EVANGELIO DEL DOMINGO LECTIO DIVINA

This Sunday’s Gospel is about humility and service. We listen to God, humbly accepting the message he has for us. On top of that though, hopefully, this Gospel’s message will help us humbly listen to other people as we seek to serve them. This ought to be our goal in every encounter. I can’t even recall how many times I’ve been reluctant to even talk to people because I knew my selfish intentions, or I had too much self-concern. This is all the opposite of humility. If we listen to others and seek out what they need, we can approach anyone and everyone more humbly and more confidently, knowing that our goal is to find ways to serve them. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

Allow your heart, mind, and soul time to settle and be silent. Let the Lord speak to your innermost self. Empty yourself so he can fill you with his grace. What is he saying? If love is the answer, how is he telling you to love today?

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

What is God saying to you now? Is he calling you to deeper conversion, deeper trust in him? Is he telling you to let go of your concern for money? Is there a person in your life who is trying to entrap you? God may be calling you to give that fear and anger to him. Has someone hurt you in the past and are you holding onto that pain? God may be calling you to forgive so you may live in the freedom of the truth. Do you feel oppressed by someone or something in your life? Take comfort in the Lord, and know that he provides for all who love him.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

If we listen to Jesus, we hear him inviting us to amazing enterprises. We cannot possibly live a life more fulfilling than the one he invites us to live. The wedding feast can start now. We can experience the kingdom of heaven today if we choose to do God’s will.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

When we listen closely to God’s word, we find deeper meaning. When we ignore God’s word, our life becomes a series of scattered instances where we chase lesser things. Our base desires for money, pleasure, and approval take over. When we listen to God’s word though, he shows us a higher purpose. He shows us how we are part of a great story that will determine the outcome of everything he created. Will we listen to him or betray him, seeking smaller ambitions? The tenants in the vineyard may not have been so malicious at first. They may have just started out seeking more money instead of God. But when we lose sight of God, we lose sight of virtue. Then there is no limit to the means we will use to obtain what we think we need. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

It’s one thing to listen, and another thing to obey. The second son in this Sunday’s little parable heard his father loud and clear. He may have even strongly considered going out to the vineyard, but then got caught up in something that he considered to be more important. Our intentions in the moments when we are before our authorities could change when we are no longer before them. Then is when we show our true character: when no one is around to observe our obedience. Jesus sees our hearts. He knows when we pray when no one is looking, and in fact prefers that kind of prayer. This is profound. It shows that we have a father outside this world, a father who cares who we are in the deepest recesses of our souls, not who we are to other people. We may be shy, defiant, despised, or looked down upon among our peers. But thank God that he can see who we are in our solitude.

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

What I usually hear from Christ when I read this Gospel is, “God’s generosity is the same for Christians who have just entered the Faith as it is for those who have been here for years.” But this time, I hear the voice of the Prodigal Son’s father, and I’m the son who stayed. Just as the laborers were not awarded due to their time in the vineyard, the Prodigal Son parable is not about the merits of either son. Rather, both parables are about God’s abundant generosity. The Father is always outpouring with love when we are simply willing to turn to him with gratitude and humility. He is the bottomless font of charity. Seeking and listening to him every day reveals endless possibilities.  

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.

We are quick to listen when Jesus offers us God’s mercy, but do we heed the warnings of his condemnation? As he often does, Jesus ends his teaching today on a note that is hard to hear. Are we listening? Am I possibly the one who is living an unforgiving life? Do I hold bitterness toward anyone? I need to reconcile myself with that person before receiving Christ. To receive Christ at the altar is to assume his mercy. Have I shown mercy to others before expecting his mercy? This is why it is important to listen to the Gospel to the very end. The portent Jesus gives at the end is very potent, and we’d be wise to listen. 

Kilby is a freelance writing from New Jersey and managing editor of Catholic World Report.