Workers in the Vineyard

The principal message of the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is that the mercy of our Father in Heaven is SO GREAT that all people have access to it, no matter how late they are in responding to His call.

 
As St. Augustine stated so beautifully after his conversion:

 
“Late have I loved you, Beauty ever ancient ever new, late have I loved you…

on your exceedingly great mercy, and on that alone, rests all my hope.”

And yet, as comforting as God’s mercy should be for us, every time we hear this parable there’s something about it that goes against the grain, because it just doesn’t seem fair that the people who went to work late in the afternoon should receive the same pay as those who went early and spent all day working in the hot sun.

 
What we have to remember, is that this sentiment often comes from those who look at our faith as a burden, as something that limits our ability to enjoy life, especially when we see others behaving badly and seemingly enjoying theirs.

 
It’s a little bit like the attitude of the elder brother in the story of the Prodigal Son who resented that his father threw a party for his younger brother after he had just returned from squandering his inheritance.

 
What he failed to realize is that living in his father’s house for all those years was a blessing, not a burden — making a good living, enjoying financial security, putting in an honest day’s work, having enough to eat for him and his family, building something for the future, and more importantly, being close to his father… all things that the younger son DID NOT have, and only came to appreciate after he had lost them.

 
And this is what the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard invites us to do:

 
… to re-discover the JOY of living in the Father’s house… of being faithful to the teachings of the Gospel; 

 
… to stop comparing ourselves with others, and doing good for its own sake; 

 
… to be grateful for both the opportunity and the ability to put in an honest day’s work;

 
… to feel good about the doing the right thing, when doing the wrong thing might seem more enjoyable or profitable;

 
… to eliminate all envy and greed from our hearts, and simply being grateful for the many blessings we ourselves have received.

 
The parable of the Workers in the Vineyard is an invitation to rejoice in, and not resent, the good fortune of others, knowing that the great bounty of God’s mercy which they receive is available to us as well. May this lesson be permanently written in our hearts.

 
Humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out

not for his own interests, but… for those of others. (Philippians 2:3-4)

https://www.youtube.com/@Simplycatholic