Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church
Matthew 20:1-16a
God Calls Us All, and Pays in Love

Today’s Gospel offers us a beautiful image of the generosity of God through the parable of the vineyard workers. The landowner, who goes out again and again to hire workers, is an image of God who never tires of calling. He calls in the morning, at noon, in the afternoon, even at the last hour—because no one is too late for the Kingdom of Heaven.

This is how God loves: He goes out in search of each of us. He does not wait behind locked doors. He walks through the streets of our lives, enters into our wounds, our loneliness, and our fears. He invites us, even when we feel unworthy or forgotten. This is His style: always going out, always calling, always loving.

And what is His reward? One denarius—for all. But that coin is more than money; it is a symbol of God’s love, a love that cannot be measured or divided. God gives not what we earn, but what we need: His mercy, His grace, His friendship. That is everything.

Sometimes, we are tempted to compare ourselves with others. “I’ve worked more,” we might say, “I deserve more.” But the Gospel reminds us: in the eyes of the Father, it is not how long we’ve worked, but how much we trust him. The last may be first, not because they are better, but because they opened their hearts to mercy.

Let us be like the owner of the vineyard—ready to go out, to call, to welcome. Let us be a Church that goes to the peripheries, and rejoices when anyone—no matter how late—hears God’s voice and enters the joy of the Gospel. Amen.

© Claretian Publications, Hong Kong, China
Cum Approbatione Ecclesiastica 2025