25th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A

The Usual Daily Wage

The Denarius was the daily wage of an unskilled laborer in Jesus’ time.  It was enough to feed a peasant family for one day and had to be paid at sunset according to the Law of Moses.  Daily bread also comes to mind when we consider that the silver Denarius coin was about the size of a small Eucharistic host.

How does our daily bread become our daily wage?

The first and most important labor we do is to drink deeply of the divine love that has already been freely poured into our hearts.  Then Spirit turns our labor into a hidden wage that satisfies us throughout each day and for our whole life.

Surrendering to this vintage we become sober. These spirits keep us from stumbling because they tame our fear, shame and anger with love.  Our sobriety then pours itself out in gratitude, love and service for God and neighbor.  We are included in this love of neighbor and by the gentle labor of soaking up love we are refreshed each day, given our wage even before we arrive at work.

Learning the rhythm of this inner labor means learning to receive first God’s love for us.  This enables us to bear the burden of the day and the scorching heat as we labor in love’s vineyard.  Surrendering first to God’s love dissolves the causes of grumbling within us.  This is how a vocation to total discipleship as a religious or priest in the Lord’s vineyard can be a life of deeply rewarding joy, peace and fulfillment when we truly learn how to let love have its way with us.

Fr. Mark Blom, OMI Vocation Director
OMI Lacombe Canada
vocations@omilacombe.ca