Life is work and prayer. Work and pray. We need to do both. Work like everything depends on us and pray like everything depends upon God. We need to put our whole self into our work, into our life, into everything that we do. We need to put all of our faith in prayer and in God’s grace. We are called to work and to cooperate with God in perfecting his work of creation and bringing about a rich harvest. God doesn’t just sit back in heaven and enjoy the life of love in the Trinity but he goes out into the world to share his divine life with his creation. Jesus, the Eternal Word, empties himself and goes out into the world to bring us life. Jesus tells his disciples, “I came so that they might have life and have it more abundantly.” (Jn 10,10)
We work alongside of God. He works with us to lead us into an abundant life on earth and eternal life in heaven. There is no one more active than God in the work of life, working through Jesus the Son and the Holy Spirit. God is constantly going out, at all hours of the day, calling people to be a part of his divine life and working with us to establish the kingdom. Our work is not about earning our way in life. Life is a grace. It is given to us each day. God has promised that he will give us what we need for life. “If God so clothes the grass of the field, which grows today and is thrown into the oven tomorrow, will he not much more provide for you, O you of little faith? So do not worry and say, ‘What are we to eat?’ or ‘What are we to drink?’ or ‘What are we to wear?’ All these things the pagans seek. Your heavenly Father knows that you need them all. But seek first the kingdom of God and his righteousness, and all these things will be given you besides. Do not worry about tomorrow; tomorrow will take care of itself.” (Mt 7,30-34) God promises to give us our daily wage, what we need for life each day. Jesus teaches us to pray, “Give us this day our daily bread.” Don’t worry about tomorrow. God will be in your tomorrows as he is in your todays. We need to trust God in this. That is the work of faith.
In the parable of the laborers, God gives to each of the laborers the same pay - what is needed for the day, a day’s wage. He doesn’t make their pay dependent on how much work they did, it is dependent upon his grace, on how effective God’s grace has been in their lives. God promises that he will treat us justly. God is a gracious and generous Father. God’s justice is shown in his mercy. Justice is not about fairness, it is about the superabundant grace of God that he gives us to perfect us in his love. When we first hear this parable of Jesus we at first object like the workers and say, “That’s not fair.” However, that is God’s way, the way that he thinks and acts. As God affirms for us through Isaiah the prophet, “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts.” (Is 55,8f) God doesn’t think about fairness but rather, he thinks in terms of mercy and gracious love. He gives us what we need for the day and he promises us eternal life. That’s the deal that he makes with us. He doesn’t give us more than we need, he gives us enough. Some people are life long Catholics who have practiced their faith for their entire lifetimes. Some people are converts who come into the Church late in life. God gives to each the fullness of eternal life. We should rejoice with God and share his joy in each lost sheep that is found and in each person who comes into eternal life. Our reward is the joy that we share with God each day in working side by side with him in bringing his gift of life into the world. That is its own reward.
We don’t expect to be given more for each soul that we bring into eternal life. The harvest is rich but God needs laborers for the harvest. He asks us to pray for more people to labor with him in the heat of the day for the sake of building the kingdom. We are not meant to stand around idly each day, wasting away our precious time in this life but we are called to go out into the Lord’s vineyard and work with him, to sow and to reap. That brings meaning and purpose to our lives. Jesus encourages his disciples, “The harvest is abundant but the laborers are few; so ask the master of the harvest to send out laborers for his harvest.” (Mt 9,37)
What work are we doing for the kingdom? What is the work that God has given us to do? Husbands and wives need to work on their marriage each day and build a beautiful relationship of love. Parents are called to teach their children and to care for the domestic church, building a home and a family that honors God and brings joy to life. We are all called to care for our neighbors good and to love one another with the love of Christ. In all of this we share in God’s grace. He will reward us graciously for the work that we have done. When we have done this basic work of life we are not to expect special treatment but only to say, “We are unprofitable servants; we have done what we were obliged to do.’” (Lk 17,10). We are servants to one another in life. Jesus gave us an example of service to others and to lay down our lives for one another in love. We do what is expected of us and we trust that in doing that God will give us a share in his joy and in his glory. Jesus tells his disciples, “The reaper is already receiving his payment and gathering crops for eternal life, so that the sower and reaper can rejoice together. For here the saying is verified that ‘One sows and another reaps.’ I sent you to reap what you have not worked for; others have done the work and you are sharing the fruits of their work.” (Jn 4,32-36)
We don’t work for money that will pass away, we work for a share in the divine life that will never pass away. At the end of the day God doesn’t want to just make us rich in the things of this world, he wants us to be “dives in misericordia”, rich in mercy and full of life. A rich and abundant life comes from faith and from sharing our life with the Lord. At the end of the day, God has the same reward for each person for doing his work and for sharing in the work of his vineyard, that reward is eternal life. ““Do not work for food that perishes but for the food that endures for eternal life which the Son of Man will give you. For on him the Father, God, has set his seal.” So they said to him, “What can we do to accomplish the works of God?” Jesus answered and said to them, “This is the work of God, that you believe in the one he sent.”” (Jn 6,27ff) Work, pray, believe and share in the joy of the Master of the harvest, because for us, “life is Christ”. Amen!