Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, 10/4

There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a
tower.” It is beautiful to think of our relationship with the Lord this way! In fact, Jesus often used agricultural
terms to express God’s attitude to his People: a vineyard, his flock, the Good Shepherd to his sheep. In this
case, the Lord tells us that God has planted us (his vineyard) and given us everything we need to flourish
(hedge, wine press, tower). Perhaps we can begin by considering all that the Lord has given us and how like with the vineyard, he desires us to produce fruit.

This parable is a continuation of last week’s Gospel, and situates us in the Jewish temple just days from
Jesus’ Passion and Death. He is speaking to the Jewish leaders, from whom God also has desired “fruit”,
and Jesus uses this figure as a warning to draw their attention. “When the time for the harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his fruits.” What are the fruits that the Lord desires from us?

Perhaps we can look to the 2 nd reading today from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious”. We might also think of the “Fruits of the Holy Spirit”: “love, joy, peace, forbearance, kindness, goodness, faithfulness, gentleness and self-control” (Gal 5).

We might be tempted to despair if we look in the mirror and see how our hearts do not always reflect these “fruits.” Might the Lord be disappointed with us when he shows up to our vineyard?

A key to all of this I think we can discover by thinking about how we see the Lord. Do we see him as a severe master who will come to inflict judgment? Perhaps, we like the tenants in the parable see God as a rival who is coming to take something away from us. Might we treat those prophets that He sends our way in similar fashion as the tenants?

Let us return to the Lord, who is loved his vineyard so much, that he gave it everything! As the 1 st reading
from Isaiah says: "What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?" (Is 5:4). He has given us everything, and even the prophets he sends us are blessings to help guide us along the path of bearing more fruit. Like a farmer with his field, he has such care for us and our growth. Truly it is his Spirit who will bring about the fruit that both He and we desire! Let us ask Him to send us his Spirit and “renew the face of the earth”.

Patrick Travers, SCV