Daily Retreat 10/05/08
2008 Oct 5 SUN: TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME
Is 5: 1-7/ Ps 79(80): 9. 12. 13-14. 15-16. 19-20/ Phil 4: 6-9/ Mt 21: 33-43
From today’s readings: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?... The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.... Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious.... There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.... ”
The Lord’s Vineyard
The Old Testament Prophets, the Psalms, and the New Testament Gospels all offer more than once the image of a vineyard as a metaphor illustrating the relationship between God and His people. Perhaps more than most other agricultural endeavors, a vineyard particularly demands constant patience and painstaking effort in order to produce a good yield, and even after the harvest, much time and work is needed for the grapes to become wine.
In God’s vineyard, the patience, effort, time, and work is never lacking on God’s part - He always does everything necessary for a most bountiful harvest! So when there is no yield of good fruit, that can never be blamed on God. When you and I fail to bring forth good in our lives for God, we cannot blame Him. Rather, we must acknowledge our own responsibility, that our choices have too often frustrated, rather than aided, the efforts of the Lord of the Harvest.
If we have few or no good fruits to show in our lives, there is absolutely no room for complacency or resignation to failure - God expects us, and will help us, to examine our mistakes and repent of our sins, and re-dedicate ourselves to cooperate with God’s planting and pruning efforts in our lives.
Is 5: 1-7/ Ps 79(80): 9. 12. 13-14. 15-16. 19-20/ Phil 4: 6-9/ Mt 21: 33-43
From today’s readings: “What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done?... The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.... Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious.... There was a landowner who planted a vineyard.... ”
The Lord’s Vineyard
The Old Testament Prophets, the Psalms, and the New Testament Gospels all offer more than once the image of a vineyard as a metaphor illustrating the relationship between God and His people. Perhaps more than most other agricultural endeavors, a vineyard particularly demands constant patience and painstaking effort in order to produce a good yield, and even after the harvest, much time and work is needed for the grapes to become wine.
In God’s vineyard, the patience, effort, time, and work is never lacking on God’s part - He always does everything necessary for a most bountiful harvest! So when there is no yield of good fruit, that can never be blamed on God. When you and I fail to bring forth good in our lives for God, we cannot blame Him. Rather, we must acknowledge our own responsibility, that our choices have too often frustrated, rather than aided, the efforts of the Lord of the Harvest.
If we have few or no good fruits to show in our lives, there is absolutely no room for complacency or resignation to failure - God expects us, and will help us, to examine our mistakes and repent of our sins, and re-dedicate ourselves to cooperate with God’s planting and pruning efforts in our lives.
posted by FrPitstick | 10/04/2008
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