What More Could A Friend Do? ~ by Phyllis Booth
Monsignor Barrett's homily on the readings was very insightful. The Isaiah reading about a friend and his vineyard revealed the life of the people of Judah in Jerusalem. The vineyard was planted in fertile soil and cared for by the friend. The harvest yielded only sour grapes. The harvest was destroyed due to the relationship between the friend and the vineyard. God is the friend and the people of Judah are the vineyard. The people wouldn't live up to the covenant made with God. What more could the friend do?
God calls us by name when we are baptized and He promises peace and eternal life through Jesus Christ. God's covenant is unbreakable and still stands today. The story read today at Mass is from one told by Isaiah thousands of years ago. The Kings and the Prophets served years ago as the conscience of the people. The prophets' messages weren't received by the people and they killed, murdered or assassinated the prophets.
What more could the friend (God) do? He sends His precious Son as the Good Shepherd to teach and serve as an example of what God expected of the vineyard. The Good Shepherd taught that everything comes from God; that God is merciful and just. The Good Shepherd's message was taught in two kinds of parables. The first is the Window parable (the Kingdom) and the second is the Mirror parable (insight into self). The listening audience of yesterday - and some today - heard and received the message but could not accept the message.
The questions asked in Matthew in Matthew 21:23 were, By what authority are you doing these things? And Who do you think you are? (paraphrased) These questions still seek answers today. The tenants in today's gospel reading killed the Prophetic Prophets first. When the friend sent other servants, they killed the Later Prophets; and when the Good Shepherd sent the disciples, they killed the Apostles.
Our challenge from the Isaiah and Matthew readings is to learn and receive the message in the reading and not reject the message and the messenger. We are on a mission to receive eternal life. We are the final harvest. We believe if we are loyal, caring, compassionate and stand up for justice and mercy for ourselves and our neighbors that God will receive us in the final harvest (Resurrection).
~ Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time ~
God calls us by name when we are baptized and He promises peace and eternal life through Jesus Christ. God's covenant is unbreakable and still stands today. The story read today at Mass is from one told by Isaiah thousands of years ago. The Kings and the Prophets served years ago as the conscience of the people. The prophets' messages weren't received by the people and they killed, murdered or assassinated the prophets.
What more could the friend (God) do? He sends His precious Son as the Good Shepherd to teach and serve as an example of what God expected of the vineyard. The Good Shepherd taught that everything comes from God; that God is merciful and just. The Good Shepherd's message was taught in two kinds of parables. The first is the Window parable (the Kingdom) and the second is the Mirror parable (insight into self). The listening audience of yesterday - and some today - heard and received the message but could not accept the message.
The questions asked in Matthew in Matthew 21:23 were, By what authority are you doing these things? And Who do you think you are? (paraphrased) These questions still seek answers today. The tenants in today's gospel reading killed the Prophetic Prophets first. When the friend sent other servants, they killed the Later Prophets; and when the Good Shepherd sent the disciples, they killed the Apostles.
Our challenge from the Isaiah and Matthew readings is to learn and receive the message in the reading and not reject the message and the messenger. We are on a mission to receive eternal life. We are the final harvest. We believe if we are loyal, caring, compassionate and stand up for justice and mercy for ourselves and our neighbors that God will receive us in the final harvest (Resurrection).
~ Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time ~
Labels: sundayreflection
posted by mary ann @ Monday, October 06, 2008
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