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There is one thing that you should keep in mind when you reflect on the Gospel text for today. The parable is not about justice. It is not about social injustice. The parable is about generosity.
What the Lord meant was that the hired men received money from the Lord not because they had to be paid for work that they did but because God wanted to give. It is the same with heaven. Heaven is not God’s reward to us for not violating the Ten Commandments. Heaven is not God’s reward to us because we go to Mass every Sunday, or pray the rosary, or do not commit adultery, or steal or kill. It is not because of all of these that God must reward us with heaven. Heaven is not a reward, it is God’s gift to us.
If we were to demand justice for what we do, we will all end up outside the kingdom of heaven. We will be able to enter God’s kingdom not because we are worthy but because God is generous. We will be able to enter God’s kingdom not because we are being rewarded for what is good but because God is good.
There is no opportunity, there is no chance for us to buy heaven. Like the laborers who worked so that they would be paid If we try to buy heaven, it will be like buying Robinson’s Galleria with play money which is worthless. We cannot buy salvation. No matter what we do, our fidelity to the Commandments, our going to Mass every day and our praying the rosary every day are only expressions of our love for God.
When everything is said and done, we can only say, “Lord, I still do not deserve heaven. Please be gracious to me, let me enter your Kingdom.”
I cannot resist recounting the incident in the life of St. Therese of Lisieux of the Child Jesus. She was being taught by her mother what hell is. Hell according to her mother is a place where nobody loves God. It is all punishment, fire, and hatred, It is the place for sinners. And St. Therese said to her mother,” I want to go to hell.” The mother was surprised and St. Therese continued, “I want to go to hell so that I will be able to love Jesus there.”
If God desires to give us heaven, let us thank Him. Heaven is not God’s reward to us. Heaven is not something we pay for. Heaven is completely God’s gift to us.
God is generous, God is kind. That is why we are all here. Let us thank God that He is generous because if God were only just, we will all be outside the kingdom of heaven.
OVERFLOWING KINDNESS
Mt. 20:1-16
Only Jesus, Always Jesus
