Rev. Msgr. Louis A Marucci, Pastor
E-Mail: msgrmarucci@svpchurch.org

The official reading of a person’s last will and testament is an intense occasion for everyone involved. As the terms of the will are unfolded, there are often surprises. A few of the recipients, in the way of mankind, usually feel an injustice has been done them, no matter how the deceased has divided his wealth. But, most of us would agree there was no injustice—provided everyone was treated fairly—even if one small child, say, was granted as much as associates and employees who had worked faithfully for many, many years. We would not question the justice of such an action, or the person’s right to do this in the will, if he or she so chooses.

Christ, in the story today of the laborers is conveying this same idea. God gives generously to all of us—but in his own way. Where this is confusing for us is that God’s ways are not our ways. In the first Reading, the Prophet Isaiah emphasizes that our thoughts are not God’s thoughts. In other words, we only see the disorganized backside of the tapestry of God’s plan. Understandably from this view, we can find much in life and even in God’s distribution of blessings that could seem questionable. But we must trust to an order and to a divine justice that is, by definition, beyond us. We believe in God’s genuine loving regard for each of us, uniquely, and we live by this trust.

Faith, then, is our Christian response to the seeming confusion and injustice that surrounds us. Since God’s ways are, by definition, beyond us, we trust and so are secure in our conviction that God gives each person a generous share of his infinite grace—but always in a unique manner. As no human being is quite the same as another, God’s consideration is lovingly personalized.

In our limited vision and understanding, however, individual situations and circumstances can often seem unfair and even cruel. This is why we must place a special trust in Christ’s reassurance today in the illustration he gives us. Like the benefactors of the legacy, or the workers in the vineyard, each receives an abundant daily portion or wage—even if some late worker, or small child receives it for appearing to do much less. We refrain from judging the value of each man’s portion, leaving it instead to the wisdom and mystery of God. For, who can say, finally—except God—which of our lives was the more important and why?