Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21, 33-43, 45-46
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.””
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
This is God’s property
1) He possessed a land. The landowner is God and He possesses life. He asks you to administer that life. He asks you to look after it and bear fruit; that land will be profitable because every life gives fruit. What’s more, you can make a great contribution to this world. But pride may lead you to believe you are the owner of your life; not just the administrator of it. When we have things and the power that they seem to give us, no one can stop us. The problem appears when you have to account for what was given to you – that’s when things get complicated. You realize that it’s not so easy; you cannot control everything, and that your life does not belong to you. How sad it is when an administrator thinks he is the owner!
2) The vineyard workers. When pride gets hold of us, our own personal interest can lead us to become ‘murderers’. There are people who lose their way in life because they believe that they own it… they think they own everything… even other people and their opinions… But remember, you write this story, the story of your life, but the pencil and paper are God’s. During your life, the Lord sends people to you, who try to guide you and remind you that you can’t walk through life like that, with that haughty attitude. There are times when you become a ‘murderer’ with your hurtful words or with your attitudes; there are times when the fraternal correction and advice you are given go in one ear and out the other… because of your vanity. God gives you many opportunities, people, and situations to remind you that you administer life, but you continue to feel you own it, as if nothing mattered.
3) His Son. Today you are invited to speak to the Son. Come to Jesus and speak to him. Ask him what He wants from you and think whether you are truly doing his will. Put your heart at his disposal, bare yourself before him and hide nothing from him. It’s time to see the accounts of your life and accept your mistakes and your virtues; the gains and debts that you have in life. I think you can have a nice talk with God today! He’s a good landowner, He won’t take away your gains, He’ll help you to make good use of your life… Open up to him, and remember you are an administrator, not the owner. Come on, you’ve only got one life to live and it’s beautiful! Enjoy it!
God bless you in the name of the Father, of the Son and of the Holy Spirit. And don’t forget that something good is on the way!
