I want to preface that I haven't practiced catholicism or any kind of christianity since my teenage years, so i really have no horse in this race. That being said, it surprised me that this parable was being interepreted in the "Salvation is limited, and God has already decided who's getting it, and those who are getting it are going to do much better in life" light, one that is (to me) a weird protestant/american phenomenon that i didn't know existed until later in life.

I agree with you that there's nothing communist/marxist about the parable, because it flies in the face of all material analysis, and as you said, it doesn't fit with even a cursory knowledge of the LTV. The wages are salvation, which comes from an unlimited source, not material wealth. I'm not interested in painting Jesus as some kind of proto-communist or leftist icon, other people have approached the manner much better than I could, and liberation theology is a valid starting point to resisting oppression (in my view). But this parable has nothing to do with it.

I see where you're coming from with your criticism of the implications of the parable, but tbh i don't feel qualified to make theological judgements about it, I was just talking about what I learned growing up, and interpreting it as "salvation is universal, no matter if you jump on the bandwagon early or late".