Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 139
Lectionary: 139
Let me now sing of
my friend,
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
my friend's song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
he spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant;
he looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
R/ (Is 5:7a) The vineyard of the Lord is the house of
Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
A vine from Egypt you transplanted;
you drove away the nations and planted it.
It put forth its foliage to the Sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Why have you broken down its walls,
so that every passer-by plucks its fruit,
The boar from the forest lays it waste,
and the beasts of the field feed upon it?
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Once again, O LORD of hosts,
look down from heaven, and see;
take care of this vine,
and protect what your right hand has planted
the son of man whom you yourself made strong.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Then we will no more withdraw from you;
give us new life, and we will call upon your name.
O LORD, God of hosts, restore us;
if your face shine upon us, then we shall be saved.
R/ The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.
Brothers and sisters:
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding
will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.
Finally, brothers and sisters,
whatever is true, whatever is honorable,
whatever is just, whatever is pure,
whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious,
if there is any excellence
and if there is anything worthy of praise,
think about these things.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received
and heard and seen in me.
Then the God of peace will be with you.
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."
"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."
Scripture Study
October 5, 2014 Twenty-Seventh Sunday In Ordinary Time
In the first reading this week, Isaiah invites his hearers to
listen to the “Song of the Vineyard,” a ballad about the fruit of righteousness
that was found to be missing from Israel, the vineyard of God. It calls us to
consider the “fruit” produced by our faith. Are we productive vines in the
vineyard of the Lord or do we produce only “wild” fruit? In the second reading,
Paul urges his readers to put aside anxiety and express their trust in God
through prayer and thanksgiving. The Gospel reworks the “Song of the Vineyard”
into an allegory about tenant farmers who tend the vineyard for the owner. All
of us are entrusted by God with some portion (spouse, children, students,
wealth, time, talent) of His creation to tend for Him. How faithful are we in
giving the “fruit” of our labor to God? How faithful are we in remembering that
our care for the people and things in our lives does not change the fact that
they really belong to God? We are only stewards for a time like the tenant
farmers.
First Reading: Isaiah 5:1-7
1 Let me now sing of my friend,
my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
my friend’s song concerning his vineyard.
My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside;
2 He spaded it, cleared it of stones,
and planted the choicest vines;
Within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
and planted the choicest vines;
Within it he built a watchtower,
and hewed out a wine press.
Then he looked for the crop of grapes,
but what it yielded was wild grapes.
3 Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah,
judge between me and my vineyard:
judge between me and my vineyard:
4 What more was there to do for my vineyard
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
that I had not done?
Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes,
did it bring forth wild grapes?
5 Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do to my vineyard:
Take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
what I mean to do to my vineyard:
Take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
6 Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.
7 The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of
Israel,
and the men of Judah are his cherished plant;
He looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
and the men of Judah are his cherished plant;
He looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed!
for justice, but hark, the outcry!
NOTES on First Reading:
* 5:1-7 It is generally thought by scholars that this parable
which appears to have been a ballad was composed by Isaiah relatively early in
his ministry. The identity of the vineyard owner is kept unmentioned until the
very end. Once the owner and the vineyard are identified the song changes from
a simple and rather pleasant story on a country theme to a scathing
condemnation of Israel. It contrasts the care lavished by Yahweh on His people
with their response expressed in social sin.
Use of the terms, “beloved or friend” conceal the identity of the vineyard owner that the prophet is speaking about.
Use of the terms, “beloved or friend” conceal the identity of the vineyard owner that the prophet is speaking about.
* 5:2 The word translated as “wild” is “be’ usim” which more
properly means “rotten” rather than simply wild. It is from a Hebrew root that
means “to stink.”
* 5:3 The parable now invites the hearers to pronounce a
judgment (see 2 Sam 12:5-6) which makes the point that the speaker intended.
* 5:5-6 This is an announcement of future devastation that will
fall on the nation.
