XXV SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

First Reading: Isaiah 55:6‐9

Responsive Psalm: Psalm 144(145):2‐3,8‐9,17‐18

Second Reading: Philippians 1:20‐24,27.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1‐16

God, in his love, calls us and sends us to work in his vineyard. Being called and becoming his workers is a blessing. God has no emotional or partisan preference for some workers over others. He desires all his children to become his workers. He does not call or choose us as a human employer chooses collaborators or employees. The prophet Isaiah reminds us: “For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD” (Isaiah 55:8-9).

Workers do not go looking for a job; God himself goes out to find them and invites them to work in his vineyard. He goes out at different times of the day to call and send them to his vineyard. And all of them receive the same wage: eternal life. Being called first does not mean receiving a greater reward.

On the one hand, the owner calls his workers out of love; on the other hand, the workers must accept his invitation and go to work. This parable highlights both God’s love and his justice. When God calls us out of love, he asks for a response of faith—a response expressed through obedience.

This parable appears only in the Gospel according to Matthew. Matthew himself experienced the loving call of God. He was a tax collector, someone many considered a sinner and an outsider. Yet Jesus called him to become one of his disciples. Matthew responded to that call, left his former life behind, served Christ, and became a witness to the Gospel. His story reminds us that it is never too late to respond to God's call.

Paul is another worker who, with both joy and suffering, dedicated himself to serving God in his vineyard, the Church. He sowed the seed of the Gospel in Hebrew, Greek, and Roman cultures, preaching in towns and cities throughout the Mediterranean world. From Damascus to Rome, he was never afraid to reveal whom he served: Christ.

Paul worked passionately for the Lord. He could say: “For to me life is Christ, and death is gain” (Philippians 1:21). He and his companions became the first disciples to proclaim Christ in Europe, evangelizing the city of Philippi.

Dear brothers and sisters, God calls each one of us to work for him in his vineyard—the Church. Wherever you are, you are called to build up the Church and to make Christ present. In your workplace, be a witness to Christ. In your home, spread his love. Among your friends and in your community, bring the Gospel through your words and, above all, through your example.

God has called each of us at a different time and in a different way. Some may have been called early in life; others may have discovered God's call later. But the important thing is not when we were called. What matters is that we respond to the invitation and faithfully go to work in his vineyard. The vineyard belongs to God, and we are his workers. Let us therefore receive his call with gratitude, respond with faith, and serve him with love. For the reward he promises is not something we earn by being better than others; it is the gift of his love: eternal life.