My Dear People, 

In the past, whenever vineyard was mentioned in the Bible, it referred to Israel. Elijah dwelt upon Mount Carmel. The word Carmel means the vineyard of the Lord. In the Gospel, Matthew 20:1-16, Jesus speaks to His disciples of the vineyard and workers.  

The landowner hired laborers to work at different times of the day. Some began at the beginning of the workday; others were hired later in the morning. Still others were hired in the afternoon, and there were those who were hired to work one hour before the end of the workday. 

The interesting part was they all got the same pay, regardless of when they started.  To make the matter more emphatic, the boss told his foreman to pay the laborers their wages but to begin with those who started last and pay them first. The workers of the first hour are particularly cited together with those of the last hour. They are the ones who are the focus of this parable.   

Those of the Old Testament and those of the New are symbolic of the Church. The Jews from the Old Testament were chosen first, whereas the Gentiles from the New Testament were chosen later. Symbolically, the first hired at the beginning of the day and the workers hired at the last hour, are the works of servitude, and a call to grace respectively.  Those who were hired later in the day accepted the Master's mercy and generosity and with a heart full of gratitude received equal wages.

Don Dolindo in his commentary on this Gospel says the land is like a vineyard of the Celestial Father. In God's vineyard, we are all called as workers, and the results of our labors would be eternity. Like the workers in the parable who were called at various hours of the day, we too are called by God--some in our infancy; others in adolescent years; some in our youth; some middle age, and still others in the senior years.  

  Those who respond with fervor to the divine call will be the first in possessing the reign of God. Yet, the first arrivals cannot presume that their bounty will be greater. Later arrivals, even though they may have been idle or lazy in answering the call from God, need not be discouraged if they have not been workers in the vineyard all their life.  God calls all of us to work in His vineyard, and His mercy is limitless.

The Hebrews who were the first, now come last in gathering the fruits of labor.  Yet, when at the end of time they convert, they, too, will be part of the Church.  

Jesus narrated this beautiful parable at the beginning of His ministry. Consider the souls  to whom this happened and will happen. How many of us render in vain the call of God?  How many will be saved? Jesus was thinking of the many who will be called in the future to grace.  This is the fundamental thought of the parable. That is why Jesus concludes this parable as the last will be first and the first will be last. 

When Peter asked Jesus what price those who have abandoned everything would have to pay, Jesus told Peter it was the crown of justice and grace that he had given to the chosen. Because of our works in God's vineyard, grace is introduced to us as if it is passing through our capillary veins until it explosively fills our spiritual lives with God's unending mercy. 

Yours in Christ,

Fr. Vincent Clemente