October 5, 2008
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Also Respect Life Sunday)
Year A
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (Also Respect Life Sunday)
Year A
(Parable of the Vineyard and the Tenants)
Part one (The Hidden Message)
Part Two (Respect Life)
Part Two (Respect Life)
The gospel that we just listened to has a deep and insightful message contained within the words, however, to many the message is hidden. It is thought that this parable was possibly spoken just 3 days prior to the suffering of Jesus. To help us understand the message, lets look a little closer at the parable and the characters in the story:
The parable begins with the identification of the landowner who planted a vineyard. The Landowner is the image of our Heavenly Father, Our God, our creator, the master of everything.
The vineyard represents the nation of Israel, the chosen people. The Tenants are the religious leaders of Israel, who were responsible for the cultivation of fruitful holiness and the wellbeing of the people of Israel. The servants sent by the Landowner are the prophets, who God sent to warn, to encourage; to challenge, and to rescue, yet they were often greeted with threats of violence and even death. And lastly, The Son that was sent by the Land Owner is Jesus, who was sent by his Heavenly Father.
Now that we understand the characters a little better, the story takes on a somewhat different meaning.
So what message does this parable reveal to us today, 2000 years later? Has God created opportunity for us in our lives? Has he sent people into our lives to help enlighten us, to help show us the way? Have we neglected God and his ways? Have we been blind to God’s grace in our lives, and rejected opportunities to redeem ourselves? Have we let our own personal ambitions and desires drive us away from a holy life?
When Jesus asked the religious leaders at the end of the parable, what the land owner should do to the evil men who killed his servants and his son, they responded by stating that they should be killed, and the land be given to others. Did the religious leaders really understand what Jesus was asking, did they understand the parable, the message of Christ.
I do think so.
Jesus responded by stating: “didn’t you ever read the scriptures?” He stated that the stone that was rejected (speaking of himself) will become the corner stone. What did he mean by this? God had further reveled his message to us through Christ. Did they understand the idea and concept that the ultimate reward in life wasn’t possessions, property, or power, but was eternal life in heaven; and that all we do in life should be grounded in love and service. The powerful leaders of Jesus’ time could not handle this concept. That would mean giving up all that had been accustomed to, Power, Status, Money, and Possessions, to follow such a belief. In many ways, their idol, what they held in such esteem, had become their possessions, their power, and their own status.
Do we face a similar dilemma today, not unlike many of the leaders of Jesus’ time? Over the years I have come to know a particular person, a man, he is very wealthy, and has few limitations in his life due to his wealth. He had been described as a man that is very generous with his money, but very selfish with his time. He is very self-centered in many ways, but doesn’t seem to realize it. He is constantly working and always looking for an opportunity to make money. Many people in our culture would consider him a successful man. He has many friends, but the relationships are superficial, he has very few if any deep and committed relationships. He often treats people disrespectfully and can be rude, yet I think he doesn’t even realize it. When the focus of life becomes a self-centered focus, other people in their life can easily be put into categories of useful or unuseful, especially when related to a self-centered life. Before you know it, even when God is placing good people, and situations for growth in your life, you are unable to recognize them for what they are, because you cannot see beyond your own desires. This man is not a happy man, has little to show in his life other than possessions, and is always in search for the thing that will make him feel complete.
When we come to Mass each week, we not only come to give thanks to God for what we have been given, but we also come to join each other as the Body of Christ. We come to celebrate, but we also come to bring our hurt, our struggles, our pain, at times even our unbelief, and offer it along with Jesus as the sacrifice. We listen attentively to the word of God, and then to the Homily, awaiting God to touch our hearts and minds with some insight. We want to be inspired by God, identifying some aspect of our lives that can be changed, and obtain an understanding of how to change. Our life here on earth is journey. As Saint Theresa of Avila stated:
“Our life should be looked at as a journey toward perfection.” God continues to reveal himself to us, as He sees fit, in an attempt to help us to spiritually grow and mature.
As Jesus was speaking to his disciples in the gospel today, he stated: “ The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Think about it.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.” When I think of a corner stone, I think of something that keeps everything in place, that secures, that is foundational. What is the cornerstone of your life? What did you bring with you today to offer at Mass. What part of you are you freely giving to God? What are you asking of God? What did you hear God say to you today? If you are not clearly hearing God speak to you, then what obstacles are present in your life that are keeping you separated from God? What are you willing to do about? Do you truly desire to follow God? To follow Jesus? What will you do today, this week, this month, to help you along this journey?
