“You too go into my vineyard.”  Beloved, according to St. Pope John Paul II, “The vineyard is the whole world (cf. Mt 13:38), which is to be transformed according to the plan of God in view of the final coming of the Kingdom of God” (Apostolic Exhortation, Christifideles laici, 1).  For him, “The call is a concern not only of Pastors, clergy, and men and women religious. The call is addressed to everyone” (CFL 2).  So YOU TOO can make a difference for Christ!  To this end, the parable applies to ministry and volunteer opportunities in the Church: “As each has received a gift, employ it for one another, as good stewards of God’s varied grace” (1Pet 4:10).  Indeed, there is room for everyone to serve in the House of God in one form or another. 

Notice, those seeking regular employment in a marketplace were all enlisted for the Lord’s vineyard.  This implies that, irrespective of how much time you invest in your regular job or profession, the Lord expects you to spare some time for His Mission; to make time for His vineyard, to also invest in His vineyard.  Do not stand idle or seat on the fence in matters of faith (cf. Deut 8:3; Luke 12:21; Rom 14:17; Phil 3:17-19); do not be a spectator.  Put yourself and your job or profession at the service of the Kingdom (cf. Matt 28:19-20). Invite and bring people to Mass, study the Word of God as family and friends, teach faith and prayer to others, teach others about the saints, the blessed and the venerable (cf. Heb 13:7-10): St. Francis of Assisi, St. Padre Pio, St. Bernadette, Venerable Mary of Agreda, etc., and make generous offerings of all you are and have in Time, Talent and Treasure (cf. Rom 12:1-2).  Christ promises you a fair reward (cf. Mark 10:29-30).

Notice, all are called to work in the SAME VINEYARD, the same Church, for the SAME KINGDOM of God (cf. John 10:16; 17:11, 20-22; Eph 4:1-5). We received the Spirit of unity, not division. So we pray for Christian unity.  We do not want the kind of division and acrimony amongst God’s people in the First Reading (Judges 9:6-15) to affect us; it was destructive. All Christians should be working in the same Church for the same Kingdom; not in different “churches” (cf. Vatican II, Decree on Ecumenism, Unitatis Redintegratio, 1, 3). Today, on important matters of faith and morals – Creation, Christian marriage, Human life, Human person, Love, etc – many Christian groups seeking cheap gain (cf. Tit 1:10-11) are causing confusions by teaching false political, cultural and ideological stances as the Word of God. Please, what we teach in God’s vineyard is not human politics or culture, sociology or psychology; but divine revelation as contained in Sacred Scripture and Sacred Tradition (cf. Matt 28:19; 1Cor 2:6-10, 12-14; 11:23; 2Thess 2:15).

On the whole, the landowner hired workers at different times – at dawn, at nine o’clock, at noon, around three o’clock, and about five o’clock.  At the end of the day, just as already negotiated by contract or covenant, He paid each group the usual daily wage. Some who worked longer complained for non-compliance with the conventional rule of “equal work for equal pay.”  Clearly, human justice is not the same as divine justice; God says, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD” (Isa 55:6-9).  Even the thief on the cross (cf. Luke 23:39-43) who, so to speak, converted on his deathbed received the same heavenly reward as the best of saints who labored their whole life (cf. 2Cor 11:23-28). This calls for celebration and invites us to imitate God’s generosity, mercy and love, not an occasion for envy or jealousy.  Are you looking to God to treat you as you deserve?  Please, be careful: based on divine justice, none of us deserves anything except condemnation: If thou, O LORD, shouldst mark iniquities, Lord, who could stand?” (Ps 130:3). We all fail; it is only a matter of degree (cf. Isa 64:6; Rom 3:23).  Therefore, God actually pays each of us overwhelmingly more than we deserve; the paycheck of salvation (cf. 1Pet 1:18-19).  May God grant us a fulfilled Christian experience and eternal life at the end, through Christ our Lord.  Amen.