No Violation of Justice

In the parable of the Workers in the Vineyard, you have the owner paying his laborers all the same wage.  It didn't matter whether they worked all day or only one hour.  Everyone received the same pay.

As a Union Steward, this really got my goat. I didn't buy the explanation that the owner can do what he wants; it's his money.  The owner may be showing his generosity but it was at the expense of the poor fools who slaved away all day. I would have slapped that employer with a grievance, for sure.

I understand I would have lost that grievance because there was no violation of justice. He paid what he said he would pay, and more.

And I understand also that I was thinking like a Pharisee.  And that Jesus used the parables to keep the Pharisees off his back.  While the Pharisees were trying to figure out the meaning, Jesus was explaining everything to His disciples.

As a disciple, I understand the parable to give me hope.  That even Dismas, on the cross with Jesus could enter heaven, just like the ones who had believed Jesus was the Lord, from the beginning. For some reason, this explanation didn't impress me.

However, this morning I was reading the parable and a footnote enlightened my mind.  The laborers who worked all day were the Jews.  They were the chosen people.  They believed from the beginning of Abraham.  The last workers hired were us Gentiles.  Now God was allowing the Gentiles to receive exactly what the faithful Jews were going to receive.


Why does this same fair and the union workers grievance not acceptable?  

A Sign of My Faith

Since my RCIA class was finished early, I dropped by my Protestant friend, Steve's scripture class. They were faith sharing.  The passage was Matt. 20: 1-16, commonly known as the Laborers in the Vineyard.

If you're not using your eyes of faith, but only the eyes of the world, you would slap the owner of the vineyard with an unfair labor practices lawsuit.  But God sees differently and he loves everyone and gives generously.

The parable is meant to give hope.  The believer who professes belief, (like St. Dismas), in his last breath, has every right to be in heaven as the cradle believer.

I added my two cents to the class.  We ended in prayer and I made sure I made the sign of my faith--I blessed myself with the sign of the cross.

YES!

Peg's Yes

This morning the homily was about Mary's Annunciation.  Father related the story of talking to children about Mary saying "Yes," to becoming the Mother of God.  The children were asked if they would say "yes."  They responded with a resounding "Yes."

Father then turned to the nuns and asked them if they would say "Yes."  Their response was YES.

Father then turned to us laity in the pews, and we said "Yes" -- sorta.

I admit, I didn't.  I wanted to, but hesitated.  I wanted to know the implications of my "Yes."  After all, the God of the Old Testament is vengeful, and mean.  Sometimes, I wonder about the view of God given by Jesus.

Well...

I was thinking of when I'd be the elder son in the Prodigal Son (Matt 21: 28-32, or the poor slob who was suckered into slaving all the day in the field Matt 20: 1-16), or the timid honest one who buried his master talents ( Matt 25: 14-30), etc.

I would want a guarantee that I'd be loved and cared for, and that God would never abandon me. Luckily, I recalled Romans 8:31-39 "What shall we then say to these things? If God is for us, who can be against us? He that didn't spare his own Son, but delivered him up for us all, will he not also give us, with him, all things freely?... For I am persuaded that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to be, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord."  


So when Mass was finished, and Father again asked us, "Would you say 'yes' to God?"


I shouted, "YES"!