* 5:7 The words used for ” Judgment,” and ” bloodshed,” in
Hebrew are “mispat” and “mispah.” The words for ” justice,” and “outcry” in
Hebrew, are “sedaqa” and “se’ aqa”. This combination forms a striking play on
words. God looks for justice (sedaqa) and finds outcry (se’ aqa). He looks for
judgment (mispat) and finds bloodshed (mispah).
Second Reading: Philippians 4:6-9
6 Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer
and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. 7 Then
the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and
minds in Christ Jesus. 8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true,
whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely,
whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything
worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing
what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of
peace will be with you.
NOTES on Second Reading:
* 4:6 Paul links freedom from anxiety with placing needs in the
hands of God by petitions in an attitude of thankfulness. See Matt 6:25-34; Eph
5:20.
* 4:7 This peace surpasses all understanding in two ways: It is
beyond our power of understanding it; It is greater than, and accomplishes more
than the peace that is provided by understanding and human wisdom. This peace
is at a much deeper level than simple freedom from anxiety although freedom
from anxiety may well be included within it. See John 14:27; Col 3:15.
* 4:8 Paul is recommending a set of virtues that are drawn from
the language of Roman Stoic writers and teachers.
Paul urges us to follow the pattern of behavior lived by Jesus by remembering both His suffering and resurrection in opposition to his opponents who reject Christ’s cross (see 1 Cor 1:23).
Paul urges us to imitate him, not out of arrogance, but in humble simplicity, because he was wholly dedicated to imitating Christ (1 Cor 11:1; see also Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:6; 2 Thes 3:7,9; 1 Cor 4:6).
Paul urges us to follow the pattern of behavior lived by Jesus by remembering both His suffering and resurrection in opposition to his opponents who reject Christ’s cross (see 1 Cor 1:23).
Paul urges us to imitate him, not out of arrogance, but in humble simplicity, because he was wholly dedicated to imitating Christ (1 Cor 11:1; see also Phil 4:9; 1 Thes 1:6; 2 Thes 3:7,9; 1 Cor 4:6).
Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:33-43
33 “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. 34 When
vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his
produce. 35 But the tenants seized the servants and one they
beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. 36 Again he
sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them
in the same way. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 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.’ 39 They seized him, threw him
out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 What will the owner of
the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” 41 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.” 42 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’?
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes’?
43 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.”
NOTES on Gospel:
* 21:33-46 There is a parallel of this parable in Mark 12:1-12
and Luke 20:9-19. This parable verges on the edge of being an allegory in that
there is such a close correspondence between the details of the story and the
situation that it illustrates which is the dealings of God with his people.
Because of this heavy allegorizing, some scholars think that it represents the
theology of the later church rather than a story actually told by Jesus. The
Marcan parallel also contains a heavy dose of allegory although the
allegorizing has gone farther in Matthew. Others, however, believe that the
many allegorical elements have been added to a basic parable spoken by Jesus.
This view is also supported by a less allegorized and probably more primitive
form of the parable that is found in the non-biblical book known as the Gospel
of Thomas ( 65).
The vineyard description comes from Isaiah 5:1-2. In Isaiah 5:7, the vineyard is defined as “the house of Israel.”
The vineyard description comes from Isaiah 5:1-2. In Isaiah 5:7, the vineyard is defined as “the house of Israel.”
* 21:34-35 Matthew has two sendings of servants compared to
Mark’s three sendings of a single servant (Mark 11:2-5a) and the statement
about the sending of “many others” (Mark 11:2,5b).
The story clearly implies that these servants stand for the prophets sent by God to Israel but it is not made explicit here. Jesus refers to the killing and stoning of prophets directly only later in Matthew 23:37. The produce is the good works demanded by God, and to which He has a complete and absolute claim.
The story clearly implies that these servants stand for the prophets sent by God to Israel but it is not made explicit here. Jesus refers to the killing and stoning of prophets directly only later in Matthew 23:37. The produce is the good works demanded by God, and to which He has a complete and absolute claim.
