Our Lady of Lourdes Primary Newsletter

25th Sunday in Ordinary Time - Year A

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

Jesus said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last-comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’

Ref:Liturgyhelp.com

I have often read this piece of scripture and have been confused by it. Why is it that those who arrive late in the day received the same payment as those who worked all day? One day I stumbled across this explanation and for me it made a lot of sense. 

“The general idea of the parable is that everyone comes to the vineyard (faith) at different points in their lives. Some people are lifelong disciples of Jesus, and some people convert only toward the end of their lives. In the kingdom of God, both groups are treated the same. By human standards, we perhaps might view this as unjust. Yet Jesus points out that the reward for their long work (heaven) is fair, and the only reason that others receive this same reward is because of the generosity of the owner of the vineyard (God). It is his (God’s) to do with as he pleases. So long as we have not been treated unjustly, how could we reasonably complain that God is generous to others?”  © Father Charles Grondin

On Thursday at Our Lady of Lourdes we practised our Lockout/Lockdown Drill. Thank you to all the students for their co-operation.

Staff Development Day Monday, 12th October, 2020 (Term 4, Day 1) is a Professional Learning Day for the staff. The focus of the day for teachers will be on Religious Education. Please make alternate arrangements for your children on that day. 

Children may wear their Summer Uniform if you choose.Whichever uniform you choose to send your children to school in, they must have either  full summer uniform or full winter uniform.

Students are to commence wearing their summer uniform Week 1, Term 4. 

Uniform orders can be placed with Ozfashions via the Qkr app. Last day to order uniforms for Term 3 is Wednesday 23rd September 2020 prior to 4pm. 

If you have any questions please email Elle elle@ozfashions.com.au