Today’s first reading is one that should be required daily reading for priests and bishops. Through Ezekiel, God talks about some not-so-good shepherds. He is not pleased; and when He is not pleased, things don’t end well for those with whom He is not pleased. Pray for our bishops and priests, that they may be good shepherds! The Gospel today from Matthew 20 is the parable of the workers in the vineyard.
Jesus tells the story of a landowner who needs workers for his vineyard. So he hires some people on at the beginning of the day, some in the middle of the day, and some near the very end of the day. And at the end of the day, he pays them all the same. The nerve! So the people who busted their humps all day complain; after all, those others only worked a few hours. Seems rather unjust, doesn’t it.
From a worldly standpoint, I empathize with the complainers. I think they had a case to be upset. But this isn’t about the world. This is one of those “The Kingdom of heaven is like..” stories. The moral of the story is that it is never too late to come into the Kingdom. God is always “hiring!” In fact, the unemployment rate in the Kingdom of God is 0%. There is an opening for you right this moment! Just don’t wait too long. Who knows? Today could be late in the day for us.
Father, thank you for always calling us into the Kingdom. May we not procrastinate another moment, and accept your invitation today. Amen.
Do you think that people in your parish could stand to learn more about the faith? If so, ask your pastor to get involved in our Year of Faith initiative. Get all the details at www.GusLloyd.com.
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