The parable of the wicked tenants also appears with some variations in Mk 12: 1-12 and Lk 20: 9-18. In Matthew's gospel it is the second in a trilogy of judgment parables, preceded by the parable of the Two Sons and followed by the parable of the Marriage Feast.
It is difficult for us to explain our belief in Jesus. He is not just a theory, an intellectual doctrine. He is a living person. We have a personal relationship with Him. We go through our days speaking to Him and listening for Him to speak to us.
Today is the tenth anniversary of one of the worst days in the history of the United States. It still makes our blood boil to think of all the innocent people who will killed by the terrorists in New York, Washington D.C., and Pennsylvania. Many in America, sadly, have responded to hate with hate, to anger with anger.
The Church is the Body of Christ. When we offend others, when we sin, we are sinning against the Body of Christ. If we hurt another person, we are offending Christ within that other person as well as offending the entire Christian community. If we claim we are Christian, we have a responsibility to all other Christians to behave in a Christian way. We are accountable to each other, and to all others in the Church.
Jesus said, “I have come to set the earth on fire, and how I wish it were already blazing.” We, as disciples of Jesus, have within us the burning fire of the Lord which impels us to transform the world. Spirituality is what we do with the fire that is within us. Spirituality is the discipline and habits that we live by that lead us to a greater integration of our bodies, minds and souls. All discipline takes effort.
This Sunday Gospel reminds us the Church has found itself in hurricane seas from day one. When we find ourselves breaking into a cold sweat over the latest scandal, we should remember those lyrical words of our Lord, "Courage. It is I. Do not be afraid." He will come to us walking on the waters. All we have to do is allow Him into our boat.
‘Give them something to eat yourselves,’ said Jesus to his disciples. That challenge comes down to us today with the horrendous news of the famine in the horn of Africa in our papers and on our televisions.
‘Seek ye first the kingdom of God and everything else will be added unto you’. We can look at ourselves now and begin to sort out things out. We can find the treasures of inner peace and get rid of all those things that adversely effect that inner peace.
Today's readings drove me to the dogmatic theology books. The first reading from 1 Kings speaks about wisdom. The second from Romans speaks about predestination, the gospel from Matthew speaks about the Christian life.
The treasure of the Kingdom is hidden in a field. It isn’t in the sky far from the earth transcendentally inaccessible. The treasure is here but few get it, few seek it or find it. He who finds the hidden treasure is the hidden treasure is the luckiest person in the world.
The parable of the mustard seed: the little efforts we make for the Kingdom of God have a tremendous impact upon the world. The parable of the weeds and wheat: God has infinite patience. He is not about to give up on his people. We should not give up on others. And we should not give up on ourselves.
The Spirit lives within us and this holy reality reveals the deep desire of God for us. With this also it is affirmed that we are incapable of knowing our deepest desire when we live superficially, when we fail to dedicate time either to knowing our interior or the mysterious guest who lives there.
The big questions are still unanswered and we need to raise them again. Only this way will we grow in Faith. This Sunday will help us to deepen our Faith and trust. It is good for us to let ourselves become fertile soil for the good news to germinate.
Jesus tells us the good news that the seeds of God's kingdom have been abundantly sown everywhere in the world. Despite all the violence and despair that threaten us, we can live in hope. God's kingdom has already come, will continue to grow, and will ultimately triumph.
With the Sign of the Cross, we trace the Trinity on ourselves. We bring God into our minds first. Then we bring the Trinity down to our hearts. And, with our hearts filled with compassion, we move the Trinity across our bodies to our shoulders and arms to better bear the burdens of our family and friends. (David Walker)
The words of Jesus are definitive. Go throughout the world, make disciples, be my witnesses. Because we aspire to Heaven we commit ourselves to the earth. The mission of the Church is to evangelise (Paul VI).
We need to be highly connected to this abiding presence and companionship but not to allow the anxiety and the concerns of life to stifle the power of his love for us and other people on the path of life.
We pray today that we might all have a mature faith, able to grow through crises. We pray today that we might all be included in that phrase of the Lord's, "Blessed are those who have not seen but believe."
The Feast of the Resurrection belongs to women and young people.It was women who stood by Christ on Good Friday.It was Mary of Magdala, just a slip of a girl, who was the first person to reach the tomb that first Easter AM. It was John who was the first one of record to realize that the Master had risen.
Jesus began the last week of his life. He had spent the night before (the Sabbath evening) in Bethany with Lazarus, Mary and Martha (Jn 12. 1f). He was the Messiah, the One prophesied to be the Saviour of the world. The secret his disciples had been forbidden to reveal was now proclaimed as Jesus made his triumphal entry into Jerusalem.
