NO ONE HAS HIRED US

Ez 34,1-11; Ps 22; Mt 20,1-16a
22 AUGUST
Some passages from Scripture, one taken from the Book of Wisdom, one from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans and still another from the First Letter to the Corinthians, place our mind before an unfathomable and incomprehensible mystery which is the will of God. of God is the will governed by eternal wisdom. An unspeakable mystery!

For who can say to you, “What have you done?” or who can oppose your decree? Or when peoples perish, who can challenge you, their maker; or who can come into your presence as vindicator of unjust men? For neither is there any god besides you who have the care of all, that you need show you have not unjustly condemned (Wis 12,12-13). In respect to the gospel, they are enemies on your account; but in respect to election, they are beloved because of the patriarchs. For the gifts and the call of God are irrevocable. Just as you once disobeyed God but have now received mercy because of their disobedience, so they have now disobeyed in order that, by virtue of the mercy shown to you, they too may (now) receive mercy. For God delivered all to disobedience, that he might have mercy upon all. Oh, the depth of the riches and wisdom and knowledge of God! How inscrutable are his judgments and how unsearchable his ways! “For who has known the mind of the Lord or who has been his counsellor?” “Or who has given him anything that he may be repaid?” For from him and through him and for him are all things. To him be glory forever. Amen (Rm 11,28-36). (Rm 11,28-36). There are different kinds of spiritual gifts but the same Spirit; there are different forms of service but the same Lord; there are different workings but the same God who produces all of them in everyone. To each individual the manifestation of the Spirit is given for some benefit. To one is given through the Spirit the expression of wisdom; to another the expression of knowledge according to the same Spirit; to another faith by the same Spirit; to another gifts of healing by the one Spirit; to another mighty deeds; to another prophecy; to another discernment of spirits; to another varieties of tongues; to another interpretation of tongues. But one and the same Spirit produces all of these, distributing them individually to each person as he wishes (1Cor 12,4-11).

Ways, times, moments, modes through which the Lord calls are a mystery. His divine and eternal wisdom might never be understood by our little heart, by our fragile and inconsistent mind. Every man of faith must bow down and worship the will of his Lord: “I do not understand, I obey, I adore you, I serve you”. One must not serve God in himself, but in all his choices. Jesus is the Master in adoration, because He adores the Father’s will which manifests itself in the moment of his death sentence by crucifixion. It is not easy to worship the cross. Yet the Christian is called to adore God in all his decisions and wishes manifested to us.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire labourers 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 agreSome passages from Scripture, one taken from the Book of Wisdom, one from the Letter of St. Paul to the Romans and another from the First Letter to the Corinthians, place our mind before an unfathomable and incomprehensible mystery which is the will of God. of God is will governed by eternal wisdom. Mystery unspeakable!

The workers of the first hour lack a right vision of faith. It is very pure grace to have been called at the first hour of the day. But they do not even know that love for others obliges them to always desire the greater good for each of their brothers.

Mother of God, Angels and Saints, make us of pure, correct faith, able to always see God.