We With all the reference we just heard in the first reading from Isaiah and in the Gospel about working in the vineyards, Father Dave Prenatt, who used to be an assistant here, must be having a great time out in his parish, St. Gregory’s, in North East.

After all, they’re right in the middle of our local grape-growing industry. And no doubt, people are pretty busy in the fields out there this time of year.

But the vineyard referred to in the Scriptures today could be any of our workplaces. And the underlying message is that we should treasure our opportunities to work as blessings from God.

They are the chances He gives us to meet our personal and family responsibilities while at the same time trying to make a positive difference at home, at school, at work, and just wherever in the community we may find ourselves.

Now there are many, many challenges to making this positive difference.

Some of these challenges are very daunting. And they can leave us discouraged and stresses out, for sure.

But St. Paul, in today’s second reading, tells us not to worry, just keep on praying. After all, God the Father is Master of the vineyard.

He created the world and all that’s in it. He blesses us with what we need to meet the challenges of each day’s work.

So our concerns should be about how devotedly we apply ourselves, our skills and energies, to the tasks at hand, and leave the rest up to the Father.

Sometimes we have a hard time doing that. Sometimes we try to get out in front of God. And it’s then that worry and anxiety can overcome and consume us.

No, a faith-filled person doesn’t let that happen. A faith-filled person does the best he or she can, and prayerfully consigns the rest to God.

See, it’s about having a felt need for God in our lives.

It’s like what happened after 9-11, seven years ago. People filled churches all over America. Our hearts were heavy, realizing that there’s an evil force out there that was, and to some extent, still is beyond our human control. And so we prayed.

It’s like what happened after Hurricane Katrina hit New Orleans, and this summer’s storms that hit Galveston and its surrounding areas. People take their fears to Church, needing God to be very present to them with His providential blessings.

And we take those for granted way too often!

Someone asked me recently why not as many people go to Church today as used to.

My answer is that they don’t have that felt-need for God. Everything in their lives seems to be going OK. Whatever needs they have are being met at the mall or on the internet.

So who needs God when you’ve become “too busy” for God, as we priests often hear.

It isn’t until tragedy strikes, or someone close, maybe even oneself, gets terribly sick, that circumstances seem to be beyond what the mall or the internet can meet, and people will come back to Church, light candles, and  pray like they’ve never prayed before.

That’s how that felt-need for God works.  And that’s OK. It’s like the prodigal child.

So the lesson is not to take God’s blessings for granted, do the best we can with each day God gives us, pray the rest into His hands, and be not afraid.

       Thank you.