Today's Gospel, Matthew 21:38-22, is about mission. But first, it is about conversion. A man had two sons. He came to the first and said, “Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.” He said in reply, “I will not,” but afterwards changed his mind and went.
Where, Lord?
Conversion is not just a one-time act. It is something you do all the time. All the time, the Lord is telling us, “Go out and work in the vineyard today.” All the time, we are invited to respond. All the time. And if this happens all the time, perhaps we can also take our Gospel today to be about mission.
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| Mission Camp, 30-31 July: Learning to be bread for others. |
To what vineyard is the Lord sending us out today? Sometimes, this will mean a major decision in our lives. What course will you be doing in the university or polytechnic? What vocation will you pursue? What school will you want to enrol in? What CCA to pursue? You get the drift. Sometimes, going out to the vineyard will also mean a seemingly simple task that nevertheless demands much from us: Reaching out to someone who has not spoken to us for the longest time, swallowing your pride and admitting you were wrong, or finally deciding to let go of your hurts and forgive.
You Chose to Say Yes!
God sends us out to particular vineyards all the time. We can choose to say yes like the second son, but really do nothing about this yes. We can choose to say no. And what does God do when we say no? In our parable today, the master of the vineyard did not scream at the first son and throw him out of the house, calling him an ingrate or a good-for-nothing wretch. The parable is silent about the father’s reaction, and I think we can safely say that the father just waited silently for his sons to follow his will. No drama. No thick laying on of guilt. Just a patient and forgiving wait. “Take your time. I am just here.”
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| You will have a positive impact on the lives of he children. |
Here is where we can connect last week’s Gospel to today’s. Last week, we heard the story of a group of workers in another vineyard. Some worked from dawn. Some worked for half a day. Some worked for only an hour. But in the end, all received the same payment. Who got shortchanged? Most of us would point to those who worked for the whole day and even to those who worked for half a day. I would point to a different group. Even though they received the same pay, I think the people who worked for only an hour received the least. I don’t think they were lucky at all. Why? Because this is God’s vineyard and God’s work we are talking about. Being about the Father’s business is a great opportunity. The more opportunities you get to do God’s work, the more blessed you are.
Blessed Are You!
Do we see responding to God as a reward in itself, or do we see it as a burden imposed on us? As a catechist, it is really gratifying to see that all of you - from Celestine Neo to Christian Sih - saw the Mission Trip as a reward, and not as a burden. For indeed, it is a privilege to work in God's vineyard. Let us therefore praise God and thank Him for His generosity. - Your Mission Catechist
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