* 21:35 St. Jerome saw a reference to specific prophets as
follows: “Beat them, as Jeremiah, killed them , as Isaiah, stoned them, as
Naboth and Zacharias, whom they slew between the temple and the altar. ”
(1Kings 18:4; 2 Chron 24:21; 2 Chron 36:16; Ne 9:26)
* 21:38 While it is true that if a Jewish proselyte died without
heir, the tenants of his land would have final claim on it, in this case the
owner is still alive and can punish them for their action. Thus this is an
unreal hope that they have.
* 21:39 Matthew inverts the order of events from that in Mark
12:8 so as to fit the events of Jesus’ death better. Luke (20:15) follows
Matthew’s order.
* 21:40-41 In Mark 12:9 the question is answered by Jesus
himself but here in Matthew, Jesus asks the hearers to make a judgment as in
the background story from Isaiah on which this story is modeled. Ironically the
leaders answer and so condemn themselves as in Matthew 21:31. Matthew deviates
from the parallels in Mark and Luke by adding that the new tenants to whom the
vineyard will be transferred will give the owner the produce at the proper
times.
* 21:42-43 The Psalm quotation is from Psalm 118:22-23. The
early church saw this psalm as a prophecy of Jesus’ resurrection. (See Acts
4:11 and 1 Peter 2:7) Some think that the original parable ended at verse 39
and that later editors thought it necessary to complete it by a reference to
Jesus’ vindication by God.
* 21:43 This verse is found only in Matthew. It probably was
intended to interpret the parable at the time of Matthew as an allegory of
salvation history. The leaders of Israel had been entrusted by God with the
care of God’s vineyard, the people of Israel. They failed to present God, the
owner of the vineyard, with the fruit of justice and judgment (Isaiah 5:1-7)
that He was looking for. As a result the care of the new Israel or the new
people of God, (God’s new vineyard) was to be taken away from them and given to
new caretakers, the apostles. This parable may have been intended, in part, as
a warning to those in leadership positions in the church. The earlier leaders
(chief priests and elders) were condemned for failure to present the fruit of
the vineyard to the owner (God). How concerned are we as leaders of the church
with the fruit of the vineyard? The real fruits of the kingdom of God are to be
a priority for all of us who are exhibiting any kind of leadership. This ought
to include all of us because everyone is leading somebody even if only by
example.
The kingdom of God is not only the favor and blessing of God but the full end-time promises of God. The people to whom the kingdom was to be given was the new Israel, or the church which for Matthew consisted of mostly Jewish Christians with some Gentile Christians who together made up the people of God. Use of the term, “Kingdom of God” here instead of Matthew’s usual “kingdom of heaven” may indicate that the saying came from Matthew’s own traditional material.
The kingdom of God is not only the favor and blessing of God but the full end-time promises of God. The people to whom the kingdom was to be given was the new Israel, or the church which for Matthew consisted of mostly Jewish Christians with some Gentile Christians who together made up the people of God. Use of the term, “Kingdom of God” here instead of Matthew’s usual “kingdom of heaven” may indicate that the saying came from Matthew’s own traditional material.
Meditation: The kingdom taken from the
unrepentant
What can a parable about the mis-managment of a vineyard tell us
about the kingdom of God? Jesus' audience could easily identify with the story
about an absentee landlord and his not-so-good tenants. The hills of Galilee
were lined with numerous vineyards, and it was quite common for the owners to
let out their estates to tenants. Many did it because they could make a lot of
money easily by collecting high rent from their tenants. Their wealthy status
allowed them to travel and own houses in other places.
Jesus' story, however, was unsettling to some of his audience.
Why did the scribes and Pharisees in particular feel offended? Jesus' parable
contained both a prophetic message and a warning to the religious community and
its leaders. Isaiah had spoken of the house of Israel as "the vineyard of
the Lord" (Isaiah 5:7). Isaiah warned his people that their unfaithfulness
would yield bad fruit if they did not repent and change. Jesus' listeners would
likely understand this parable as a healthy reminder that God will in due time
root out bad fruit and put an end to rebellion.
What does Jesus' parable tell us about God and the way he deals
with his people? First, it tells us of God's generosity and trust. The vineyard
is well equipped with everything the tenants need. The owner went away and left
the vineyard in the hands of the tenants. God, likewise trusts us enough to give
us freedom to run life as we choose. This parable also tells us of God's
patience and justice. Not once, but many times he forgives the tenants their
debts. But while the tenants take advantage of the owner's patience, his
judgment and justice prevail in the end.
