There is a fascinating detail in the parable of the workers in the vineyard (cf. Mt 20:1-16) that Pope Leo XIV keenly underlines in his recent Angelus: the owner of the harvest does not limit himself to hiring at dawn, but goes out again and again at different times of the day —mid-morning, at noon, in the afternoon and almost at sunset— to look for workers.

This reveals to us the face of a God who never tires of coming to meet us, seeking us out even in the most unpredictable or late moments of our lives. No hour is too late for Him; there is always a place in His vineyard for those who let themselves be called.

However, the heart of the text unfolds at the moment of payment, where our human mentality clashes and the great question about the virtue of justice arises.

The scandal of grace and the burden of the day

From the perspective of our strict logic—defined by merit and proportional compensation—paying the last workers the same as the first seems unfair. The workers who arrived first bore the brunt of the work and the sun in all its harshness, while those who arrived last barely worked a few minutes. Where is the justice in that?

The Pope warns us that the problem lies in resisting “a more generous justice and a greater love.” God does not act according to the cold calculation of the balance of trade, but from the superabundance of his mercy. The master strictly keeps his word and his covenant with the first, but chooses to show his overflowing goodness to the last in the eyes of all. Moreover, the detail of ordering payment “from the last to the first” is entirely intentional: it seeks to dismantle the pretensions of those who consider themselves superior or entitled to rights acquired through their own merits.

God cannot be outdone in generosity: a hundredfold.

Does this mean that those who have given their whole lives from the beginning lose out? Not at all. God cannot be outdone in generosity. As Jesus himself promised in another Gospel passage, whoever gives up everything for his Kingdom already receives “a hundredfold here on earth and, in the world to come, eternal life.”

Those who work first—among them those whom God calls to the priesthood, religious life, or apostolic celibacy—have the immense privilege of having remained with the Master throughout the day, sharing his toil but also his intimacy, his workday, and his constant companionship. This prolonged dedication is, in itself, an immeasurable reward. The final reward—heaven, full communion with God—is a free gift for all, because the Father’s goal is not to settle accounts, but to make us sharers in his very life.

Building the Kingdom: From Divine Justice to Everyday Life

This same free and overflowing gift is what challenges us all. As builders called to construct the Kingdom of God—whether through total consecration or ordinary self-giving—we cannot remain mere spectators: we are called to ensure that this divine justice is equally aligned with his omnipotent mercy in our daily lives.

And how does this translate?

There’s no need to seek grand stages. If you stop to think about it, what is your sphere of responsibility? We don’t need to reach high places to assume a leading role. The vast majority of faithful Christians are fathers and mothers. It is there, in the heat of daily life, that we are called to use our imagination and creativity to embody this merciful justice. With the small-yet-great gestures of each day—with patience, forgiveness, understanding, and selfless dedication—we can build truly Christian and joyful homes, capable of defying the fatigue and hardships of routine.

A justice transfigured by love

Ultimately, working in the Lord’s vineyard—whether through the total commitment of the priesthood, consecrated life, apostolic celibacy, or in the daily rhythm of home and work—is not a commercial contract, but an overflowing grace. It is a vocation; it is responding to God’s call at any hour of the day.

Understanding that God’s justice does not nullify our human effort, but purifies it from the poison of envy and pride, radically transforms our way of living the faith.

As Leo XIV points out, “we all gain joy, wisdom, and a future when the law of love interrupts that of calculation, the experience of mercy expands that of merit, and the gift of peace suspends rivalries.” All of this frees us from looking at our neighbor with suspicion and invites us to rejoice that God’s mercy reaches everyone equally, demonstrating that true justice does not consist in applying sterile mathematics, but in letting God’s love overflow our hearts and permeate every corner of our lives.