archives

The parable of the owner of the vineyard who goes out to call workers at different times of the day was the inspiration for the introduction of John Paul II's post-synodal exhortation "Christifideles laici". There, emphasis was placed on the words "You go to the vineyard too" (20:4) as an imperative for the laity to find their place within the Church's mission. (CL,2). The application of the parable to a document about the life and mission of the lay faithful in the Church assumes an identification between the Lord of the vineyard and the God who calls everyone in every stage of human history to be participants in his work. Gregory the Great (Homily XIX) and John Chrysostom (In Matthaeum 64,3), apply the parable to the different stages of the human life and admonish the faithful to respond to God's invitation at whatever age or level of maturity they are in. Whether old (the first) or very young (the last), the Lord invites them to the holy life.

The parable of the owner of the vineyard is about the reversal of fortune effected by God's mercy manifested in Christ. "First" and "last" are relativized before God's justice, which is also His mercy. It is because of this relativization that the reversal of fortunes effected by the kingdom of God manifesting itself in the work of Christ can make the first, last and the last, first. Read the article on the parable of the owner of the vineyard and use the questions below for your reflection

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