Jesus foretold both his death and his ultimate triumph. He knew
he would be rejected by his own people and be killed, but he also knew that
would not be the end. After rejection would come glory - the glory of
resurrection and ascension to the right hand of the Father. The Lord continues
to bless his people today with the gift of his kingdom. And he promises that we
will bear much fruit if we abide in him and remain faithful to him (see John
15:1-11). He entrusts each of us with his gifts and grace and he gives each of
us a particular work to do in his vineyard - the body of Christ. He promises
that our labor, especially what we do for him, will not be in vain if we
persevere with faith to the end (see 1 Corinthians 15:58). We can expect trials
and difficulties as we labor for the Lord, and even persecution from those who
oppose God's kingdom. But in the end we will see triumph. Do you labor for the
Lord with joyful hope and with confidence in his victory?
"Thank you, Lord Jesus Christ, for all the benefits which
you have given us; for all the pains and insults which you have borne for us. O
most merciful redeemer, friend, and brother, may we know you more clearly, love
you more dearly, and follow you more nearly, for you own sake." (prayer of
St. Richard of Chichester, 13th century)
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The Darkness of Selfishness
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October 5, 2014 Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
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Matthew 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."
Introductory Prayer: Lord Jesus, you are the master of the universe and yet
you wish to listen to me and guide me. You know all things past, present and
future, and yet you respect my freedom to choose you. Holy Trinity, you are
completely happy and fulfilled on your own, and yet you have generously
brought us into existence. You are our fulfillment. Thank you for the gift of
yourself. I offer the littleness of myself in return, knowing you are pleased
with what I have to give.
Petition: Lord, grant me a deeper humility that seeks you and not
myself in all that I do.
1. The Stone Rejected: Just a few days before, a great
crowd had acclaimed Jesus as the Messiah as he triumphantly entered
Jerusalem. However, the chief priests, scribes, Pharisees and Herodians see
Jesus as a threat to their own position of leadership. Though they have not
yet let it be known to the people, they have decided to reject Jesus and are
already plotting together to kill him. In the meantime, they are pretending
to be making a “thorough investigation,” to find the “truth” about what the
crowds have acclaimed – that Jesus is the Messiah. What they are really doing
is trying to ruin him, to catch him in some mistake, so as to denounce him as
a fraud before the crowds. They seek to break the people’s support for him.
They practice the kind of toxic politics we are so familiar with today:
Instead of seeking the common good or the truth, they only seek themselves
and their own glory.
2. The Cornerstone: Jesus sees what his detractors are
trying to do. He tells them a series of parables, hinting that if they
continue to oppose him, they will lose. In the parable of the vineyard he
tells them that they can kill him; but even so they will still lose. Then he
quotes Psalm 118, comparing himself with the rejected stone that becomes the
cornerstone. What Jesus is hinting at goes beyond just the quoted verses. The
whole psalm – which Jesus’ enemies would have known from memory – tells of
Yahweh fighting for his faithful one. The faithful one will not be abandoned
to death, and the enemies of Yahweh will be defeated. It is as if Jesus
throws down a challenge: “You cannot beat me. Even if you kill me as you are
planning to do, my Heavenly Father will not abandon me to death. He will
fight for me and I will become the cornerstone. You would do better to join
me.”
3. Jesus Is True Progress: Jesus won. He continues to win
today. His enemies still insist on smashing themselves to bits. When we
survey history, we see what becomes of one group after another that oppose
Jesus and his Church. They disappear into oblivion. Jesus is the future of
the whole world. He won. He continues to win and will win in the end. Since
Jesus is the future of the whole world, progress can only mean progress
toward him, toward the civilization of justice and love he wishes to
establish. Those who seek their own special interests are seeking a return to
the past, to the Dark Age before Jesus. They seek to return to when humanity
tried not just to know what was good and evil (eating the fruit of the tree
of the knowledge of good and evil), but to DECIDE it – to be gods themselves.
