Homily for the Memorial of St. Pius X

For many people, today's parable about the workers in the vineyard is tough to swallow.  There doesn't seem to be any fairness to it, yet this parable isn't about fairness; it's about generosity and mercy. It's a reminder of God's boundless love and His willingness to show mercy even when we don't deserve it.

The vineyard owner is, of course, representative of God, and we are fortunate that God is like that: generous and compassionate in His love for us.  After all, even if we work hard to follow God's will in our lives, we know that we often fail, and it is then that we don't want God to judge us with fairness but with mercy instead.

God's kingdom is His free gift to us, a manifestation of His boundless love.  All we can do is love God and our neighbor and trust that He will give us all the graces we need for our salvation. Each of us is loved deeply by God, but none of us can do anything to have either earned it or demanded it.