October 4
Parable of the
Wicked Tenants
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Today’s Gospel: Matthew 21:33-43
(The Parable of the Wicked Tenants)
“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[e] 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.
Reflection:
Isaiah opens with
a love song for God’s vineyard! God is the gardener who digs, clears away the
stones, plants the best vines, and builds a watchtower, because He wants a
harvest of love and joy. Then Saint Paul tells us how that fruit grows: don’t
be anxious, bring everything to God in prayer with thanksgiving, and the peace
of God will guard your heart. Think about whatever is true, lovely, and worthy
of praise! A heart full of that kind of peace is the sweetest fruit anyone could
ever taste.
In today’s Gospel, the vineyard owner never gives up! He sends servant after servant, and
finally He sends His own Son. Even when the Son is rejected, the Father turns
it into the greatest victory in history, because the stone the builders
rejected has become the cornerstone. Then Jesus promises the Kingdom to a
people who bear fruit. So never worry that you’re too small to matter. A branch
on His vine will always bear fruit.
Now think of
Mary, the vineyard’s most fruitful branch! Every time we pray the Hail Mary, we say, “Blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus.” The Father was looking for
fruit, and she gave Him the sweetest Fruit of all, and then she gave Him to us.
Today is also Saint Francis’s day, and how he loved to give! He heard the Lord
ask him to rebuild His Church, started with stones at a broken chapel, and
ended up setting the whole Church ablaze with joy. My Franciscan brothers and
sisters know that when we hand Jesus to others Beneath the Standard of Mary,
the harvest always follows.
What fruit is
Jesus growing in your life that someone around you is hungry for? Could you
offer them a taste this week, through a kind word, a prayer, or a Rosary placed
in their hand? Ask Our Lady to help you share it, and watch the harvest come
in.
Rosary Man Jim 🌹
Freely given. Freely shared.
