Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third.

Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way.

Finally he sent his son to them. They will respect my son he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance. So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?

They answered, He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.

Jesus said to them, Have you never read in the scriptures: It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the keystone. This was the Lord's doing and it is wonderful to see?

I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.

Introductory Prayer: Lord, I come before you once more recognizing that I need your grace to do your will faithfully and even to worship you correctly. I know how unworthy I am of your friendship, yet your mercy endures for ever and your love is everlasting. Thank you for receiving me this day and for giving me another day to serve you and to sing your praises. I believe in you, but I need to be stronger in my faith. I hope in you, but I need to be more unshakeable and firm in my hope. I love you, but I need to be more on fire with your love.

Petition: Lord, grant me the growth I need in faith, hope and love. Teach me to be vigilant and humble, and to accept you on your terms. Keep my heart always open to your messengers, and especially to you, the Son of God, come to saved us.

1. The Gifts of God. God compares himself to a landowner who planted a vineyard, fenced it in, dug a wine press, built a watchtower and left it all in the hands of his tenants. God is the origin of all good things, but he has not kept his creation for himself, he has chosen to place it in our hands. He entrusts us with his own creation so that we will faithfully care for the things that he has created out of love and use them properly. There is so much that God has chosen to leave in our hands. He wants to draw us into himself, to have us share in his work and also share in the rewards and fruit of this work. But we are never the owners; we must always give him his place. He wants us to bear fruit, and he comes looking for that fruit, the produce, with great hope and expectation. With Gods gifts comes the responsibility to use them well, and not to be sterile receivers of his grace. What could be more just and beautiful than to give him the joy of seeing his gifts multiplied and giving fruit?

2. Prides Effects. The tenants treated the owners land as if it were their own. They did not give the owner his place; they even treated him as if he were their enemy. What blinded them so, what prevented them from recognizing reality? So often we think that there will be great dividends for us if we could only take God out of the picture. What society has tried to do on a larger scale, living as if God did not exist in order to find happiness and prosperity, we constantly do on a personal, minor scale. Yet doing so is only going against the truth of God and ourselves. He will always be the Creator and the Benefactor, we will always be creature and the ones benefitted.  Without him we can do nothing, because without him we were nothing and would continue being nothing. Pope Benedict invites us to experiment, and to live as if God really existed and to observe the results. That is the true source of happiness and security, because if we have God we have everything. 

When God comes looking for the fruits of his gifts, let us be as generous as he. Let us recognize that everything, live health, intelligence, family, earthly goods, all come from him; and let us in gratitude and love give back the fruits that will please him. 

3. The Servants and the Son. The owners patience seems infinite. He sends three batches of servants, and then a fourth, larger one. All are rejected and mistreated by the tenants. In doing so, they are treating the owner as an enemy and aggressor and not one who has a lawful right to their rent, to whom they ought to be grateful for letting them use and profit from his land. Their arrogance increases, and they dont seem to recognize that they are getting more and more unreasonable, and thus putting themselves more and more in danger. The owners patience is misread. Finally, the owner sends his son. It surprises us that he would still have hopes for justice and goodness in those people, yet he tries.

Jesus is summing up here the history of the chosen people for the benefit of those who are in danger of rejecting Gods son. But he is also speaking to each one of us. He is telling us the pattern that rebellion can take in our own lives, and also the pattern of his mercy.

He is willing to keep trying. If God is willing to continue to try to reach out to the rebellious tenants, how much more is he willing to forgive us when we approach him in humility and contrition for our sins? The true tragedy of our lives would be to reject his Son and the forgiveness offered to us in him. Then, there would be no way for Gods mercy to reach us. Surely they will respect my Son! is his constant hope.

Conversation: Lord, I thank you for all the graces you have given me: the gift of life, the gift of baptism, the gift of family and friends, and especially for the gift of my call in life. You gave them to me with great hopes that I would multiply them, and bear much fruit. Forgive me for the times that I have centered everything on myself, and not given you your place. Forgive my rejections. Forgive my lack of fruit. I want to work in your vineyard and please you by offering you abundant fruit in exchange for your gifts.

Questionnaire:

1. What are the principal gifts God has given me?

2. What am I doing to make sure that these gifts bear fruit?

3. What is my attitude towards God, do I open my life to him and his will or do I act as if he were an unreasonable intruder?