The usual daily wage. Obviously there was no Union Local # 170 from my UPS days to represent the workers who entered the vineyard early in the morning, working hard and sweating all day, watching the last workers receive a usual daily wage – meaning a full day’s pay. Then came their time to be paid, thinking they would receive more. “We’re getting double the usual wage.” They were disappointed. After listening to this parable, don’t you think our hearts should go out to all the dedicated, hard workers who bore the brunt of the hot sun and day’s work? After all, they hauled in 10 times more corn, wheat, tobacco, and tomatoes than the 5:00 p.m. people. The 5:00 a.m. people loaded up 3 full carts, whereas the last ones being paid first and handsomely, realized it was dinner time and probably ate half of what they picked. One gets hungry being idle all day. The usual daily wage speaks to God being the Vineyard Owner and his system of payment. It would be nice if the U.S. Tax Code was this simple. One easy system. Where fewer CPA’s and lawyers are needed. But this usual daily wage of the Vineyard Owner; isn’t this God’s system of payment, the reward for doing his work, for living our faith in the wider vineyard, in the outer world? God’s system of payment is not complicated at all, even though we find ways to complain about it. It’s either Hades or Heaven, with a possible holdover in Purgatory. The usual daily wage is going to lift our souls and eventually our bodies next to all those great Saints, many of whom died for Christ, and many of whom lived for Christ from birth. Over the centuries, how many parents dedicated the life of their child to God’s service? Many have, becoming Saints as a result. We take the opposite approach today, where parents guide and lead their children softly into the person the child is meant to be, hoping and praying they arrive at the vineyard of the Lord and collect the usual daily wage someday. What happened to dedicating a child to God’s service for life? Does that happen anymore? Anyway, the system of payment God has set up for our practice of faith, hope, and love is a very simple, generous system of payment. The timing of entrance into the vineyard of serving the Lord is less important than the vineyard being entered. The usual daily wage will not be received until after we die. So all people have until that time to enter the vineyard. Yes, there are some good payments along the way; assisting the poor, marriage & family, good friendships. But the final usual daily wage is at the end of the day, if you know what I mean. Which brings me to St. Paul’s internal struggle in this awesome 2nd reading. Have you ever had an internal struggle between your life and your death, and which one you want at that point in life? This is what Paul struggles with in his Letter to the Philippians. But it’s not the usual sort of struggle. His words: “I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better.” Why? Because he wants his usual daily wage. Then he continues, “Yet that I remain in the flesh” – that he remains in the vineyard – “is more necessary for your benefit.” Such is the life of an Apostle. Paul’s struggle that is centered in collecting of his usual daily wage, my friends, is a good struggle. His faith in Christ is so explicit and so internally deep that he has the best of both worlds. His present life of doing God’s work fulltime, and the life with Christ in heaven that he knows awaits him. He fears neither death nor life, for the good reason of loving his life, because he knows the usual daily wage is the payment that lasts forever. And remember, St. Paul entered the vineyard a little on the late side. Our situation is no different from St. Paul’s. He loves his life. His internal struggle is that of, not living a few years, but having lived a lifetime. He’s done much. Paul’s is similar to the struggle of an elder person who knows their earthly life is drawing to a close. “When is he going to call me?” Maybe even, “Why has he taken all my Apostle friends and left me here?” What makes this a healthy struggle is maintaining a steadfast faith until our last moment in this vineyard. Don’t lose your faith in Christ. It’s your precious pearl. Lastly, a most important understanding is that Paul does not own his life. God owns his life. When reading Paul’s words here, one can get the impression that he – Paul – will decide when he will depart to be with Christ. No, he won’t! The great Apostle would be the first to tell us so. He can write these words about his life and death and which is better because he has given his every breath to Christ Jesus his Lord. Christ is the Master; Paul is the servant. God owns the life of St. Paul in the same way he owns ours. The final decision of life and death belongs to the Vineyard Owner who doles out the usual daily wage at the proper time.