Daily Readings - Sun Oct 08 2023

¹I will sing to my beloved the canticle of my paternal cousin, about his vineyard. A vineyard was made for my beloved, at the horn in the son of oil²And he fenced it in, and he picked the stones out of it, and he planted it with the best vines, and he built a tower in the middle of it, and he set up a winepress within it. And he expected it to produce grapes, but it produced wild vines³Now then, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah: judge between me and my vineyard⁴What more should I have done for my vineyard that I did not do for it? Should I not have expected it to produce grapes, though it produced wild vines⁵And now, I will reveal to you what I will do to my vineyard. I will take away its fence, and it will be plundered. I will pull down its wall, and it will be trampled⁶And I will make it desolate. It will not be pruned, and it will not be dug. And briers and thorns will rise up. And I will command the clouds not to rain upon it⁷For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel. And the man of Judah is his delightful seedling. And I expected that he would do judgment, and behold iniquity, and that he would do justice, and behold an outcry

Philippians

Chapter 4

⁶Be anxious about nothing. But in all things, with prayer and supplication, with acts of thanksgiving, let your petitions be made known to God⁷And so shall the peace of God, which exceeds all understanding, guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus⁸Concerning the rest, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is chaste, whatever is just, whatever is holy, whatever is worthy to be loved, whatever is of good repute, if there is any virtue, if there is any praiseworthy discipline: meditate on these⁹All the things that you have learned and accepted and heard and seen in me, do these. And so shall the God of peace be with you

Matthew

Chapter 21

³³Listen to another parable. There was a man, the father of a family, who planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a press in it, and built a tower. And he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out to sojourn abroad³⁴Then, when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, so that they might receive its fruits³⁵And the farmers apprehended his servants; they struck one, and killed another, and stoned yet another³⁶Again, he sent other servants, more than before; and they treated them similarly³⁷Then, at the very end, he sent his son to them, saying: ‘They will revere my son.³⁸But the farmers, seeing the son, said among themselves: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and then we will have his inheritance.³⁹And apprehending him, they cast him outside the vineyard, and they killed him⁴⁰Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those farmers?⁴¹They said to him, "He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and he will loan out his vineyard to other farmers, who shall repay to him the fruit in its time.⁴²Jesus said to them: "Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?⁴³Therefore, I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and it shall be given to a people who shall produce its fruits

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on the relationship between God and his people, as well as our own response to his gifts and call. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a parable about a vineyard that symbolizes the house of Israel. The vineyard, carefully planted and tended by the Lord, was expected to produce good fruit, but instead it yielded wild grapes. This serves as a critique of Israel’s failure to live according to God’s justice and holiness. The second reading from Philippians offers a different tone, encouraging us to trust in God’s providence and to focus on what is true, just, and holy. Paul reminds us that anxiety can be overcome by prayer and gratitude, leading to a peace that surpasses understanding. Finally, the Gospel from Matthew presents another parable about a vineyard, this time focusing on the son who is rejected and killed by the tenants. Jesus uses this story to critique the religious leaders of his time for their rejection of God’s messengers and ultimately for rejecting him, the Son. These readings are deeply connected. Both Isaiah and Matthew use the vineyard as a metaphor for God’s people and the expectations that come with being chosen by God. In Isaiah, the vineyard’s failure to produce good fruit leads to judgment, while in Matthew, the rejection of the son leads to the transfer of the kingdom to others who will bear fruit. Philippians, while not directly about a vineyard, complements these readings by offering a spiritual response to the challenges of living as God’s people. It encourages us to trust in God’s plan and to cultivate virtues that reflect our identity as his children. In our daily lives, these readings call us to examine how we respond to God’s gifts and call. Are we producing the fruit of holiness, justice, and love, or are we like the wild grapes in Isaiah’s vineyard? Do we trust in God’s providence, as Paul encourages, or do we allow anxiety and doubt to consume us? The Gospel reminds us that being part of God’s kingdom comes with great responsibility. We are called to be faithful stewards of the gifts we have received and to bear fruit in accordance with God’s will. Let us turn to prayer, thanksgiving, and a focus on what is good, trusting that God’s peace will guard our hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. May we strive to live as true vineyards of the Lord, bearing fruit that reflects his love and mercy.