Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16
So they went off. And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he
found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all
day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too
go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to
his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the
last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock
came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought
that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on
receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones
worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s
burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’ Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
No, because God’s love for us is not bound by any human measure. God loves us infinitely, no matter who we are, no matter how far we may have wandered, and no matter what sins we have committed.
The
landowner in our Gospel represents God, who solicitously invited workers on
many occasions to work in His vineyard. He did not concern Himself with the
time at which they presented themselves for work. What mattered to the
landowner was that they responded to his invitation to work in his vineyard.
How
beautiful it is to realize that God does not stop calling us simply because we
have been late in responding to Him. His invitation remains open. Whether we
have followed Him for many years or are only beginning to seek Him, He lovingly
calls us to enter His vineyard and share in His work.
God’s
love for us is so immense that He wants us to come to Him, regardless of who we
are or what we have done. He continuously invites us to a new life with Him. We
are precious to God, and we are dearly loved by Him. Even when we feel
unworthy, lost, broken, or burdened by our past, God does not turn His back on
us. His invitation continues to reach out to us because His mercy is greater
than our sinfulness.
Many
of us may sometimes think that we are no longer worthy of God’s immense love
because of our sins. But God’s love is not something we earn through our
worthiness. It is a gift of grace and mercy. The more conscious we become of
our sinfulness, the more deeply we should recognize our need for Him. God does
not call us because we are perfect; He calls us because He loves us and desires
to transform our lives.
Therefore,
let us not allow our past sins, failures, or feelings of unworthiness to keep
us from responding to God’s invitation. Let us enter His vineyard with humble
and repentant hearts. Let us leave behind whatever keeps us from Him and allow
His grace to renew us. No matter how late we think we are, it is never too late
to return to God.
God’s
invitation is before us today. His vineyard is waiting. His mercy is calling.
His love is reaching out to us.
Will
we respond to God’s invitation today, leave behind what keeps us from Him, and
allow His boundless love and mercy to transform our lives?— Marino J.
Dasmarinas
No comments:
Post a Comment