Conversation with Christ: Lord, help me to be humble. Help me to
accept you as Messiah and Savior – and as my future. So many times, instead
of seeking you, I seek myself. I try to influence everything so that what is
good and true is defined according to my will rather than yours. Please be
patient with me and help me to change.
Resolution: In what area of my life is it hardest for me to accept
the way God has organized things? Where do I most want to set up a system
opposed to God’s plan in order to get my way? My resolution today has to be
one that helps tear down this “structure of sin” in my life.
By Father James Swanson, LC
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TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, OCTOBER
5, MATTHEW 21:33-43(Isaiah 5:1-7; Psalm 80; Philippians 4:6-9)
KEY VERSE: "The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone" (v 42).
READING: Jesus' parable of the vineyard recalled Isaiah's "Song of the Vineyard" (Is.5:1-7). In interpreting a parable it is usually a mistake to treat it as an allegory, trying to find a meaning in every single detail. But this case is different. In the parable, the vineyard was the nation of Israel, and its owner was God. The tenants were the religious leaders of Israel, who had charge of the welfare of the nation. The messengers were the prophets who were sent by God and were rejected and often killed. The son was none other than Jesus himself. Prior to "vintage time," the coming of the Messiah, God sent his servants, the prophets, who were treated shamefully. When the vineyard owner sent his own son to collect the fruits of the harvest, he was "dragged outside the vineyard" (Hb 13:12) and killed. Jesus solemnly asked what the landowner would do when he returned. Because the people rejected the one God sent, others would benefit from God's mercy and would yield a rich harvest.
REFLECTING: Do I ignore the messengers God sends to me?
PRAYING: Lord, Jesus, help my labors to produce an abundant harvest.
Sunday 5 October 2014
27th Sunday in Ordinary
Time.
G. Isaiah
5:1-7. The vineyard of the Lord is the House of Israel—Ps
79(80):9, 12-16, 19-20. Philippines 4:6-9. Matthew 21:33-43.
There are some disturbing
images in today’s readings.
Images such as vineyards
that do not produce fruit and are cut down and the weeds let take over;
servants and sons killed by evil tenants.
We may look at the vineyard
as a representation of someone we have a disagreement with: our interactions
mean that we are continually hurting each other and so not producing fruit.
What if, rather than continuing to argue and fight, we take down the walls and
let them follow their own way. It may not be what we think is the right way to
go, but maybe it will help them find a way.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
Joyful Appearance
They should let it be seen that they are happy in God, cheerful
and courteous, as is expected of them, and be careful not to appear gloomy or
depressed.
October
5
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
(1905-1938)
St. Maria Faustina Kowalska
(1905-1938)
St. Faustina's name is forever linked to
the annual feast of the Divine Mercy (celebrated on the Second Sunday of
Easter), the divine mercy chaplet and the divine mercy prayer recited each day
at 3 p.m. by many people.
Born in what is now west-central Poland (part
of Germany before World War I), Helena Kowalska was the third of 10 children.
She worked as a housekeeper in three cities before joining the Congregation of
the Sisters of Our Lady of Mercy in 1925. She worked as a cook, gardener and
porter in three of their houses.
In addition to carrying out her work
faithfully, generously serving the needs of the sisters and the local people,
she also had a deep interior life. This included receiving revelations from the
Lord Jesus, messages that she recorded in her diary at the request of Christ
and of her confessors.
At a time when some Catholics had an image of
God as such a strict judge that they might be tempted to despair about the
possibility of being forgiven, Jesus chose to emphasize his mercy and
forgiveness for sins acknowledged and confessed. “I do not want to punish
aching mankind,” he once told St. Faustina, “but I desire to heal it,
pressing it to my merciful heart” (Diary 1588). The two rays
emanating from Christ's heart, she said, represent the blood and water poured
out after Jesus' death (John 19:34)
Because Sister Maria Faustina knew that the
revelations she had already received did not constitute holiness itself, she
wrote in her diary: “Neither graces, nor revelations, nor raptures, nor gifts
granted to a soul make it perfect, but rather the intimate union of the soul
with God. These gifts are merely ornaments of the soul, but constitute neither
its essence nor its perfection. My sanctity and perfection consist in the close
union of my will with the will of God” (Diary 1107).
