Cycle A - Year II:  

5 October 2014: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 21:33-43

We must bear fruits!

With the proliferation of social media, can we still hear the voice of God? Do we have time to listen to Him?

The truth is that God speaks to us in many ways in every generation. Often we cannot hear Him, or perhaps do not want to hear what He says that may not be to our liking.

Even during the time of Jesus, people turned a deaf ear to his preaching because it challenged them to change their ways away from their comfort zones. So Jesus used parables that depict every day life situations to catch their attention and impart the truths of God's kingdom.

In this Sunday's Gospel, we hear another such parable. Although it was specifically intended for the Chief Priests and elders of the Jews it also contains a stern warning for Christians in every generation.

Jesus tells the story of a landowner who entrusted his vineyard to his

laborers or tenants as he went on a journey. But the laborers become greedy and violent. At harvest time, they kill the "servants" sent to collect the landowner's share of the harvest. Finally, the landowner decides to sent his "son" to collect his share. But the tenants kill even the son, so they can take possession of the vineyard all for themselves.

What is the message of this parable of the vineyard?

The parable richly conveys some important truths about God. For example it tells of God's generosity and trust. The vineyard is well-equipped with everything the laborers need to produce good harvest. The owner went away and left the vineyard in the hands of the laborers or tenants. Likewise, God trusts us enough to give us freedom to run our life as we choose. He has endowed us with natural life in birth, bestowed on us spiritual life as well through our Lord Jesus Christ, and made available to us all the means necessary to maintain and nurture both the natural and spiritual lives. But the Lord expects from us fruits in the form of good and meaningful lives.

In other words, we cannot assume that just because we are the new Chosen People by grace, that we have a stranglehold on salvation. Because it is not enough to claim Christ in faith; our lives must reflect interior conversion and produce the fruits of God's kingdom by our good works, good examples, and obedience to God's law of love.

In similar manner, there is the danger that we can mislead ourselves to think  that as long as we avoid sin, we will be saved. The parable makes it clear that it is not enough to merely avoid sinful acts. The landowner (God) expects us to produce the fruits. Because producing the fruits does not come about by merely avoiding sin. Rather, we must grow in virtue that produces the fruits of God's vineyard.

In Holy Mass let us pray for vigilance to be productive and faithful laborers or tenants, fully aware that the vineyard is on loan to us so long as we render the expected harvest. We are not the owner of the vineyard -- only tenants of the most merciful and just Landowner, God Almighty. Amen.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God

Ad Jesum per Mariam!

Cycle A - Year II:  

28 September 2014: 26th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 21:28-32

Doing God's will!

In childhood days, storytelling is one of the most effective ways to communicate to a child. Because a child easily relates to life situations, and learns valuable lessons from them. In fact, we don't outgrow our storytelling days; they are simply known differently as life experiences in later life.

Our Lord Jesus was an amazing teacher and a fantastic storyteller. We will hear in today's Gospel another example of His ability to craft a story using common life experiences and simple images in order to teach the profound truths of our Christian faith.

As narrated by Jesus, the story goes this way: A father who owns a vineyard has two sons. He asks them both to go and help out in the vineyard. One son says "Yes", but never goes there. The other says "No", but changes his mind and goes to help in the vineyard. Now Jesus asks: which son did the father's will? The answer, of course, is obvious.

Jesus makes His point clear in the above parable of the two sons. Good intentions are not enough. And promises are nothing unless they are performed.

In other words, God wants to change our hearts so that we will show both by our words and by our actions that we respect and follow His will and do it without reservations. And when we are faithful to His will, God offers each one of us the greatest treasure reserved for us, which is unending peace, joy, happiness,  and eternal life with Him in His kingdom. But we can lose that treasure if we refuse the grace God is offering us to follow in His way of truth and righteousness.

Jesus, therefore, encourages us to think about the consequences of our choices in life, especially the choices and decisions that will count not just for here and now but for eternity as well. Because the choices we make now will affect and shape our future both on earth as well as our final destiny in the life after.

This Sunday is also the Feast of the first Filipino saint, Lorenzo Ruiz. And because he is the Patron of Migrants in the Philippines, the Church also celebrates this Sunday the 19th National Seafarer's Day.

Let us pray for seafarers and their families so that they find inspiration in the life of Saint Lorenzo Ruiz as they profess and live their Christian faith.

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam! 

Cycle A - Year II:  

21 September 2014: 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time 

(Liturgical color: Green)

Matthew 20:1-16a

God is generous!

We live in a society where everything is defined by what is legal and what is just. In the work place, for example, there are laws concerning wages and compensation,  the core principle of which is that "no work no pay", "more work more pay", or "less work less pay".  The bottom line is to be fair and equitable according to human standards. In such strict legalistic environment, is there room for generosity?

Today's Gospel tells of a parable that has relevance to the work place. The parable of the workers in the vineyard has often puzzled many of us. Perhaps, it is because what the landowner, or employer, did in this parable goes against what most of us would have done under similar circumstances in our present time.

A brief situational background: In Jesus' time laborers had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table.

The gist of the parable is that the workers who worked all day received the same

payment or wages as those who worked for less than a full day. So the former complained to the landowner about the apparent "injustice" or "unjust" wages.

Yet Jesus is teaching us something about God, and it isn't about fair and just business practices. Rather, Jesus uses this parable to help us better understand that God's generous love and justice are far, far different from our human standards. It is so different indeed that we are baffled by it, because we have difficulty understanding God' infinite love and generosity. On the other hand, our inability to understand the full depth and breath of God's love is also an opportunity for FAITH, that is to say, our faith grows deeper and stronger because we cannot ever fully understand God.

Even during Jesus' time the people were shocked to hear of radical ideas in our Lord's teachings. Many had trouble accepting and comprehending this parable of Jesus concerning the kingdom of heaven. Perhaps, Jesus really intended to shock his listeners so they think much deeper. What Jesus may be proposing to his listeners then and to us now, is that God's love and generosity is the very foundation of the kingdom of God.

In other words, God is generous in opening the door to his kingdom to all who will enter, both those who have labored a lifetime for Him and those who come at the last hour. While the reward may be the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the difference. Some work only for the reward. They will only put as much effort as they expect they will get back in return. Others work out of love and joy for the opportunity to work and to serve others. What is our motive for working in the Lord's vineyard?

Jesus calls his disciples to serve God and neighbors, both in his heavenly kingdom and our earthly environment, with generosity and joy. Do we perform our work and responsibilities with a cheerful heart and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do we give generosity to others, especially to those in most need of our care and support?

We are the late comers. We are those who have arrived in the Lord's vineyard at the end of the day. We therefore must be overwhelmingly grateful of God's generosity and share the same with others.

In Holy Mass this Sunday let us pray: "Lord, may we serve You and our neighbors with a glad and generous heart, not looking for how much we can get but looking instead for how much love and generosity we can give. Amen."

A blessed Sunday to us all. And thank you for a moment with God.

Ad Jesum per Mariam!