Hey Advent Family,
“For the Kingdom of Heaven is like the landowner who went out early one morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed to pay the normal daily wage and sent them out to work. 3“At nine o’clock in the morning he was passing through the marketplace and saw some people standing around doing nothing. 4So he hired them, telling them he would pay them whatever was right at the end of the day. 5So they went to work in the vineyard. At noon and again at three o’clock he did the same thing. 6“At five o’clock that afternoon he was in town again and saw some more people standing around. He asked them, ‘Why haven’t you been working today?’ 7“They replied, ‘Because no one hired us.’ “The landowner told them, ‘Then go out and join the others in my vineyard.’… 9When those hired at five o’clock were paid, each received a full day’s wage. – Matthew 20:1-7,9 (NLT)
I was born in the vineyard, so to speak. Our family went to Mass every Sunday. Even when we were on vacation, we would pile into the station wagon and find a church for Mass. We said grace at every meal and prayers at bedtime. If we drove past a cemetery, we said a prayer for the souls of all the departed; the fire siren went off, a prayer for the victims. I attended parochial school and received all my sacraments. Faith was simply part of our family life.
That all came to a screeching halt when my parents separated.
I don’t remember exactly how it came about, but around the same time, I began singing with my cousin in the church’s folk group. I suspect it was more an act of rebellion against my mother than a response to God’s call. After all, she had to take me to rehearsals and get up early on Sunday mornings to get me to Mass. But once I got a summer job, going to church wasn’t very important to me anymore.
When I went away to college, I made a few attempts to reconnect with the Church. I even joined the campus Mass folk group, but more often than not, I didn’t go.
There were exceptions, particularly when I spent time with Aunt Mary and Uncle George. They weren’t actually my aunt and uncle, but dear older family friends whom we called Aunt and Uncle out of affection and respect. Aunt Mary was particularly devoted to her Catholic faith, and whenever I visited them, we would attend Mass together, often in one of the beautiful old churches in Troy, New York.
Looking back, I wonder whether those were some of the times the Landowner was coming back to the marketplace, inviting me into His vineyard again, but I wasn’t ready.
After Graduate School, I returned home. My father and I decided to join the church choir to sing for one Midnight Mass; just one.
I had no idea that this simple decision would lead me back to a life of faith and ministry. But I stayed, and through music, I began rediscovering my relationship with God.
As I reflect on my own journey, think I was one of those “five o’clock” workers. I recognize that God’s invitation came more than once. Sometimes I heard it. Sometimes I ignored it. Sometimes I responded for reasons that had very little to do with faith, but the invitation was relentless.
The landowner kept coming back and eventually, I accepted his invitation.
To Ponder:
Looking back over my life, can I recognize times when God was inviting me into His vineyard, even when I wasn’t ready to respond?
Let’s Pray,
Lord, thank You for continuing to call me, even when I fail to recognize Your invitation. Open my heart to hear Your voice and give me the courage to answer Your call today. Amen.
Still listening, still learning, still answering His call,
Cecilia Carroll
Advent Square Director