What ways!

The Text from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah from the Roman Catholic Lectionary for today announces a challenge to our way of thinking. Divine thoughts and Divine ways are not the thoughts and ways of people we are told. The escape clause for us often is that we acknowledge this and take ourselves off the hook. Paul reminds us that the model he has lived is our mission too. He proclaims "Christ will be exalted now as always in my body" and exhorts us to live our lives in a manner worthy of the Gospel. The Gospel of Matthew today will leave us with questions. Who are we in the parable of the laborers in the Vineyard? We can begin as one of the workers. When did we arrive to work? Perhaps our whole life has been involved with working in the Church. Perhaps we are attending seriously to the call of the Landowner today. The fair day's wage is for both of us. Where to from here? The long serving servant of Christ has worked in that relationship of life, trust, security and patience for a long time. The new worker may wonder and praise God for the goodness shown his long serving colleague by God. When we think of ourselves as the landowner, we understand another challenge to value people and their efforts in ways which is not necessarily linear and confined in time. The inspiration of an instant may impact the life of others as powerfully as the the years of faithful friendship. We are tools of the Landowner. We need to be thankful when we are put to use in the Vineyard in whatever manner.