Monday of the Ninth Week in Ordinary Time
God’s Vineyard
Other Celebrations for this Day:
Liturgical Cycle: A | Lectionary Cycle: II
Introduction
Probably written by someone belonging to the group of Peter’s disciples in the 2nd century, the author of 2 Peter warns against false teachers and against fear of the coming of Christ in the Parousia.
The parable of the wicked farmers or tenants who rent and cultivate the vineyard describes first of all, in moving terms, how God loves his chosen people (Israel, but also us) as a winegrower does his vineyard. It is a theme dear to the Scriptures. He plants and tends it with care. God’s love comes first. Then he leaves his work to be continued and developed by people, entrusts it to them, and wants to see it bear fruit. He sends even his beloved Son. Israel did not yield the expected produce. Do we?
Opening Prayer
God, you love us.
You ask of us today: my people, answer me:
What more could I have done for you?
Teach and help us to respond with our whole being
to your daily forgiveness and patience,
to the riches of life brought us by Jesus,
to the prompting of the Holy Spirit,
that we may be a people that bears lasting fruits.
May we bring to all a justice animated by love;
may we learn to share as you do with us.
Show us your mercy through Jesus Christ our Lord.
First Reading
may grace and peace be yours in abundance through the knowledge of God and of Jesus, our Lord.
Christian Vocation
His divine power has provided us with everything necessary for life and godliness through the knowledge of him who called us by his own glory and power.
Through these things he has given us his precious and great promises, so that through them you may escape the corruption and evil desires of this world, and may become participants of the divine nature.
So, strive with the greatest determination and grow your faith with goodness, goodness with knowledge,
knowledge with moderation, moderation with perseverance, perseverance with piety,
piety with mutual affection, and mutual affection with love.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (see 2b) In you, my God, I place my trust.
You who dwell in the shelter of the Most High,
who abide in the shadow of the Almighty,
Say to the LORD, "My refuge and my fortress,
my God, in whom I trust."
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Because he clings to me, I will deliver him;
I will set him on high because he acknowledges my name.
He shall call upon me, and I will answer him;
I will be with him in distress.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
I will deliver him and glorify him;
with length of days I will gratify him
and will show him my salvation.
R. In you, my God, I place my trust.
Alleluia Verse
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Jesus Christ, you are the faithful witness,
the firstborn of the dead;
you have loved us and freed us from our sins by your Blood.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Using parables, Jesus continued by saying:
“A man planted a vineyard, built a fence around it, dug a winepress, and constructed a watchtower. Then he leased the vineyard to tenants and traveled abroad.
In due time, he sent a servant to collect the fruit from the tenants.
But they seized the servant, beat him, and sent him back empty-handed.
Again, the man sent another servant. They also struck him on the head and treated him shamefully.
He sent yet another, and they killed him. In the same way, they treated many others: some they beat, and others they killed.
One was still left, his beloved son. So, finally, he sent him to the tenants, for he thought, ‘They will respect my son.’
But those tenants said to one another, ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard. Let’s kill him, and the property will be ours.’
So they seized him, killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.
Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy those tenants and give the vineyard to others.”
And Jesus added:
“Have you not read this passage of the Scriptures:
The stone which the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
this is the Lord’s doing,
and we marvel at it?”
They wanted to arrest him because they realized that Jesus meant this parable for them, but they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Prayers of the Faithful
– For the Church, which we are together, that it may always remain young and faithful and inspire its members and even the world with a sense of hope and deep love, we pray:
– For the whole Christian people, that we may show patience and compassion to people who go astray, to those who disappoint us, and accept them as the Lord accepts us, we pray:
– And for all in our Christian community here, that we may be grateful that the Lord has made us his vineyard and the tenants from whom he expects much, we pray:
Prayer over the Gifts
Faithful God,
We bring these gifts before you
to celebrate how you have made
with us, your chosen people,
a new and everlasting covenant
through the death and rising of your Son.
Do not allow us to become proud
of being the people you love,
but help us to be worthy of your trust
and to give you a response
of deep faith expressed in service.
Grant us this through Christ our Lord.
Prayer after Communion
Lord, mighty God,
In this eucharist, your Son has been
Your encouraging word and your food of strength
for building up your kingdom among your people.
Deepen our trust that Christ will stay with us
and that he is the foundation on which we build.
Make us inventive and creative
in sharing with all who are willing to listen
The good news we have received
and to respond to your faithful love.
We ask this in the name of Jesus the Lord.
Blessing
We are God’s vineyard, God’s cherished people. We are answerable to God and sent by him to make his good news known by our words and deeds, with the blessing of almighty God, the Father, the Son, and the Holy Spirit.
REFLECTIONS
Mark 12:1-12
Do not throw the Word away
The Gospel according to Mark, chapter 12, is marked by a growing conflict between Jesus and the religious and political leaders of his time. The chapter begins with a parable directed at that leadership. Its meaning was obvious to those who heard it. The top religious authorities are about to commit a serious crime – capturing and killing Jesus.
After entrusting the vineyard to the peasants, the Lord, the owner of the vineyard, goes far away. It represents the Lord, who has now entrusted his followers with the mission of producing joy. What was expected of these servants entrusted with the vineyard? The Book of Isiah taught them: “Learn to do good; seek the right. Make justice your aim: redress the wronged, hear the orphan’s plea, defend the widow” (Is 1:17). Those are the fruits that the Lord of the vineyard wanted.
The Lord expects results from his investment in the prophets he continues to send. But Israel rejected them and killed them. The owner of the vineyard loved it so much that, finally, he sent his son. The managers, however, expelled the son and killed him. The parable clearly describes what Jesus foresaw; he realised that the religious authorities were about to take him out of the way and expel him from the vineyard. Jesus was executed outside of the Holy City as if he were someone who contaminated it.
Today, our Church communities must be careful because the danger of chasing God’s Son out of the vineyard continues to happen. When we cast the Gospel out of our lives, we cast the Son out of the vineyard. Think of the challenges that confront the sacraments of marriage and family, debates on abortion, and many more issues – some in the Church prefer to follow the values of the world. Gospel values are regarded as outdated and old-fashioned, and many Christians prefer to chase away Christ and his Gospel.
What is the result of throwing the Gospel out of our lives? Wars, crimes, destruction of creation, despair and loneliness. There is a message in this parable for us today. Do not throw the Son away from the vineyard - from our lives.
What welcome do we give to God’s messengers? Do we recognise them when they come? Maybe today, now, would be a good time to listen more carefully than we normally do.