Following is the prepared text from Bishop Olmsted’s homily for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time.
September 20, 2020
The Lord really wants workers. As Jesus tells us in the parable, the owner of a vineyard, who symbolizes God, goes out at 6 am, 9 am, noon, 3 pm, and even at 5 pm to hire workers. He does not wait for anyone to apply for a job. He takes the initiative to seek them out. From early morning until evening, He keeps saying, “You too, go into my Kingdom.”
St. Matthew was deeply grateful for this unrelenting outreach of God for workers, because without it, he would never have encountered Jesus. Undoubtedly, today’s parable had particular meaning for the former tax collector, who readily identified with those men hired late in the day. For he was not among the first Apostles called by Jesus: the fishermen, Peter and Andrew, James and John. And knowing how the Jewish people despised tax collectors, he never imagined Jesus calling him. Perhaps the first few times Matthew heard about Jesus, he had no desire to be called to His work.
Yet, a time came when his interest in Jesus was ignited, a longing to follow Jesus grew in his soul. After years of being despised and hated, Matthew felt lonely and lost, walking on the edge of despair, thinking Jesus would never call him. Then, wonder of wonders, Jesus stopped at his tax collector’s desk, looked him in the eye, and said, “Matthew, Come, follow me!” Not only did Matthew follow Him at once, so did many other tax collectors and sinners.
Matthew knew he was unworthy of Jesus’ call; but He noticed that Jesus did not choose the worthy and self-righteous. He did not hire workers who were well trained. In fact, He often called people like himself who were despised and lost. When the Pharisees loudly complained that Jesus ate (Mk 2:16f)
“…with tax collectors and sinners?” Jesus heard this and said… “Those who are well do not need a physician, but the sick do. I did not come to call the righteous but sinners.”
That Jesus calls sinners to follow Him was a sign of hope for Matthew and so it is for you and me. Remember the first recorded words of Jesus (Mk 1:15), “This is the time of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and believe in the Gospel.” The first work Jesus invited His disciples to do was to repent of their sins, to do the hard work of humbling their pride and asking the Lord for mercy.
The Lord tells us through the Prophet Isaiah, our Second Reading, (Is 55:8), “My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways.” These words attracted Matthew; he realized that his own thoughts were not the Lord’s and they were not making him happy. Matthew also knew, no matter how he tried, he could not change himself. He needed a Savior, someone who could remove his impure heart of stone and give him a heart clean and compassionate; someone who could clear the confusion in his mind and replace it with the light of truth. Only Jesus could rescue Matthew from the awful ache of loneliness. And Jesus wanted to do that, inviting him to do the hard work of repentance and the tough task of surrendering in faith to Jesus as His Savior and Lord. This is the primary work for us all, not only the tax collectors and public sinners.
That is why Mass begins with the invitation: “…let us acknowledge our sins and so prepare ourselves to celebrate the Sacred Mysteries.” This is a great way to begin Mass and to begin work in the Church. It also explains why, at our Baptism and every Easter, we publicly renounce Satan and his empty works and promises; and then make a public profession of faith. Once we repent and believe in the Gospel, Jesus makes us workers in His Kingdom. He really wants us to be workers because it is good for us to imitate the Father and Creator of all.
It is good, above all, to engage in works of mercy, especially during the present pandemic: charitable acts in which we assist our neighbors in their bodily and spiritual needs — physical works such as feeding the hungry and clothing the naked, caring for the sick and imprisoned; and spiritual works such as forgiving and praying for our enemy, bearing others’ burdens and correcting the sinner. “Faith working through love (Gal 5:6),” this is the work Jesus never stops calling us to do. He puts it another way, “Love one another as I have loved you.”
Just one more thing about the workers in the parable: all got paid the same amount, no matter how long they worked. How could that be fair? It was fair because the payment was a gift beyond all gifts, a gift money cannot buy, the gift of loving friendship with Jesus.
Matthew knew he had received far more than He earned. He agreed with Jesus’s words, “The last will be first, and the first will be last.” God does not give people what they deserve. He gives us what we need. What we deserve, what we achieve by on our own merits is nothing like being saved and transfigured by Jesus. Without the love of Jesus, our life is littered with broken relationships and disgraceful sins, all that breaks hearts and weighs down souls. The work above all other work that matters is Jesus’ work of Redemption. He ransoms slaves to selfishness and sin and gives us freedom as beloved sons and daughters of God. He offers us the gift of being His disciples. He gives us what we need, not what we deserve. He gives us what we long for.
As Augustine said, “You made us for yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in you.” With good reason, St. Paul said in today’s Second Reading, “To me life is Christ.” St. Matthew would say the same, and Augustine and Mary Magdalene, indeed all the saints; for they realized the greatest of all blessings: to live in Christ. May you and I say with deep gratitude and joy: “To me life is Christ!”
