Astonished by God’s Love

In today's Gospel, as well as the one from last week, we see through the parables Jesus tells that God is inviting into his Kingdom those we would least expect him to invite. Last week we saw how the landowner didn't just want the responsible and industrious laborers who showed up at dawn. He also wanted the ones who didn't roll out of bed until noon or bother to make themselves useful under the end of the day. Today we see how both the religious leaders are invited in the Kingdom (although the refuse) as well as the ones we would least expect: public sinners like prostitutes and corrupt tax collectors. Jesus tells the chief priests that the prostitutes are going to heaven before them! How wonderful it is that Jesus wants to include all in his Kingdom, including those who seem, at least on the outside, the least disposed to it. And how astonished these reformed sinners must feel by God's love and choice of them. May our Church embody this radical inclusion of Jesus, which calls all to experience God's magnificent love and leave behind our former lives of sin.