Preached on Sunday, September 24, 2017

The popular movie star, who had pleased audiences for nearly 50 years, lay dying in a California Hospital. He knew that alcohol and hard living had taken their toll on him and that his body was being eaten up with cancer. He knew that in spite of all of his fame and fortune, he was helpless in bringing back his good health.

Then one morning, a Catholic sister visited the old Actor in his hospital room and asked if there was anything she could do to make him comfortable. The Actor replied that he didn’t know what else she could do.    So the good Sister offered,

“I could pray for you. You know it’s never too late to pray.”

He replied, “I don’t know what good prayer will do; I’ve led a pretty rough life.” The Sister told him that the Catholic Church believes that we can help people get to Heaven by praying for them … that there’s always hope.

Several days later, the Actor called for that Sister to visit him and tell him more about what it meant to be a Catholic.          Over the next few days ... John Wayne, the popular movie star who was dying, learned what it meant to be Catholic.

And he was baptized ... right before he died!

How’s that for riding off peacefully into the sunset?

Yes, the Old Duke, John Wayne, did what he so often did in the movies ...

this time for real ... he went off peacefully ... to where the Son never sets!

This was a guy, who by his own admission led a pretty rough life ...

and then on his deathbed ... he receives the Birthright into Eternal Life!

Recall that Baptism washes away not only Original Sin but also all Actual Sin!

This means that his soul had the same odor of sanctity as that of an infant baby

who had never committed an Actual Sin!

This true story is a real-life example ... of the Laborer in Jesus’ parable,

who went out to work in the vineyard ... late in the day ... and yet still received

the same wage as those who had gone out to labor at the break of dawn. 

To all of us, this just doesn’t seem fair. We immediately think of how he should have had to labor longer for that reward.    But God’s ways are not our ways!

We heard this in our First Reading where God said through the Prophet Isaiah:

“As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways.”

And thank goodness for that!

The truth is that God’s gifts are freely given to all who draw upon them. 

Grace isn’t something we earn ... it’s something we accept and cooperate with.

It’s pure gift that we receive simply by being open to it.

When Jesus said, “I came that you would have life and have it to the fullest.”

He was revealing His desire that we are able to spend Eternal Life with Him!

He calls everyone to come into the vineyard so everyone can come to the Banquet.

Some will come early ... and some will come late.

Should it really matter to us who comes ... and when?

Is God cheating us?        Not in the least!              God doesn’t owe us anything. And He doesn’t have to play by our rules. This is His world!     He’s Creator of all!

And as He said today, “Am I not free to do as I wish?”

God certainly is free to do as He wishes with His grace and His gifts.

And if we truly carried the heart of Christ within us, then we’d think just like Him

and we’d want everyone to make it into the Kingdom of Heaven ...

regardless of how long ... they had labored in the vineyard!

Let’s put aside any judgments that we may have concerning who we think is eligible for Heaven. Let’s pray for the conversion of all souls so that all of us ...

can receive the same Eternal Wage … entry into the Heavenly Banquet.

That’s the whole point of the Gospel today. God is saying, “Come to Me!

I’ll take you at 8 in the morning ... or ... I’ll take you at 5 in the afternoon.

I’ll take you at age 25 ... or ...  I’ll take you at age 75.”

All you need to do is say “Yes!” to my invitation to come and work in my vineyard.

Now for those of us who have already entered into God’s family through Baptism, His call is to continue laboring for Him in building up the Kingdom of God on earth.

But some people take a break ... they take a side-trip from God’s call . Is there someone in your family or circle of friends that’s been away from God for a while?            If so, what can you do to invite them back?

When I served at Our Lady of Sorrows in Homewood, I started a “Re-membering Catholics” group that met every Monday night. Some people came who had been away from the Church for 10 or 20 years.                   One guy was away for 35 years.

Why? Sometimes it’s because they had been treated poorly by someone in the Church and the resulting hurt or misunderstanding kept them away. Don’t let this happen to someone that you know. Encourage them to come back and try again. Have them approach the Church and get their questions answered.    

 Call upon your priests to help ... that’s why we’re here.

Transformation is always possible. What a joy it was to see that man who had been away 35 years return to practicing his faith and begin receiving the Sacraments once again!

Another reason why people stay away from God & the Church is because of fear. Fear whispers the oldest & biggest lie of all ... the lie that says,

“it’s too late ... and you’re not good enough”.

Over the years, I’ve had the chance to minister to several hospital patients who felt unworthy to approach God in their hour of need. They would say things like: “I haven’t prayed in 30 years, so calling on God now just wouldn’t be right.”

Well maybe not from our perspective, but it sure is OK from God’s perspective.

That’s the whole point of Jesus’ parable of the Landowner going out at 5 different times during the day looking for laborers who would go into his vineyard.

Some agreed to enter the vineyard at 7am, some at 9am, some at 12 noon, some at 3pm and some at 5pm.        And the Landowner rewarded them all the same.

For those of us who have been laboring for the Lord for many years,

there’s no need to become upset with Jesus’s parable ...

as if we’re being cheated out of something. 

There’s no greater reward that we could ever receive than the reward of Eternal Life.

And that’s what’s in store for us ...

if we remain true to Jesus’ invitation to labor for Him.

St. Paul wrestled with this very thing as he revealed in our passaged today saying:

“For to me life is Christ and death is gain.    If I go on living in the flesh,

that means fruitful labor for me. And I do now know which I shall choose.

I am caught between the two.

So be at peace and remain committed to laboring for the Lord.

You’re in ...if you persist to the end.

And with urgency of heart, let’s make sure that our families and friends ...

take God up on His invitation to enter His vineyard ...

they must enter the vineyard ... before the day is done!

As Isaiah said, “Seek the Lord while he may be found. Call on him while He is near.”

The day did come to an end in Jesus’ parable ... the time when rewards are given.

So everyone needs to enter while there’s still time.

Remember the story of John Wayne,

who received the Sacrament of God’s love and forgiveness on his deathbed.

It’s a powerful example of the truth we prayed in our Responsorial Psalm:

“The Lord is near to all who call upon Him.”

John Wayne responded to God’s invitation ... .

It’s then that he won his greatest Academy Award ever.

And The Director was pleased to bestow it on him.