Just as the land owner, God, planted a vineyard in the parable, he created a life unique to you. He created you as a unique person with unique abilities and a unique purpose. He has called you to become a member of his family, a chosen people. He has called you to cultivate your life, and the lives of others to fruitful holiness. He has and will continue to send people into your life, to warn you, to encourage you, to challenge you, and to rescue you. Will you recognize them, embrace them and understand the purpose of the encounter, or will you, like the tenants in the parable, reject the message, reject the opportunity of redemption, and reject the saving message of Jesus Christ?
I am often reminded that any homily that lasts over 7 or 8 minutes usually becomes 2 homilies, so I will keep this brief.
Today is also “Respect for Life Sunday” and I would like to take just 1 additional minute and reflect on this very important topic as reported by our United States Catholic Bishops. Pope Benedict has called upon us to build what he and Pope John Paul II have called “a civilization of love,” A civilization where the rights and dignity of each person – especially those who are most vulnerable, the unborn and the frail elderly – are respected from the moment of conception until the natural death; Where the family, based on the love of husband and wife, Welcomes children into the world and imparts to them the truth and values that make good citizens; Where the hungry and homeless are assisted, The immigrant welcomed, the environment protected, and all legitimate paths to peace are pursued. It is in light of that task of ours that we evaluate the moral quality of what is proposed by candidates and public officials, and work proactively for the ongoing transformation of our society. Thus, we can see clearly that “there are some things we can never do or cooperate with because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons.
These are called “Intrinsically Evil” actions. They must always be rejected and opposed, and must never be supported or condoned. In our nation, abortion is at the forefront of these intrinsically evil actions. Since 1973, the year abortion was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade; nearly 49 million innocent human lives have been taken.
When Pope Benedict visited America, he praised Americans for their generosity and optimism, and for the role which religion continues to play in our society. He called us to be true to our founding ideals and principles and to maintain the truths and values that flow from faith and reason into the public square. He stated: “Now is the time to respond to the Challenge.” Think about that statement, and what God might be asking of you! “Now is the time to respond to the Challenge”
The parable begins with the identification of the landowner who planted a vineyard. The Landowner is the image of our Heavenly Father, Our God, our creator, the master of everything.
The vineyard represents the nation of Israel, the chosen people. The Tenants are the religious leaders of Israel, who were responsible for the cultivation of fruitful holiness and the wellbeing of the people of Israel. The servants sent by the Landowner are the prophets, who God sent to warn, to encourage; to challenge, and to rescue, yet they were often greeted with threats of violence and even death. And lastly, The Son that was sent by the Land Owner is Jesus, who was sent by his Heavenly Father.
Now that we understand the characters a little better, the story takes on a somewhat different meaning.
So what message does this parable reveal to us today, 2000 years later? Has God created opportunity for us in our lives? Has he sent people into our lives to help enlighten us, to help show us the way? Have we neglected God and his ways? Have we been blind to God’s grace in our lives, and rejected opportunities to redeem ourselves? Have we let our own personal ambitions and desires drive us away from a holy life?
When Jesus asked the religious leaders at the end of the parable, what the land owner should do to the evil men who killed his servants and his son, they responded by stating that they should be killed, and the land be given to others. Did the religious leaders really understand what Jesus was asking, did they understand the parable, the message of Christ.
I do think so.
Jesus responded by stating: “didn’t you ever read the scriptures?” He stated that the stone that was rejected (speaking of himself) will become the corner stone. What did he mean by this? God had further reveled his message to us through Christ. Did they understand the idea and concept that the ultimate reward in life wasn’t possessions, property, or power, but was eternal life in heaven; and that all we do in life should be grounded in love and service. The powerful leaders of Jesus’ time could not handle this concept. That would mean giving up all that had been accustomed to, Power, Status, Money, and Possessions, to follow such a belief. In many ways, their idol, what they held in such esteem, had become their possessions, their power, and their own status.
