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!