Page:Meditations For Every Day In The Year.djvu/484

 as yesterday,  which  is  past."  (Ps.  lxxxix.  4.)  After death  every  man  receives  his  hire  or  wages.  In  the  distribution of  rewards,  not  so  much  regard  is  paid  to  the time  employed  as  to  fervor  in  working.  Hence,  those  who come  into  the  vineyard  at  the  last  hour,  by  conversion,  receive as  much  as  the  first,  because  they  are  generally accustomed  to  labor  with  greater  fervor  and  humility, and  deem  themselves  undeserving  of  any  reward,  whilst on  the  contrary  the  others  are  often  too  confident  and presumptuous.

II. Those who  had  been  longest  in  the  vineyard,  "  murmured against  the  master  of  the  house,  saying,  these last  have  worked  but  one  hour,  and  thou  hast  made them  equal  to  us  that  have  borne  the  burden  of  the  day and  heats." There can  of  course  be  no  murmuring  in heaven,  but  the  reward  "of  those  who  come  last"  will  be so  great  that,  if  their  state  could  permit,  it  would  breed envy in  those  who  came  first. This kind  of  envy  is  unfortunately very  common  in  this  world. Examine yourself on  the  subject;  see  if  your  eye  be  not  in  some  respect evil, because  your  brother  is  more  favored  than  you  are. Remember the  expression  of  St.  Paul,  "  Charity  envieth not." (1 Cor.  xiii.  4.)

III. The parable  closes  in  these  remarkable  words "So shall  the  last  be  first,  and  the  first  last;  for  many are  called,  but  few  chosen." Those that  were  last  employed in  the  vineyard  receive  the  reward  in  consequence of their  fervor. "God," says  St.  Gregory,  "does  not consider  so  much  what  is  done  as  the  affection  with which  it  is  done.  Perhaps  you  may  count  many  years in  which  you  have  been  employed  in  the  service  of  God, and  not  one  in  which  you  have  served  Him  with  fervor. Let  it  be  said  of  you,  "In  a  short  space  he  fulfilled  a long  time."    (Wis.  iv.  13.)