Pope Leo XVI warns against ‘selling yourself to the first bidder’
Pope Leo XIV urged Catholics to not delay in pursuing their faith during his Wednesday General Audience.
He was speaking about the parable on the laborers in the vineyard Jesus gives in the Gospel of Matthew, when the landowner hires people at different hours of the day but gives them all the same wages.
“The metaphor of the marketplace is very appropriate for our times,” the pope says, “because the market is the place of business, where unfortunately even affection and dignity are bought and sold, in the attempt to earn something. And when we do not feel appreciated, acknowledged, we risk selling ourselves to the first bidder.”
Leo says the Lord reminds humanity that life is worthy, and God wishes to help people discover this.
“Indeed, at times we have the impression that we cannot find meaning for our lives: We feel useless, inadequate, just like the laborers who wait in the marketplace, waiting for someone to hire them to work,” he said.
2But sometimes time passes, life goes by, and we do not feel acknowledged or appreciated. Perhaps we did not arrive in time, others appeared before us, or problems held us up elsewhere,” the pope continued.
He says the parable in the Gospel is one of hope, “because it tells us that this landowner goes out several times to go and look for those who are waiting to give meaning to their lives.”
“The landowner goes out immediately at dawn and then, every three hours, he returns in search of workers to send to his vineyard. Following this schedule, after going out at three o’clock in the afternoon, there would be no reason to go out again, because the working day ended at six,” Leo explained.
“This tireless master, who wants at all costs to give value to the life of every one of us, instead goes out at five. The laborers who had remained in the marketplace had probably given up all hope. That day had come to nothing. Nevertheless, someone still believed in them. What point is there to take on laborers only for the last hour of the working day? And yet, even when it seems we are able to do little in life, it is always worthwhile. There is always the possibility to find meaning, because God loves our life,” he continued.
In the Gospel, the laborers hired first are disappointed the ones who worked for less time got the same pay; Leo says they cannot see the beauty of the gesture of the landowner, “who was not unjust, but simply generous; who looked not only at merit, but also at need.”
The pope warned against thinking they can delay doing God’s work, since they will get the same reward.
He noted Saint Augustine responded to these doubts, saying: “Why dost thou put off him that calleth thee, certain as thou art of the reward, but uncertain of the day? Take heed then lest peradventure what he is to give thee by promise, thou take from thyself by delay.”
Leo urged people, especially the young, to not wait, “but respond enthusiastically to the Lord who calls us to work in his vineyard.”
“Dear brothers and sisters, let us not be discouraged! Even in the dark moments of life, when time passes without giving us the answers we seek, let us ask the Lord who will come out again and find us where we are waiting for him. He is generous, and he will come soon,” he said.
Follow Charles Collins on X: @CharlesinRome