1. The kingdom of heaven  is like the father of a family, who went out at daybreak in order to hire workers to work in his vineyard. Having agreed with the workers that he would pay them one denarius per day, he sent them to the vineyard. He went out again at the third hour of the day, and seeing others who were in the square not doing anything, he said to them, “You go also to my vineyard and I will give you what is reasonable.” And they went there. Again, he went out at the sixth and ninth hours of the day and did the same. And having gone out at the eleventh hour, he found others who were without anything to do and said to them, “Why have you stood around all day without  working?” They told him that it was because no one had hired them. He then said to them, “You too go to my vineyard.”

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to the one who was taking care of his business, “Call the workers and pay them, from the last to the first.” Thus, those who had not come to the vineyard except when the eleventh hour was near received one denarius each. Those who were hired first came in their turn, believing they would be given more, but each one received no more than one denarius. Upon receiving it, they complained against the father of the family, saying, “These last worked only one hour and you have made them equal to us who bore the load and heat of the day.”

But in response, he said to one of them, “My friend, I have done you no wrong. Did you not agree with me on one denarius for your day’s work? Take what belongs to you and go; as for me, I wish to give to the last as much as to you. Is it not permitted to me to do what I want? And is your eye evil because I am good?”Thus, the last shall be first and the first shall be last, for many are called but few are chosen. (Mt. 20:1-16. See also Parable of the Wedding Feast, chap. XVIII, no. 1)