A word from our spiritual director, Father John Lindsay:

I thought it might be appropriate to review the last three Sunday’s gospels with you as we head into the privilege and responsibility of voting in a few weeks. Often we hear about the “historic” character of the election; history is certainly present in the three parables Jesus presented about the world entrusted to our care. The first concerned the issue of “fairness” and were reminded that there are other virtues like generosity. The second week, there was the narrative of the two sons; one refused the order to work in the family business but then changed his mind; the other son had said he would work but then did not. Finally the third week was about repeated acts of violence against those who had been sent to obtain the owner’s fair share in the harvest. Even the owner’s son was killed. First, we might want to reflect that Jesus uses parables set in the context of the world of work. Virtues like justice, patience, generosity and forgiveness and vices including varying degrees of violence, greed, and failure to deal justly are all part of the narratives. Considering the call to reflect on how we care for the “vineyard” that has been entrusted to our care, the diligence needed to make it bear good fruit, and the need to be accountable for the distribution of the harvest might all be applied to the way in which we live our daily lives. Business ethics and responsible stewardship of our belongings, including indebtedness, savings and unreasonable profits are all part of discipleship. Our present fiscal situation at all levels is the result of stewardship that has failed to live up to the standards of responsible citizenship. Like the son who failed to act at first, there is time for a change of heart and effective work to correct the situation.