Father Koch: When we work for ourselves and not the kingdom, we will fail

Father Koch warned that prioritizing self-interest over the common good leads to failure within the Church, using the upcoming Gospel parable of vineyard workers to illustrate his point. In a reflection for the 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time, he noted that the workers in the parable killed the landowner's son because they placed their own benefits above the interests of the landowner.

Father Koch connected these biblical struggles to modern tendencies within the Church where individuals may focus on themselves rather than the Kingdom of God. He contrasted these workers with St. Francis of Assisi, whose death on the night of Oct. 3, 1226, will be commemorated during this weekend's celebrations of his 800th anniversary. Father Koch described St. Francis as a man who gave everything to live the Gospel and build up the Kingdom of God.