“Hold your eyes on God and leave the doing to Him. That is all the doing you have to worry about” (St. Jane Frances de Chantal).

The Parable of the Workers in the Vineyard

“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.

“Going out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’ So they went off. [And] he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o’clock, he found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’ 

“When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.’ When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, ‘These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’ 

“He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? [Or] am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous? Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last” (Matthew 20:1-16).

It’s Not Fair

I was in Chicago a few weeks ago for a work-related event, and while I was there, I made a lunch date with a friend. I was excited to hear how her job was going; she has been an associate at a prestigious law firm for several years and recently worked on a high-profile case in New York.

Unfortunately, I learned that she was struggling. What promised to be a fulfilling chapter in her career as an attorney was, instead, a series of setbacks and discriminatory behavior by her peers and supervisors. She was never receiving the recognition she was due, and her work was continually attributed to others. She felt devalued, demotivated, and exploited.

It was a sad tale, and I hated to see someone so new in their career already feeling jaded and disillusioned.

Unfortunately, many of you reading this article can probably point to a time in your career when someone took credit for your work or idea. We can all agree this situation is maddening and unfair.

So, when I read the parable of the workers in the vineyard, my first instinct is to side with the workers who have been toiling all day. We’ve all experienced a time when we worked hours on a project, only for someone who contributed nothing to receive equal praise. It seems unjust.

But that situation is different from what Jesus is talking about here: not slides or projects or legal briefs but about our spiritual work.

The Thief of Joy

“Jesus said to him, ‘I am the way and the truth and the life. No one comes to the Father except through me’ (John 14:6).

We cannot earn our way to heaven. Jesus died on the cross for us. He opened the door to eternal life, and as unworthy as we feel we are or that others are, this is what he wants for each of us.

If we compare our journey with the journeys of the people around us, it will lead to envy, anger, and despair—all straight from Satan. Our spiritual journey should build community, not tear it down. Our walk is our own, no faster and no slower than it’s meant to be. If you are looking at your fellow Catholic in judgment and not in love, it’s time for a self-check.

We can’t know what a person is struggling with. We may not see them at Mass every Sunday or at Adoration, but maybe they are dealing with a health issue, a hectic work schedule, depression, or an ill parent or child.

We all can receive God’s grace and mercy. It’s not pie; there’s enough for everyone.

Instead of discouraging, this should be the best news for us: Just like the laborers in the parable, God’s mercy is given to all who ask for it. He loves us, our insecurities, scars, talents, and troubles—just as we are.

So, let us be encouragers to one another, helping each other every step toward heaven. We all fall short of who we’re meant to be, so let us show mercy and compassion, especially when we’re tempted to say, “But I am more deserving.”

“May the God of endurance and encouragement grant you to think in harmony with one another, in keeping with Christ Jesus, that with one accord you may with one voice glorify the God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 15:5-6).

Cathi Kennedy is passionate about building relationships. At the University of Notre Dame, she advises graduate students for the Mendoza College of Business. Her background is in marketing and communications, and she recently received her MBA. Impassioned writer, voracious reader, aspiring knitter. Married to a musician and mom to two amazing sons. Cathi is a convert to Catholicism and seeks to learn something new about her faith every day. Connect with Cathi: LinkedIn • Instagram • Facebook • Blog