God Always Surprises Man
(see Mt 20:1-16a)
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
Dear Sisters and Brothers in Christ,
This Sunday
Gospel story which we have just listened to reminds us of this interesting
reality that God always surprises man.
First, God,
pure spirit, made a world of pure matter.
This is more than controversial.
This is unbelievable for man, yet not impossible for God, Who always
surprises man.
Second,
God, the victim of the worst crimes committed by man, made the first move to
reconcile the criminal to Himself by sending His Only Son to death and
forgiving the sinner. Why could this
happen? Simply because God always
surprises man.
Third,
Almighty Creator and Master of the universe as He is, God entrusts man, a mere
creature, imperfect, limited, short-lived, with the management of all His
works. He Himself withdraws into almost
entire silence and forgetfulness, yet never does He cease providing him with help,
support, protection, direction and everything necessary for his survival and
success. Do you know why? Because God always surprises man.
It would
take moths, years, even our all lives to make the full list of evidences of the
truth that God always surprises man.
However, allow me to only tell you the fourth reality, that of how God
treats you and me with the same love, care, and goodness, no matter who you and
I may be, no matter how much you and I have done to serve Him, and no matter
how seriously you and I have hurt Him because of our selfishness, blindness,
insensitivity, and ingratitude. Why?
Because God always surprises man.
All that I
have shared with you about the God Who always surprises man by His love so
deep, so high, so immense, so great, can prompt you and me to reconsider the
way we love one another, live together, work together, and treat one another.
Could you
husbands and wives, always surprise your spouses with the same burning love
which you offered one another the first time you met, no matter what has
happened in the past years?
Could you
parents, always surprise your children with the same loving, caring, and
forgiving heart, no matter how painfully they hurt you because of their
wrongdoings?
Could you,
children, always surprise your dads and mums with your love, respect and
gratitude, no matter how often they have caused you embarrassment, frustration,
anger, and shame, when they are too old to understand you, and too weak to meet
your expectations?
Could you,
Christians, always surprise your neighbor with what Christ taught us about
becoming perfect as our Father God in heaven Who always surprises man, by
making His sun rise on the bad and the good, and causing rain to fall on the
just and the unjust?
It is
easier said than done, of course. But
only by always surprising one another the way God always surprises us, do we
deserve calling Him “Father”, and asking Him for mercy and forgiveness.
Fr. Francis Nguyen, O.P.