Sister Maria Faustina died of tuberculosis in
Krakow, Poland, on October 5, 1938. Pope John Paul II beatified her in 1993 and
canonized her seven years later.
Comment:
Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”
Devotion to God's Divine Mercy bears some resemblance to devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus. In both cases, sinners are encouraged not to despair, not to doubt God's willingness to forgive them if they repent. As Psalm 136 says in each of its 26 verses, “God's love [mercy] endures forever.”
Quote:
Four years after Faustina's beatification, John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' "(Quote from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
Four years after Faustina's beatification, John Paul II visited the Sanctuary of Divine Mercy at Lagiewniki (near Krakow) and addressed members of her congregation. He said: “The message of divine mercy has always been very close and precious to me. It is as though history has written it in the tragic experience of World War II. In those difficult years, this message was a particular support and an inexhaustible source of hope, not only for those living in Krakow, but for the entire nation. This was also my personal experience, which I carried with me to the See of Peter and which, in a certain sense, forms the image of this pontificate. I thank divine providence because I was able to contribute personally to carrying out Christ's will, by instituting the feast of Divine Mercy. Here, close to the remains of Blessed Faustina, I thank God for the gift of her beatification. I pray unceasingly that God may have 'mercy on us and on the whole world' "(Quote from the Chaplet of Divine Mercy).
LECTIO DIVINA:
27TH SUNDAY OF ORDINARY TIME
Lectio:
Sunday, October 5, 2014
The parable of the murderous labourers
Matthew 21:33-43
Matthew 21:33-43
1. Opening prayer
Lord, this Sunday I wish to pray with one of the most beautiful
images of the Old Testament: “do not forsake the vineyard your right hand planted”.
Continue to cultivate and enrich it with your favoured love. May your Word in
this Sunday's liturgy be hope and consolation for me. May I meditate them and
let them resonate in my heart even to the end of my life. May my humanity be
the fertile womb wherein the force of your word may sprout.
2. Reading
a) Context:
Matthew frames the parable of the murderous labourers between
two other parables: the one of the two sons (21:28-32) and that of the wedding
banquet (22:1-14). All three parables contain a negative reply: that of the son
to his father, that of some peasants to the master of the vineyard and that of
some invited guests to the king who is celebrating the wedding of his son. All
three parables tend to point to one single point, that is, those who, because
they have not accepted the preaching and baptism of John, are now unanimous in
refusing the final invitation of God in the person of Jesus. The introduction
to the first parable in 21:28-33 should also be considered as the introduction
to the parable of the murderous labourers: After Jesus had entered the
temple precincts, and while he was teaching, the chief priests and elders of
the people came up to him and said: On what authority do you do these things?
Who has given you this power? It is the priestly and secular
aristocracy that goes to Jesus when he was in the temple. They are worried by
Jesus’ popularity and ask him questions to know two things: what authority he
attributes to himself in doing whatever he does and the origin of this authority.
In fact the answer to the second question also gives the answer to the first
question. The high priests and leaders of the people demand a juridical proof,
they forget that the prophets had authority directly from God.
b) The Text:
33 'Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who
planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a
tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. 34 When vintage time drew
near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. 35 But the
tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third.
36 Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt
with them in the same way. 37 Finally he sent his son to them thinking, "They
will respect my son." 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to
each other, "This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his
inheritance." 39 So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and
killed him.
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' 41 They answered, 'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.' 42 Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it? 43 'I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.'
40 Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?' 41 They answered, 'He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him at the proper time.' 42 Jesus said to them, 'Have you never read in the scriptures: The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this is the Lord's doing and we marvel at it? 43 'I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.'
