Commentary of the Gospell for the day, 31th of august of 2024

August 31, 2024

I read today’s Gospel parable, and the first thing that comes to mind are the many times I’ve gone to church and knelt down to ask God for things in my prayer. I could almost say, using an old Spanish saying, that in those moments “my mouth becomes a friar,” meaning that all I do is ask and ask for all the favors, needs, and problems that come to mind. From passing an exam to the health of my family member or a job for a friend who has become unemployed. It’s all about asking and asking. And, deep down, assuming that God is the one who can solve everything for me, the handyman who can fix everything. From an illness to my financial problems. It’s all about asking and asking.

This came to mind because today’s parable presents exactly the opposite idea. God is not the one who takes care of solving our problems but the one who puts in our hands the tools to solve them. It is in our hands to take advantage of those talents that he has given us all with a clear and distinct purpose. It’s not just about using them for our own benefit: solving my problems and the problems of those close to me. The goal is much broader. We are the workers in the Lord’s vineyard, and our goal is not just to look out for myself. It’s not about focusing on the tip of our nose or our navel. It’s about making the master’s vineyard bear fruit. It’s about aligning ourselves with the master’s goals, with God’s goals: to build the kingdom of brotherhood and justice where all men and women can live as brothers and sisters.

Let’s stop asking. Let’s put our hands and our hearts to work in the service of the Kingdom. It’s not about going to Church to ask God to solve this or that for us. It’s about putting ourselves in his presence to assume the commitment and responsibility to use the talents he has given us in the service of the Kingdom. What a change in perspective and attitude! From beggars to committed and responsible members of the Kingdom. That’s the key.

Fernando Torres, cmf