Do we face a similar dilemma today, not unlike many of the leaders of Jesus’ time? Over the years I have come to know a particular person, a man, he is very wealthy, and has few limitations in his life due to his wealth. He had been described as a man that is very generous with his money, but very selfish with his time. He is very self-centered in many ways, but doesn’t seem to realize it. He is constantly working and always looking for an opportunity to make money. Many people in our culture would consider him a successful man. He has many friends, but the relationships are superficial, he has very few if any deep and committed relationships. He often treats people disrespectfully and can be rude, yet I think he doesn’t even realize it. When the focus of life becomes a self-centered focus, other people in their life can easily be put into categories of useful or unuseful, especially when related to a self-centered life. Before you know it, even when God is placing good people, and situations for growth in your life, you are unable to recognize them for what they are, because you cannot see beyond your own desires. This man is not a happy man, has little to show in his life other than possessions, and is always in search for the thing that will make him feel complete.
When we come to Mass each week, we not only come to give thanks to God for what we have been given, but we also come to join each other as the Body of Christ. We come to celebrate, but we also come to bring our hurt, our struggles, our pain, at times even our unbelief, and offer it along with Jesus as the sacrifice. We listen attentively to the word of God, and then to the Homily, awaiting God to touch our hearts and minds with some insight. We want to be inspired by God, identifying some aspect of our lives that can be changed, and obtain an understanding of how to change. Our life here on earth is journey. As Saint Theresa of Avila stated:
“Our life should be looked at as a journey toward perfection.” God continues to reveal himself to us, as He sees fit, in an attempt to help us to spiritually grow and mature.
As Jesus was speaking to his disciples in the gospel today, he stated: “ The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.”
Think about it.
“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes.” When I think of a corner stone, I think of something that keeps everything in place, that secures, that is foundational. What is the cornerstone of your life? What did you bring with you today to offer at Mass. What part of you are you freely giving to God? What are you asking of God? What did you hear God say to you today? If you are not clearly hearing God speak to you, then what obstacles are present in your life that are keeping you separated from God? What are you willing to do about? Do you truly desire to follow God? To follow Jesus? What will you do today, this week, this month, to help you along this journey?
Just as the land owner, God, planted a vineyard in the parable, he created a life unique to you. He created you as a unique person with unique abilities and a unique purpose. He has called you to become a member of his family, a chosen people. He has called you to cultivate your life, and the lives of others to fruitful holiness. He has and will continue to send people into your life, to warn you, to encourage you, to challenge you, and to rescue you. Will you recognize them, embrace them and understand the purpose of the encounter, or will you, like the tenants in the parable, reject the message, reject the opportunity of redemption, and reject the saving message of Jesus Christ?
I am often reminded that any homily that lasts over 7 or 8 minutes usually becomes 2 homilies, so I will keep this brief.
Today is also “Respect for Life Sunday” and I would like to take just 1 additional minute and reflect on this very important topic as reported by our United States Catholic Bishops. Pope Benedict has called upon us to build what he and Pope John Paul II have called “a civilization of love,” A civilization where the rights and dignity of each person – especially those who are most vulnerable, the unborn and the frail elderly – are respected from the moment of conception until the natural death; Where the family, based on the love of husband and wife, Welcomes children into the world and imparts to them the truth and values that make good citizens; Where the hungry and homeless are assisted, The immigrant welcomed, the environment protected, and all legitimate paths to peace are pursued. It is in light of that task of ours that we evaluate the moral quality of what is proposed by candidates and public officials, and work proactively for the ongoing transformation of our society. Thus, we can see clearly that “there are some things we can never do or cooperate with because they are always incompatible with love of God and neighbor. Such actions are so deeply flawed that they are always opposed to the authentic good of persons.
These are called “Intrinsically Evil” actions. They must always be rejected and opposed, and must never be supported or condoned. In our nation, abortion is at the forefront of these intrinsically evil actions. Since 1973, the year abortion was legalized by the U.S. Supreme Court in Roe v. Wade; nearly 49 million innocent human lives have been taken.
When Pope Benedict visited America, he praised Americans for their generosity and optimism, and for the role which religion continues to play in our society. He called us to be true to our founding ideals and principles and to maintain the truths and values that flow from faith and reason into the public square. He stated: “Now is the time to respond to the Challenge.” Think about that statement, and what God might be asking of you! “Now is the time to respond to the Challenge”
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