How long – how long is a – minute? That’s your question for today. How long is a minute? Some might say: sixty seconds. A few might look at it from the other side and say a minute is one-sixtieth of an hour. After all, we recognize time is relative and is determined by both age and gender. How long is a minute, when either a teenager or a husband answers: “OK, OK, I’ll be there in a minute?” That “minute” is usually long enough for mom to have set the table and cook the entire dinner, besides taking out the trash, before either the kid or the husband shows up.
How often have you said: “I’ll be there in a minute,” but then continued to do your own thing, forgetting you had promised to do something that had been asked of you? Back in the time of Jesus, they didn’t measure time in minutes. But they still had the problem, as seen in today’s Gospel Reading.
The one son replied to his father’s instructions: ”I’m on my way, sir,” but he never went. His I’ll-be-there-in-a-minute never happened. But the other son who said: “No, I will not,” regretted his outburst and did what he knew he should be doing. Neither one kept his promise. Neither one did what he said he would do. But one of them did honor his commitment. He did what he knew was the right thing to do.
Today is the second Sunday during our annual series of homilies on stewardship, on our personal and individual sharing of God’s gifts of time, talent and treasure with both our God and with one another1. Today the focus is on the second gift: talent. Today is the day for “stewardship,” for helping others by sharing the gifts given to us, the stewards, by the master of the house. Or looking at it in the words of today’s gospel: each one of us is asked to go out and work in the vineyard.
Some of us are likely to say “yes, I’ll do it.” We will visit the tables set up today for each of the ministries open to us here at Christ the Good Shepherd. We will scan the handout in today’s bulletin which identifies some ninety-nine ways we are called to use our gifts for the betterment of all of us. We may even sign up to do something. But there it ends. In effect, we say: “I’ll be there in a minute.” But the minute never comes.
Others may see the tables and the lists and feel put-upon. “After all,” they’ll tell themselves, “I’m already doing more than my share.” They may say, once more, “Why me? Why not let someone else do it for a while?” But like the second son, they will again go out to work in the vineyard.
As we begin a new year of ministries, we are again asked to make New Year’s promises. But more important, we are called to make New Year’s commitments. We are asked to “follow through” rather than complain we are “through following.” In today’s gospel, Jesus reminds us that tax collectors and prostitutes, the outcasts of Jewish society, were able to believe, to change and to follow him into the Kingdom. So, too, we, to whom God has given everything, can make our returns by working in the vineyards he has planted.
A recent issue of the magazine, America, published by the U.S. Jesuits, has a long article entitled “Lagging Stewards.” The authors report on a recent study comparing the contributions of Catholics with Lutherans, Presbyterians, Southern Baptists and members of the Assemblies of God. As you might expect, financial support was three to six times higher for the Protestant groups than for the Catholics.
The study looked at several factors to try to explain the differences, but none of them seemed to correlate with the amount given, except for one variable. The authors state: “We conclude from this exercise that religious commitments of church members are the most important difference for understanding the ‘giving gap’ between Catholic and Protestant churches, more important than theological teachings by the churches, and more important than church size and the number of programs offered. From this point of view, to understand Catholic-Protestant differences we need to look into the different religious commitment emphases associated with community life, leadership, responsibility and personal justification.”
Actually, this conclusion should not surprise us. Not after hearing today’s Gospel Reading and recognizing that the problem of commitment was with us some two-thousand years ago. We are again reminded by Jesus we are sons and daughters called by the Father. We might be the ones who say “yes” in hope of pleasing the Father, when he is present, and then fail to live up to our promise. We might be the ones who feel put-upon and refuse but then, realizing the commitment we have made, actually do what we know is right.
Or we can be like the third child, not mentioned in today’s Gospel, the one who does not say either “yes” or “no,” the one who ignores the instructions completely, who passes through life without listening and without recognizing gifts have been given to be shared with others. Here is the third child who makes no promises and has no commitments. The one who does not even say, “I’ll be there in a minute.” The one who does not realize when the minute ends and eternity begins.
Or we can be like the fourth son, our friend and brother, Jerry Brothers, who has immediately said “yes” when he was asked to share with us his thoughts on ministry to others. Here is one man who does not say: “in a minute.” Jerry Brothers.
Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary; September 29, 1996
Ezek 18:25-38; Phil 2:1-11; Mt 21:28-32
- . Each year the diocese asks the parishes to focus on “stewardship” in terms of contributing time, talent, and treasure rather than “just” contributing money. Many parishes respond with a “Stewardship” or “Ministry Sunday” during which they have tables and/or exhibits promoting and urging parishioners to participate in the ministries offered. It is a period of commitment or re-commitment to serving others. Again, as with other “public service” homilies, the preaching responsibility is shared with the clerical “homilist” who is to “break open the word” and a member of the “lay apostolate” who is to share a “reflection.” Today’s “volunteer” is Mr. Jerry Brothers.