whether they worked 8 full hours or only 30 minutes. He was fair to the workers who had worked a full day; he paid them the amount of money that they had agreed upon.  

As we know, these workers were jealous and they grumbled. Are we ever jealous or resentful when someone else receives a gift, acclaim, or praise for an act that we think they neither deserved nor earned?  Jealousy and resentment may not affect the other person; however, it does affect us! It can eat away at us and make us miserable. When we compare ourselves to others, we typically may judge ourselves as above them or below them. Both judgments damage the other person as well as ourselves.

God is the one who will judge in fairness and truth. We do not have the right to judge others and yet we do it all the time!  Most of us have been gifted with abundant blessings. Today may we give thanks for the gifts and graces that we have received and let us thank God for the many gifts we have been given! May we let go of judgment, envy, and jealousy. If we choose to do this, we will be happier and more peaceful. (Sr Kristine Anne Harpenau)

FRUIT AND VEG MONTH 2020
Reduce fruit and vegetable waste

Our school is participating in Fruit & Veg Month 2020. This year’s theme is ‘Planet Fruit & Veg’, because eating more fruit and veg is good for us and the planet.

Did you know that NSW households waste 1/3 of the fresh food (such as fruit and vegetables) they buy? Not only does this waste money it also wastes all the resources it took to grow and produce that food. And rotting food in landfill produces greenhouses gases. This resource has helpful hints on how to reduce fruit and vegetable waste, save money and help the planet.

Read the resource further in the newsletter and answer the survey questions to go into the running for a $20 shopping voucher.

If you require more information on what activities our school is doing for Fruit & Veg Month, please contact the school or your child’s teacher.

FAREWELL
We have arrived at the end of another productive term and everyone is ready for a well-earned rest. The end of this term also marks the start of my Long Service Leave. I place you in the capable hands of Eva Karakotas for the remainder of the year who will oversee the religious life of our school. I would like to take this opportunity to thank you all for your incredible support during what has been a very challenging year in so many ways. I pray that everyone has a wonderful Spring holiday and that the remainder of the year sees many blessings come your way. I look forward to working with you all again in 2021. 

God Bless,
Warren Ziebowski
Religious Education Coordinator