18
Aug
Aug
Reflection: Matthew 20: 1-16
The parable of the day labourers in the vineyard explains two aspects of the Kingdom of God: the first is that God wants to call everyone to work for his Kingdom; the second, he wants to give everyone the same reward, that is eternal life. God calls everyone and calls always, at any hour. Even today, God acts this way: He continues to call anyone, at whatever hour, to invite them to work in his Kingdom. He does not stay shut in within His world, but “goes out”: God always goes out, in search of us. He continually seeks out people, because He does not want anyone to be excluded from His loving plan. Our communities are also called to go out to the various types of “boundaries” to offer everyone the word of salvation that Jesus came to bring. Pope Francis calls on the Church to be like God: always going out; and when the Church does not go out, it becomes sick with the many evils we have in the Church. The pope says that when you go out there is a danger of getting into an accident. But it is better a Church that gets into accidents because it goes out to proclaim the Gospel, than a Church that is sick because it stays in. God always goes out because He is a Father, because He loves. The Church must do the same: always going out. The apparent “injustice” of the owner serves to provoke the listeners. But, Jesus is not speaking about the issue of work or of a fair wage, but about the Kingdom of God! There are no unemployed people in the Kingdom of God! Everyone is called to do their part; and there will be a reward for everyone. In God’s kingdom, the reward that God gives does not depend on the quantity nor the quality of your work; instead, it is a free gift. He always pays the maximum: He does not pay halfway. He pays everything. Everything is Grace. Our salvation is Grace. Our life is Grace of God. Giving us Grace, God bestows on us more than what we merit. And so, those who reason using human logic, find themselves last. “But, I have worked a lot, I have done so much in the Church, I have helped a lot and they pay me the same as this person who arrived last…” we complain! Let’s remember who was the first canonized saint in the Church: the Good Thief. He “stole” Paradise at the last minute of his life: this is Grace. This is what God is like, even with us!