Twenty-seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today's Mass Readings

The storm that hit us in Dayton seems to be far behind us. But I am sure all of us have some good stories to tell. Let me tell you mine. Grocery shopping was an experience by itself. People were shopping as if the world was coming to an end. The day I shopped huge lines formed at the checkout counter. Behind me, in queue stood this young mother with children. She had a child in the cart and one her belly. She was probably eight months pregnant. My heart melted with pity and even though her cart was so packed with goods so that I could hardly see her child, I said to her, “You have kids. Go on ahead!” I could see her relief. She asked me, “Are you sure?” “Of course,” I said. Isn’t it normal these days to at least say thank you? I thought that at the end she would turn around and perhaps let me know that it is good when people are nice to each other. She packed her groceries, turned around and without even a grateful glance, hurried out. “Dear woman,” I said to myself, “at least for the sake of your kids, be thankful.” Now, this woman means nothing to me. Perhaps I will never see her ever. But even as strangers we carry some expectations of each other. And then there are parents, children, spouse, friends and God. The more we mean to each other the more expectations we have. Children don’t expect their parents to separate even though sometimes they do. Parents do not expect their children to fail but sometimes they do. Husbands and wives do not expect their partners to be unfaithful but sometimes they do. Friends to not expect to be betrayed by friends but they do. These are real heartaches. The intensity of the pain comes of course from broken expectations themselves but more so from the fact that the hurt was caused by someone from whom we never expected it. Those tears are the pain of love. Over the past two Sundays the gospel reading has talked about the vineyard. Vineyard is an analogy taken from the book of the prophet Isaiah. The vineyard is the people of Israel. Thus, in today’s first reading, God talks about how he made space for a vineyard, cleared the stones in it, planted the choicest vine, put a watchtower, and even put a fence around it to protect the vineyard. Thus, when in the first reading God talks about either letting the vineyard go into ruin or the gospel talks about it being handed to others, God may come across as being rather harsh. But really, these readings express pain, tears, sadness … God’s pain, God’s tears, God’s sadness. These readings are about shattered expectations. Just as a farmer would expect the finest grapes from his vineyard, God expected from his people the fruit of a faithful, steadfast, loving, and just nation.

Is it wrong for God to expect good fruit from his people? Is it wrong for a parent to expect goodness out of their children? Is it wrong for married partners to expect fidelity from each other? Is it wrong for the farmer to expect good fruits out of his farm? Is it wrong for God to expect acceptance and commitment from his very own? God did everything for his people; he gave them a land, he personally cared for them, protected them, and he send prophets to guide them. He even sent his own Son to die for them. But they bore fruits of infidelity, of betrayal, of injustice, of exploitation and of hatred. The readings, then, expresses God’s disappointment. These words express the pain of love. They are the tears and the heartache of rejection and shattered expectations.
Let me offer three practical implications from today’s readings:

a) God’s rejection continues in today’s world. Think of the “blasphemy challenge” that I spoke about a couple of weeks back. Young people are being challenged on YouTube to blaspheme God. This book by Bart Ehrman God’s Problem, has become a best-seller. There is a documentary by Bill Mahr (talk show host) and Larry Charles that is released this week called Religulous. All these efforts contain stunning and brilliantly crafted arguments for the rejection of God. In today’s world it will us take more than just good will to continue to believe. This is the kind of world where we will be called to bear extraordinary witness to our faith. It certainly has made me look at my relationship with God and ask myself, “Why do I believe in God?” If we have to give a witness to our faith what will we say? If we were called to defend our faith how will we do it meaningfully? This week let us spend some time reflecting upon our relationship with God.

b) Note that I said we must strengthen our “relationship” with God. Today’s readings make us look at our faith as a “relationship.” Only where there is a loving relationship are there serious expectations. Faith is not just about doing good deeds, just about resisting evil or even just about finding meaning. Faith is about a relationship. Faith is about a love relationship with God. It is like marriage, parenthood, or friendship. Today we must examine the most basic aspect of our faith – our relationship with God. God’s expectation of us and our expectation of God can only be viewed in the context of a relationship.

c) St Paul, in today’s second reading suggests an excellent way in which we can bear good fruit in God’s vineyard. He says, “Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things” (Phil 4:8). Here then is a good way to be godly – to produce good fruit. To be true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and gracious is the best fruit we can bear. Our actions are where our faith interacts with the world. Let the fruits we bear give witness to the God we love and believe in.

Let me conclude by saying that this gathering is like a vineyard. Christ himself comes to us like he came to his people two thousand years ago. Today, we will not reject Jesus. Today, we will not shatter God’s expectations. We will receive Christ and then bear good fruit in our own lives so that this vineyard will become what God expects us to be - true, honorable, just, pure, lovely and gracious. Amen.

- Fr. Satish Joseph