Proper Perspective

 

• In his letter to the Philippians, St. Paul reminds us today of the importance of having an eternal perspective. For him life here on earth is an opportunity to live for Christ, and living for Christ makes dying a gain!
• And as Catholics we should have the same outlook. While we live here on earth, we should focus ourselves on living in a way worthy of the Gospel, obeying the commandments and seeking holiness.
• But all the same, we should keep our eyes on Heaven, for departing this life to be with Christ is far better. Heaven is our hope, and therefore we should keep it ever before our minds and hearts.
• As we consider the prospect of eternal salvation, we Catholics know that it is not enough to focus simply on the redemption won for us by our Lord, Jesus Christ, assuming that our Lord, in His great mercy, will save us.
• For while salvation is a free gift of God’s grace, we must cooperate that grace. Although it is God who saves us, we have an important part to play in our salvation.
• And thus we hear the admonition from Isaiah today that we must “seek the Lord while He may be found,” that we should forsake any evil thoughts and actions.
• Cooperating with God’s saving grace is accomplished primarily by living a life of holiness, by seeking to follow God’s will in all things, by being obedient to His commandments, which are spelled out for us in Church teaching.
• We cooperate with God’s saving grace by living a life of prayer through which we develop an intimate relationship with our Lord, and by imitating our Lord in every way – most especially in exercising the virtues of faith, hope, and charity.
• We cooperate with God’s saving grace by recognizing and repenting of our sinfulness, humbly asking God for His mercy, and resolving not to sin again.
• We cooperate with God’s saving grace by our willingness to forsake everything that is not of God so that He can possess us fully, by being willing to carry our crosses – as heavy as they may be – and by following Him up the steep path of Calvary.
• In short, we cooperate with God’s saving grace by dying to ourselves so that it is no longer we who live, but Christ who lives in us (cf. Gal 2:20).
• Does this sound difficult? Of course it does, and left only to our own human brokenness, it is well nigh impossible. But God does not leave us alone to work out our salvation.
• In fact He is with us at every step of our lives, whether we know it or not, giving us the grace we need to cooperate with His plan of salvation.
• This past Wednesday the Church celebrated one of Her most glorious feast days: the Triumph of the Cross, a feast that celebrates the victory our Lord won for us through His suffering and death on that awful tree.
• This feast is sort of like a mini Good Friday and Easter Sunday all rolled up into one, for it reminds us of both what our Lord suffered because of us, and what His suffering accomplished for us.
• In the Gospel that day we were reminded that: “God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but that the world might be saved through Him” (Jn 3:13‐17).

• So while it is true that someday we will all have to face Jesus as our judge, our Lord’s desire is that we all be saved, not condemned! Not only does He want us to be saved, but our Lord does everything He can to ensure our salvation!
• We see this in today’s Gospel with the parable of the landowner. In the repeated efforts of the landowner to find workers for his vineyard, we see the relentless way God comes after all of us to bring us into His kingdom.
• Throughout the course of our lives, our Lord is constantly offering us His mercy. And as this parable shows us, even if we wait until the very end of our lives to accept His invitation, we still receive the fullness of salvation symbolized by the full day’s wages.
• Even though we may give up on ourselves, God never gives up on any of us. And He is willing to pardon any sin, as long as we are sorry for it and try not to commit it again.
• Thus, the only obstacle that really stands in our way in getting into Heaven is ourselves! For in His great love, God is constantly coming after us – like a Good Shepherd – to offer His mercy and forgiveness. We need only be humble enough to accept that mercy.
• Ultimately, my brothers and sisters, going to Heaven is not something that just happens. It is a choice we make. God promises Heaven to all who are willing to follow Him and obey Him, and we know that He always keeps His promises.
• Therefore, let us all put aside our selfishness and evil desires and see the great and eternal future that awaits us in Heaven. May we accept the divine landowner’s invitation to work in His vineyard, so that we may enjoy His kingdom for all eternity.