The Happy Priest Reflects on Being Busy in the Vineyard

This Sunday's gospel passage tells us that we need to be busy in the vineyard of the Lord.  The Second Vatican Council has told the laity that they are called, through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, to an active life in the Church.  This activity takes place principally by personal witness and apostolic activity.

CORPUS CHRISTI, TX (Catholic Online) - Before we consider the practical applications of this Sunday's gospel passage, we need to enter into the scene and better understand the culture of the Holy Land during the time of Jesus.

The grape harvest took place during the month of September.  The rainy season followed very quickly, and so the owners of the vineyards were anxious to harvest the grapes as soon as they were ready.  If the grapes were not gathered before the rainy season began, the grapes would be lost.

The situation with the workers that is described in the gospel passage actually took place.  The workers who gathered in the market place were not lazy men who did not want to work.  They went to this location in order to be available for those who were looking for hired help.  The workers would arrive very early in the morning with their tools in hand and would wait, even until the end of the day, for work.  Many times the work was just for one day, or possibly just a few hours.  These workers were desperate.

The parable provides a very clear picture of what could have happened in any vineyard and market place of any Jewish village or town when the farmers were rushing to beat the rainy season.

As we know from the other parables of the Gospels, Jesus brilliantly uses the circumstances of his day in order to teach eternal truths.  In a culture void of mass media, the people that heard Jesus had a great capacity to listen.  They were gifted with a vivid imagination, a sharp memory and a well developed intellectual capacity which enabled them to understand the truths that Jesus would deduce from his parables.

The original intent and meaning of the parable are limited to the continual theme in the Scriptures regarding the call of the Jewish people as the People of God and the subsequent call of the Gentiles.  The Jewish people were called during the "early hour" of the Old Testament and now the Gentiles are being called to participate equally in the new People of God which is the Church.

In both situations, the call to be part of the Church is gratuitous and unmerited.  Therefore those who were first to receive the call must not protest when the last are given the same reward.  To be called to the vineyard of the Lord is a gift and the reward is eternal life in Heaven which is shared equally by all no matter when they were called.

Since the New Covenant has already been established after Jesus taught this parable, we can continue to unravel meanings which can be applicable to our own circumstances as living members of the Church.

The parable gives us a glimpse into the compassion of God.  No matter when someone comes to Jesus and begins a personal relationship with him, each person is treated equally.  If your membership with the Church began at birth or at a latter age, everyone participates in the same banquet of divine life.

No matter when our relationship with Jesus began, we need to continually cultivate the life of grace in order to persevere.  A deep spiritual life accompanied by a demanding exercise of the Christian virtues, will enhance an intimate friendship with God.

The parable also tells us that we need to be busy in the vineyard of the Lord.  The Second Vatican Council has told the laity that they are called, through the Sacraments of Baptism and Confirmation, to an active life in the Church.  This activity takes place principally by personal witness and apostolic activity.

Here is what the Council said: "There are innumerable opportunities open to the laity for the exercise of their apostolate of evangelization and sanctification. The very testimony of their Christian life and good works done in a supernatural spirit have the power to draw men to belief and to God; for the Lord says, 'Even so let your light shine before men in order that they may see your good works and give glory to your Father who is in heaven' (Matt. 5:16).

However, an apostolate of this kind does not consist only in the witness of one's way of life; a true apostle looks for opportunities to announce Christ by words addressed either to non-believers with a view to leading them to faith, or to the faithful with a view to instructing, strengthening, and encouraging them to a more fervent life. 'For the charity of Christ impels us' (2 Cor. 5:14). The words of the Apostle should echo in all hearts, 'Woe to me if I do not preach the Gospel' (1 Cor. 9:16)" (Apostolicam Actusitatem, II, 6)

Blessed Pope John Paul II once wrote: "A new state of affairs today both in the Church and in social, economic, political and cultural life, calls with a particular urgency for the action of the lay faithful. If lack of commitment is always unacceptable, the present time renders it even more so. It is not permissible for anyone to remain idle" (Christifidelis Laici, 3)

Allow me to conclude with a story.  John Currier 1949 was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. Later he was transferred and paroled to work on a farm near Nashville, Tennessee.
In 1968, Currier's sentence was terminated, and a letter bearing the good news was sent to him. But John never saw the letter, nor was he told anything about it. Life on that farm was hard and without promise for the future. Yet John kept doing what he was told even after the farmer for whom he worked had died.

Ten years went by. Then a state parole officer learned about Currier's plight, found him and told him that his sentence had been terminated. He was a free man.

Would it matter to you if someone sent you an important message -- the most important in your life -- and year after year the urgent message was never delivered?

We who have heard the good news and experienced freedom through Christ are responsible to proclaim it to others still enslaved by sin.

Are we doing all we can to make sure that people get the message?

If you are interested in being the kind of Catholic that the Church needs today, read my new book, Get Serious! A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics.  My new book is an easy to read, easy to understand, inspirational guide on how to be a serious Catholic in this challenging world. 
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Father James Farfaglia is the pastor of Our Lady of Guadalupe Catholic Church in Corpus Christi, Texas. He is also a member of the Board of Directors of Human Life International.  Visit Father James on the web at http://www.fatherjames.org and purchase his new book Get Serious! A Survival Guide for Serious Catholics and his first book, Man to Man: A Real Priest Speaks to Real Men about Marriage, Sexuality and Family Life.  Father has a hard hitting blog called Illegitimi non carborundum.  You can contact Father James at fjficthus@gmail.com. 

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