“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner, who went out”
What are the times that the landowner goes out? The landowner goes out five times; 6am; 9am; Noon; 3pm; 5pm.
What can the times mean in this parable? This could mean the times / periods in our life, for example 7yrs old (6am); 16yrs old (9am); 36yrs old (Noon); 56yrs old (3pm) and 76yrs old (5pm). God is always calling and the time of salvation is now. This was the appeal of Saint Paul to the Church in Corinth, “Working together, then, we appeal to you not to receive the grace of God in vain. For he says, ‘In an acceptable time I heard you, and on that day of salvation I helped you.’ Behold, now is a very acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Corinthians 6:1-2) Some answer very early, some answer very late. Give some examples of people you know or have heard who answered the call? What inspired them to answer the call? When did they answer God’s call to “go in the vineyard”?
ACTIVITY – Days of Grace
It is good to look back at our life and see when God was calling us. The call to work in the vineyard includes a call to pray, conversion, actions, etc. and is continual but is clearer in some moments than others. One way to look back on our life and reflect is to fold a sheet of paper in fours and break our life up into four major categories, we can then reflect just on that category rather than our whole life. Saint Therese did this and come up with the following significant events in her life. [1]
Birthday January 2, 1873
Baptism January 4, 1873
The Smile of Our Lady May 10, 1883
First Communion May 8, 1884
Confirmation June 14, 1884
Conversion December 25, 1886
Audience with Leo XIII November 20, 1887
Entry into the Carmel April 9, 1888
Clothing January 10, 1889
Profession September 8, 1890
Taking of the Veil September 24, 1890
Act of Oblation June 9, 1895
[ENTRY INTO HEAVEN—September 30, 1897]
It is good to share our own days of Grace with others so that people can be inspired about how God’s works in the life of each individual soul.
Some of the laborers only worked 1 hour (5pm to 6pm). They were paid first. The landowner said to all, I will give you what is just and the daily wage. Let say the landowner gave the 5pm workers ($100). What would those who came in at 6am who worked 12 hours expect to receive? They would expect to receive $1200.00. They would have been very happy to see the 5pm workers get $100 because they were expecting that when the foreman came down the line to them they would get $1200. What would be there reaction when they receive only $100? What would our reaction be?
Some people live the “life of Christ” at a very young age and “work in the vineyard” contributing to the needs of the Church at a very young age. St. Therese for example lived the “life of Christ” and “worked in the vineyard” before here teenage years. It could be said that St. Therese went to work at 6am. St. Augustine lived a sinful life and then converted and went to “work in the vineyard” at age 33 saying that his life was “restless until he rested in God.” It could be said that St. Augustine went to work at Noon.
Babe Ruth although not a canonized Saint of the Church, receive the Sacraments of the Church but strayed away and did not practice his faith, did not “work in the vineyard” and although a hero in the world, he was “idle” in the Body of Christ the Church. He did however “go to work in the vineyard” the last 3 years of his life after facing death in the hospital. It could be said that Babe Ruth went to work at 5pm.
ACTIVITY – American’s Prodigal Son
Read the story of Babe Ruth and the letter from a junior high student that changed his life, calling Him into the Vineyard. The sheet can be found on the main page of the packet online.
Did Therese, Augustine and Babe all get the same wage? Yes! Is that fair?
Why should I start being “holy” earlier in life then? We should feel honored to be called earlier in life to work for the kingdom of God. This means God has more desire to use us for His glory in our lifetime. In the second reading, Saint Paul wrote, “If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me.” (Phil 1:22) We are all called to “know, love, and serve the lord” [2] and Saint Bernard affirms, “Each one can find reasons to thank God in his life. We should feel particularly moved to thank God because he has called us to serve him and him alone.” [3] “That gift will always be infinitely greater than whatever anyone has done in life.” [4]
Are there any benefits to “going to work earlier”? Even if we get the daily wage of “eternal life” this does not mean that we do not have to pay the temporal punishment for the sins we have committed. We pay for these in purgatory where we are purged or cleansed of the stains that sin has caused. There would be far less stains on the soul of a person that “went to work” at 9am than a person that “lived it up” and then converted on their deathbed. If we truly our restless until we rest in God as St. Augustine says then the many years we spend “idle” will not only be in “restlessness” but could very well be in chaos, unhappiness, frustration, etc. If we wait, we are as Christ says, “idle.” Bishop Joseph Delaney, the 2nd Bishop of Fort Worth used to say, “if you do not do what God is asking of you, who will? It will simply go undone, because no one can do what you were created to do. When you are judged Christ will show you gaps or holes in your life and you will ask what they are. He will reply these are ‘voids’ in your life when the will of God was not done.” These “voids” or “idleness” not only affect us but also have effect on others and on the Church and on society. We also know that we will die, but no one knows the day or time of their death, if we wait until 5pm (76yrs old) we could very well die at Noon (36yrs old). What are some other reasons not to wait?
[1] Saint Therese the Little Flower; Story of a Soul
[2] Baltimore Catechism No. 1, Question 6
[3] St. Bernard, Sermon 2 for the Sixth Sunday after Pentecost, I
[4] In conversation with God 5, 10.1