3. A moment of prayerful silence
We cannot comprehend the word of God unless God himself opens
our hearts (Acts 16:14). However, it is up to us to arouse our curiosity by
listening and to stop and stand before the Word…
4. An interpretation of the text
a) An invitation to listen:
The parable begins with an invitation to listen: Listen
to another parable (v.33). Jesus seems to draw the attention of the
leaders of the people to the parable he is about to proclaim. This is an
imperative, «listen», which does not exclude a certain menace (Gnilka) if we
look at the way the parable ends: « I tell you, then, that the kingdom
of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit»
(v.43). On the other hand, Jesus explains the parable of the sower to his
disciples without any sign of reproach (Mt 13:18).
What is the explanation of this invitation to listen, which is a
little menacing? The answer is to be sought in the economic conditions of
Palestine in the 1st century A.D. Big lots of land belonged to
liberal foreigners who rented land in groups. The renting agreement provided
that part of the harvest would go to the owner, who carried out his right by
sending stewards to collect his share. In such a situation one can understand
that the feelings of peasants were sorely tried: they felt greatly disheartened
and this sometimes led to revolt.
In his parable, Jesus refers to this concrete situation but
takes it to a higher level of understanding, that is, the situation becomes a
compendium of the story of God and his people. Matthew invites the reader to
read the parable in a symbolic sense: behind the “owner” is the figure of God;
behind the vineyard is Israel.
b) The careful care of the owner for his vineyard (v.33):
First there is the initiative of an owner who plants a vineyard.
Matthew uses five verbs to describe this attention and care: planted... fenced... dug... built... leased.
After he had planted the vineyard, the owner leases it to those concerned and
then goes abroad.
c) The many attempts of the owner to retrieve the fruits of the
vineyard (vv.34-36):
In the second scene, the owner twice sends his servants who,
charged with the task of retrieving the produce of the vineyard, are ill
treated and murdered. This aggressive and violent action is described with
three verbs: thrashed... killed...stoned...
(v.35). By sending many more servants and by intensifying the ill treatment
suffered, Matthew means to allude to the history of the prophets who were also
similarly ill treated. We recall some of these: Uriah is killed by a sword (Jer
26:23); Jeremiah was fettered (Jer 20:2); Zachary was stoned (2 Chr 24:21. We
may find a resume of this part of history of the prophets in Nehemiah 9:26:
«they have killed your prophets...»
d) Finally he sent his son:
The reader is invited to recognise in the son, who is sent
“finally”, the one sent by God to whom respect is due and to whom the produce
of the vineyard is to be delivered. This is the owner’s last attempt. The term
«finally» defines the son as the Messiah. Besides, it is possible that this
project of eliminating the son may be modelled on another story from the OT:
Joseph’s brothers who say: «Come on, let us kill him and throw him into one of
the cisterns here!» (Gen 37:20).
The parable reaches its dramatic peak with the outcome of the
son’s mission who is killed by the leasing vinedressers so that they may take
over the vineyard and usurp the inheritance. Jesus’ fate is set side by side
with that of the prophets, but as son and heir, superior to them. Such
Christological comparisons may be found in the Letter to the Hebrews, where,
however, the superiority of Christ as son and heir of the universe is placed in
evidence: «In times past, God spoke in many and varied ways to our fathers
through the prophets; in this, the final age, he has spoken to us through his
Son, whom he made heir of all things…» (vv.1-2).
There is a detail at the end of this parable that we must not
overlook: by placing side by side the words, «they threw him out»
followed by, «they killed him», Matthew decidedly alludes to the passion
of Jesus where he is taken out to be crucified.
e) Leasing the vineyard to other peasants (v.42-43):
The end of the parable confirms the loss of the kingdom of God
and the giving of the kingdom to another people capable of bearing fruit, that
is, capable of a living an active faith and a practical love. The expressions «I
tell you, then...will be taken…and will be given...» show the solemnity of
God’s action marking the history of ancient Israel and of the new people.
5. Meditations for ecclesial practice
- The symbol of the vineyard is for us a mirror where we can see
reflected the personal and communitarian history of our relationship with God.
