You too go into my vineyard

Jdg 9,6-15; Ps 20; Mt 20,1-16a
21 AUGUST

Today Jesus reveals to us how big the heart of the Father is and how small, narrow and evil the heart of man is. For the love of man the Father gave his Only Son, he gave him from the Cross, as a Crucifix. For us he made of him a holocaust, a sacrifice of expiation for the forgiveness of our sins. Man, with a poor, but also impure, bad and evil heart, is not able to understand the infinite love, without measure or limitations of the Father. He complains and mutters because He also gave money to those who had come to the vineyard at the last hour. If man were full of love, he would rejoice, cry out to the miracle, would see the great love of the Lord and would say: “Blessed be the Lord for having inspiring such noble sentiment, such a high charity and such a great work of mercy to the father of the vineyard. Even their children, like ours, might feed themselves tonight”. The workers of the first hour should have raised this prayer of blessing and praise, instead they abandon themselves to murmuring and the complaint against the master because they deserved more. One deserves more if he goes far beyond the contract. If he stays in the contract, he does not deserve more. The respect of the stipulated contract is enough for him: a day of work, a coin. If we read the Book of Tobit, we will find that the Angel is offered more because He has done more.

When the wedding celebration came to an end, Tobit called his son Tobiah and said to him, “Son, see to it that you give what is due to the man who made the journey with you; give him a bonus too.” Tobiah said: “Father, how much shall I pay him? It would not hurt me at all to give him half of all the wealth he brought back with me. He led me back safe and sound; he cured my wife; he brought the money back with me; and he cured you. How much of a bonus should I give him?” Tobit answered, “It is only fair, son, that he should receive half of all that he brought back.” So Tobiah called Raphael and said, “Take as your wages half of all that you have brought back, and go in peace” (Tb 12,1-5).

God is great in mercy because he does not call only in one age. He calls to the kingdom in every age, in every circumstance and in every moment. The time of the call belongs to his mystery. We only have to answer. The reward also belongs to the Lord. To us the joy of having been called by him and having always responded through his grace. The Lord could have left us all day in idleness. Instead, for his goodness he has taken us away from all despair and fear. It is impossible to know the mystery of God’s love.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. (And) he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the labourers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? (Or) am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”

This parable must teach us a great truth. Respect for every decision of God in our life, in the life of our brothers. God’s decisions are all dictated by his greatest love. For love he calls early in the morning and for love he calls in the evening. For love he gives us the right salary and for love knows how to go beyond what is due.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, give us a pure heart to always see God in everything.