Jesus told his disciples this parable: "For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o'clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace; and he said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.' So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o'clock, he did the same. And about five o'clock he went out and found others standing around; and he said to them, 'Why are you standing here idle all day?' They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You also go into the vineyard.' When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager, 'Call the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and then going to the first.' When those hired about five o'clock came, each of them received the usual daily wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go; I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or are you envious because I am generous?' So the last will be first, and the first will be last.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, as I begin this prayer I open my heart and mind to listen to your invitation to work in your vineyard. I believe that you are the Lord of life, and that outside you nothing has any value. You are goodness itself, and in your hands is where I will find life and goodness. I place all my trust in you, and in you I hope to find salvation and happiness. Accept my efforts to love you as you deserve to be loved, and forgive me when through weakness I fall short of what you deserve. 

Petition: Lord Jesus, make me aware that you are always present and active in my life, seeking me out when I stand idle, for there is much work to be done in your vineyard.  Give me the courage to put myself at your service to do your work. Give me generosity not to seek my own benefit as I do so.

1. The Call to Work in the Vineyard. The landowner needs workers for his vineyard. Even though Christ is all-powerful and does not need to, he has still chosen to do his work through us. He comes seeking coworkers. He comes because he wants to be able to say to us, Well done, good and faithful servant! He invites everyone he finds. When he calls us we might think we dont have enough talent, or are too young, too inexperienced to contribute anything, or that the task is beyond us, or think it was only a coincidence he found us there, but nothing can change the fact that he wants us to work at building his Kingdom now matter who we are, where we are and what we are like. It takes trust, it takes humility. It takes generosity and it takes love. 

2. The task. We complain too easily about the problems we see around us: lack of values, violence, corruption, deceit and all the evil men do, the young without direction. Then in we turn to God in prayer asking for relief and seeking and end to so much suffering. We see how desperately men need Gods forgiveness and Christs grace, and we turn to him in prayer, asking that his Kingdom will come. Perhaps we need to listen more, and recognize Christ coming down day after day into the market-place of my life and asking, Why are you standing there idle?

And as the days pass and I still havent taken up his call, to hear him returning again and again, with the same question. Idle when there are so many needs around me. Idle when he has given me all the tools. Idle when it comes to discovering my path in life. Idle when life itself is so short and the wasted minute will not return. Every time the master of the vineyard went down, he found men willing to go to work. If only he found us as responsive in the things of the spirit as we are in the material.

3. The Surprising Salary. When Christ told this parable, Peter had just asked Jesus (Matthew 19:27-30): What can we expect in return for leaving everything to follow you? Christ answered that everyone who has left houses, brothers, sisters, father, mother, children or land for the sake of my name will receive a hundred times as much, and also inherit eternal life. What could be more generous? In the present parable Jesus emphasizes that his generosity makes no distinction of time, the reward is for everyone, regardless of when they finally answer his call. In doing his work lays the salvation of our own soul. And so we build up a treasure in heaven. The parable also jogs our own conscience to ask us how often my dealings with others are based on human criteria of reciprocity rather than on generosity and charity.

Conversation: Lord, today I hear more clearly than ever your call to begin working. Perhaps Ive been waiting for special opportunities, a change in circumstances in order to start, rather than seeing all the opportunities I have right now. Help me to look at my friendships and duties with new eyes. Help me to discover and eliminate those things that waste my time, making me truly idle for your Kingdom despite my busy-ness.  Open my eyes to the needs of those around me. Make me your apostle.

Questionnaire:

1. Is there anything Christ wants me to do that I keep on putting off?

2. Is there anything I pray for, without doing what I can to make it happen?

3. Do I truly believe in and want to reach heaven, is heaven a reality for me?