Lesson from Fr. Paulus | God Is Good, Patient, and Merciful

God is reminding us today that all good things in life have come from him. Many people often get angry at God and ask why he allows bad things to happen.

Fewer people are humble and honest enough to ask themselves a much more important question: Why do good things happen, why is there any good in the world at all, where did it come from? We should think more about the answers to those questions.

Today's Readings paint the picture of a vineyard, or a garden. Gardens are environments carefully created by gardeners in order to enable plants to be healthy and reach maturity, bearing abundant fruit.

God sees our souls as gardens of virtue. Just as God supplied the vineyard with air, sunlight, water, soil, the wall to protect it, and the tower to guard it, so he supplies each one of us with life, talents, opportunities, family, sacraments, faith, knowledge, conscience, and the guidance of the Church. There is no good thing we can think of that doesn't owe its origin and existence to God.

One of the very best things that God gives us is his mercy, his patience.

Today's Readings show how many chances God gives his tenants to do the right thing, to fulfill their duties, to do what they were put there to do.

When they don't do what's right, God sends three different messengers, including his own son. In justice, however, he didn't have to send any.

He could have evicted those selfish stewards right away. But God is patient with our sin and selfishness. He keeps giving us more and more chances, many more than we deserve. He never gives up on us, even though sometimes we give up on ourselves.

God's boundless mercy is the best evidence of his immense goodness.