Today, it is the church, this great vineyard that the Lord cultivates and cares
for and that is entrusted to us, the vinedressers (= collaborators), who has
the task of continuing the mission started by him. This is certainly a tall
order. Nevertheless, as church, we are aware of the tension that exists and that
the church may experience between fidelity and infidelity, between refusal and
welcoming. This Sunday’s Gospel tells us that, notwithstanding the difficulties
and seeming fragility, nothing can stop the love of God for us, not even the
elimination of his Son, and, in fact, it is this sacrifice that gains salvation
for all.
- We are called to stay with Jesus and continue his mission of helping men and women to meet him and to be saved; to struggle every day to contain the forces of evil and fulfil the desire to do good and promote justice.
- As church we are called to learn, after the example of Jesus, to experience conflict and be able to bear difficulties in our commitment to evangelisation.
- Do you believe that trials instruct our hearts? And that difficulties can be an instrument to measure our authenticity and the firmness of our faith?
- We are called to stay with Jesus and continue his mission of helping men and women to meet him and to be saved; to struggle every day to contain the forces of evil and fulfil the desire to do good and promote justice.
- As church we are called to learn, after the example of Jesus, to experience conflict and be able to bear difficulties in our commitment to evangelisation.
- Do you believe that trials instruct our hearts? And that difficulties can be an instrument to measure our authenticity and the firmness of our faith?
6. Psalm 80 (79)
The psalmist expresses the desire of every person to be in
contact with the hand of God who prepares the soil to plant and transplant his
beloved vineyard.
You brought a vine out of Egypt,
to plant it you drove out nations;
you cleared a space for it,
it took root and filled the whole country.
to plant it you drove out nations;
you cleared a space for it,
it took root and filled the whole country.
The mountains were covered with its shade,
and the cedars of God with its branches,
its boughs stretched as far as the sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
and the cedars of God with its branches,
its boughs stretched as far as the sea,
its shoots as far as the River.
Why have you broken down its fences?
Every passer-by plucks its grapes,
boars from the forest tear at it,
wild beasts feed on it.
God Sabaoth, come back, we pray,
look down from heaven and see,
visit this vine;
protect what your own hand has planted.
Every passer-by plucks its grapes,
boars from the forest tear at it,
wild beasts feed on it.
God Sabaoth, come back, we pray,
look down from heaven and see,
visit this vine;
protect what your own hand has planted.
They have thrown it on the fire like dung,
the frown of your rebuke will destroy them.
May your hand protect those at your side,
the child of Adam you have strengthened for yourself!
the frown of your rebuke will destroy them.
May your hand protect those at your side,
the child of Adam you have strengthened for yourself!
Never again will we turn away from you,
give us life and we will call upon your name.
God Sabaoth, bring us back,
let your face shine on us and we shall be safe.
give us life and we will call upon your name.
God Sabaoth, bring us back,
let your face shine on us and we shall be safe.
7. Closing prayer
Lord, how many times is love repaid with darkest ingratitude?
Nothing is more destructive than to feel betrayed and made a fool of, to know
that one has been deceived. Even more difficult is to realise that so many acts
of kindness, generosity, openness, tolerance and sincerity, and of commitment
to solidarity have come to nothing.
Lord, you have experienced the ingratitude of many. You have been patient with those who assailed you. You, who have always been merciful and meek, help us fight our inflexible hardness towards others. With the Psalmist, we too pray, «Do not forsake the vineyard you have planted». After this encounter with your Word, may our prayer become an ever more penetrating plea so that it may touch your heart: «Raise us up again Lord, show us your face and we shall be saved». Lord, we have great need of your mercy and as long as there is the desire in our hearts to seek your face, the way of salvation remains open to us. Amen!
Lord, you have experienced the ingratitude of many. You have been patient with those who assailed you. You, who have always been merciful and meek, help us fight our inflexible hardness towards others. With the Psalmist, we too pray, «Do not forsake the vineyard you have planted». After this encounter with your Word, may our prayer become an ever more penetrating plea so that it may touch your heart: «Raise us up again Lord, show us your face and we shall be saved». Lord, we have great need of your mercy and as long as there is the desire in our hearts to seek your face, the way of salvation remains open to us. Amen!
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