Homily for Wednesday in the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time, delivered in Our Lady Star of the Sea Church, Gladstone, Qld."All the leading men of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered, and proclaimed Abimelech king by the terebinth of the pillar at Shechem. News of this was brought to Jotham. He came and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted aloud for them to hear: ‘Hear me, leaders of Shechem, that God may also hear you! One day the trees went out to anoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, “Be our king!” [The same they said] to the fig tree... to the vine... [and finally] to the torn bush.'" (cf. Judges 9).
"O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king; how your saving help makes him glad!" (cf. Ps 21).
"Jesus said to his disciples: ‘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... "Have I no right," [said the landowne ], "to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’" (cf. Mt 20).
Artwork:
"Farmers Working in the Field" by Vincent van Gogh, (c. 1888).