God isn't always fair, but that's a good thing because it keeps many of us from receiving what we deserve, which can oftentimes be something harsh, Fr. Jess Ty said recently.

"The parable this weekend tells us that our Heavenly reward is not something we earn, but rather a free gift," Ty, the pastor of Our Lady of Joy Catholic Church in Carefree, said in the Sept. 20 church bulletin. "God has made His rewards available to all through faith in Christ Jesus. Indeed, as Isaiah says, 'As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts' (Is. 55:9). Heaven is a gift to us by God; it is all about graces that He is willing to give to those who are willing to receive them. Grace is an 'undeserved love' that God has shown us through the death and Resurrection of His only Son Jesus Christ."

God gives us a gift each time we attend Mass, the gift of the Holy Communion, which we will continue to receive for eternity. The Holy Communion is a peek at what the Eternal Communion with the Holy Trinity will be like in Heaven.

"No matter when we have converted, our reward is the same— heaven, and eternal communion with God," Fr. Ty said. "But early conversion in life has its own reward; that is, the joy of knowing God here on earth and serving Him for His greater glory and being coworkers in the vineyard of the Lord."