TO WORK IN GOD'S VINEYARD - 10/08/23 (Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time)

From the Gospel according to Matthew

Mt 21:33-43

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:

"Hear another parable.

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,

put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.

When vintage time drew near,

he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.

But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,

another they killed, and a third they stoned.

Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,

but they treated them in the same way.

Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking,

'They will respect my son.'

But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,

'This is the heir.

Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.'

They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.

What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?"

They answered him,

"He will put those wretched men to a wretched death

and lease his vineyard to other tenants

who will give him the produce at the proper times."

Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

by the Lord has this been done,

and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,

the kingdom of God will be taken away from you

and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

REFLECTION: 

The Lord is the landowner who planted the vineyard, and the vineyard is Israel. Here, we are not talking about the country but the Church which is the spiritual Israel or the “New Israel”. There are many workers, and tenants in the vineyard of God which is the Church. He established it and gave us the Gospel, the sacraments, priests, and sacred traditions. All these are meant to bear fruit in us, not only in the priests and religious but most especially the lay people. Perhaps when we go to Church on Sundays, we see many people attend the Holy Mass. But this is not the only fruit that God desires of us. We are meant to evangelize and proclaim the Good News to all people including those who live on the streets and the poorest of the poor. How many of us Catholics go and serve Christ in the poor? How many of us go to the hospitals and visit the sick just to listen to their problems? There are many people out there in need of care which shall be given by us Christians. There are many religious congregations and lay organizations needing great help but where are we? 

We are called not only to love ourselves, our family members, and our friends but most especially those who cannot repay us so we have something to look forward to in Heaven. All of us are meant to be missionaries and be Christ to other people in love and service to them. All the graces we receive are not meant for us alone. They are meant to be spread throughout all the people from different walks of life so that they, too, will experience God’s love and care for them. The fruit that God wants of us is the love of God through charity to our neighbor. It is not that difficult to help if we only look for ways that we can. We must also renounce materialism if we desire to pursue the mission of Christ which is also ours today. May we bear fruit in the love of Christ and neighbor as God wants us to. May God bless us and grant us the grace to be courageous in going out of our comfort zone to look for the poor and sick and serve them as Christ did. Amen. + 

Marga de Jesus 

Source:

https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/100823.cfm

Amen +

Jesus, Mary, and Joseph, be with us always until the hour of our death. Amen. +

May the Lord + bless us, protect us from all evil and bring us to everlasting life. Amen. +  

Examination of Conscience and Guide to Sacrament of Confession:

https://mycatholic.life/catholic-prayers/examination-of-conscience/

Ultimate Catholic Parents Guide:

https://youtube.com/watch?v=Ls6IcexZAls

Summary and Defense of Catholic Teachings:

https://www.catholic.com/tract/pillar-of-fire-pillar-of-truth