AN INVITATION TO THE VINEYARD: GOD KEEPS CALLING

Shaunté Collins-Johnson

“He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’” – Matthew 20:7

When I read or hear the parable of the workers in the vineyard, the focus is generally on the ending: the workers who had been there all day and received the same wage as those who arrive during the last hour.  It is easy to get caught up in whether that was fair.  But as I reflected on this Gospel this time, something else stood out to me: the compassion and generosity of the landowner. 

He kept going back to the marketplace.  He went out to the marketplace about every three hours from dawn until 5:00 PM.  Each time he returned, he noticed people who were still waiting for work.  By 5:00 PM, even with the workday nearly over, he still gave those left at the marketplace the opportunity to enter his vineyard for work. 

There is something compassionate about this.  The landowner was not only concerned about having even people to work in his vineyard for the day.  He saw people who were overlooked and, instead of leaving them at the marketplace, made room for them.  He invited them to work as well.

Each time he returned to the marketplace, his invitation was simple: “You too go into my vineyard.”

These words make me think about the many ways God calls each of us to serve His Church.  Some people know from a young age exactly where they belong and what God is asking them to do.  However, for many of us, the calling comes later and when we least expect it.  What is clear, though, is that God keeps calling.  He does not abandon us.  He does not neglect us.  He does not leave us in the marketplace all day.  He will always continue to extend an invitation. 

I, like many of you, have spent much of my life serving in the Church and in organizations grounded in my Catholic faith.  Throughout the years, I have learned that service can take many forms and looks different for different people.  Oftentimes it means doing work that no one sees and is thankless.

The vineyard needs all of it. 

One of the dangers I have personally encountered is complacency.  Becoming comfortable with the specific space in the vineyard and believing we have already done our part and can rest.  But God may not be finished with us. 

He continues to speak to me – and I’m sure to you.  He continues to invite us.  He continues to ask us to use the gifts we have to welcome someone new to the vineyard, to mentor someone, to take on new responsibilities, or serve without recognition.  Sometimes, God may simply just ask us to show up. 

Finally, I am also struck by the workers who were still waiting at 5:00 PM at the marketplace.  When the landowner asked why they had been there all day, they answered, “Because no one has hired us.”  They were available to work, but no one had invited them yet.  Everyone is deserving of the grace, love, and mercy God offers – no matter when they come to the vineyard.  That should serve as a challenge to all of us already working in the vineyard:

• Are there people around us who are willing to serve but have never been asked? 

• Are we making room for new people or new ideas in our ministries? 

• Have we become so accustomed to doing work ourselves that we have forgotten to invite others in?

There is always work to be done in our Parishes, communities, and in the lives of people God places before us.  Each of us is called to do something. 

The question is not whether we arrived in the vineyard at dawn, noon, three, or five in the evening.  The question is what we do when we hear God’s invitation: “You too go into my vineyard.”

May we have the courage to say “Yes”

I invite you to reflect on the following:  Where is God inviting me to serve in this season of my life?  Who might be waiting for me to invite them into the vineyard too? 

Author: Shaunté Collins-Johnson lives in the Austin, Texas area and is a parishioner of Holy Cross Catholic Church.  She has a particular commitment to service, leadership, and creating opportunities for others to serve. She currently serves as President of the Texas State Conference of the Knights of Peter Claver.