Septuagesima Sunday 20 Feb 2011 Sermon

Septuagesima Sunday 20.2.11 Working for the Lord

We are sent into the vineyard to work. Here we are, just minding our own business and the Lord summons us: I want you. Come and work for Me.

And in the epistle, St Paul gives some indication of the intensity of work required: comparing himself to an athlete in training. It is hard work, and long. If we think of a whole lifetime in the Lord’s service. For some people that would be fifty years plus. (depending on time of conversion and length of life).

He wants us to work for Him for whatever length of time we have left, and with full intensity. To invest ourselves in the process. Our energy, commitment, time, all converging for this purpose.

Of all the things we do in this life - to follow Our Lord is the most important. Whatever else we are or do, to be His disciple is the biggest thing we are involved in.

Why respond to Him? There is a choice, but then there is no choice.

He is the most important Person we will ever have to deal with. We have to please Him more than we please anyone else. When we die we will be meeting Him not anyone else. Our approval rating will depend on what He thinks of us. He is the one to watch.

(Just as what makes a sin a sin is that it offends Him. He is the standard of judgment. With Him we are alive. Against Him we are dead.)

It is hard work because it requires so much of us. It requires discipline, practice, perseverance, daily prayer, the Mass, the sacraments, penance, good works, generosity with time and talents.

Then keeping an eye out for the needs of others, habitually putting others ahead of ourselves, being happy to go without things for the greater good.

Being ready to die for Him at any moment, never denying Him, never forgetting Him nor being ashamed of Him. This is a big commitment.

And all these things apply all the time. It is not so easy to get all this right and to keep it going.

So we are tempted to water down the requirements of ‘working’ for Our Lord; to offer Him a partial response, and argue to ourselves that we can do no more.

Instead of watering it down we should acknowledge the full commitment and ask His mercy for any lack on our part of fulfilling our duty.

This is why we are always asking Him for mercy. We fall short. If we are athletes running then we often run out of steam; or sometimes we run in the wrong direction.

All can be forgiven. The parable of the labourers in the vineyard puts before us the possibility of mercy. Those who are absent without leave for much of their lives can be reinstated at any moment provided they are willing.

Here another temptation assails us: envy. Those who work longer in the Lord’s service might be envious that others can get in so easily. Like the older brother envied the younger brother in another parable.

But the ones who work longer are the really fortunate ones. They spend their lives well, and even in terms of earthly happiness they will have the greater share (peace of mind, sense of fulfilment etc).

It is hard work but if we are really passionate about something we work on it.

We have only so much energy. We can at least get the priorities right and give our best to the most important activity - working for the Lord of the harvest.