Author: admin

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Gospel: Matthew 21: 33-46

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“”Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?””
They answered him,
“”He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.””
Jesus said to them, “”Did you never read in the Scriptures:

The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?

Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.””
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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One of the most common teaching techniques Christ uses in the Gospels is parables. There are nearly forty of them in all. 

Today’s parable is undoubtedly directed at the religious authorities of his day, whom Christ accuses of being serpentine stewards, wasting God’s grace and misleading his people.

In the parable, God is the owner; Israel is the vineyard; the servants are the prophets; and Jesus is the Son whom they will kill.

This is not only one of the most direct claims Christ makes about his identity as the Son of God, but also a clear prediction of his Passion and death.

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But what, exactly, does this parable say about God? And what does it mean for us?

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God is not a micro-manager. In the parable, God does not force himself upon the tenants of his vineyard; rather, he allows them to use – even misuse – their freedom for a time. But, in the end, he returns, holding each person accountable.

Similarly, God allows us to use – even misuse – our freedom for a time. But Christ warns us that we shall all be held accountable on the day of judgment, which begs the question:

What are we stewards of? What will we held accountable for?

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Most immediately, we are stewards of our body. As Saint Paul says, “I beg you, brothers and sisters, by the mercy of God to offer your body as a living sacrifice, holy and pleasing to God” (Romans 12:1). We care for our bodies because they are temples of the Holy Spirit.

We also stewards of our families. God holds us responsible for raising our children in the faith, as well as teaching them how to live virtuous lives.

We are stewards of this parish. We are responsible for cultivating it and making it grow.

We are stewards of this earth – as well as for all who call it home, including the poor, naked, hungry, persecuted, and forgotten.

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Lent is the perfect time for us to contemplate what type of steward we are of God’s grace and creation, particularly through the lens of prayer, fasting, and almsgiving.

So, what kind of steward am I?

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Image credits: (1) Getty Images, Crosswalk.com (2) JW.org. (3) Kamloops Full Gospel Tabernacle, Facebook

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Gospel: Luke 16:19-31

Jesus said to the Pharisees:
“There was a rich man who dressed in purple garments and fine linen
and dined sumptuously each day.
And lying at his door was a poor man named Lazarus, covered with sores,
who would gladly have eaten his fill of the scraps
that fell from the rich man’s table.
Dogs even used to come and lick his sores.
When the poor man died,
he was carried away by angels to the bosom of Abraham.
The rich man also died and was buried,
and from the netherworld, where he was in torment,
he raised his eyes and saw Abraham far off
and Lazarus at his side.
And he cried out, ‘Father Abraham, have pity on me.
Send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue,
for I am suffering torment in these flames.’
Abraham replied, ‘My child,
remember that you received what was good during your lifetime
while Lazarus likewise received what was bad;
but now he is comforted here, whereas you are tormented.
Moreover, between us and you a great chasm is established
to prevent anyone from crossing
who might wish to go from our side to yours
or from your side to ours.’
He said, ‘Then I beg you, father, send him
to my father’s house,
for I have five brothers, so that he may warn them,
lest they too come to this place of torment.’
But Abraham replied, ‘They have Moses and the prophets.
Let them listen to them.’
He said, ‘Oh no, father Abraham,
but if someone from the dead goes to them, they will repent.’
Then Abraham said,
‘If they will not listen to Moses and the prophets,
neither will they be persuaded
if someone should rise from the dead.'”

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Jesus does not condemn this man for being rich; wealth is not a sin. Jesus condemns him for being selfish.

Whereas the rich man dressed in fine purple linen, feasted daily at his home, and guarded his property with a rod-iron fence, Lazarus was a poor cripple covered in sores. 

The only creatures willing to make contact with him were dogs licking his wounds, adding insult to injury.

In fact, the rich man doesn’t even acknowledge Lazarus until they are both dead. In stunning irony from the depths of the netherworld, the rich man calls upon Lazarus to be his servant, maintaining his sense of superiority.

“Father Abraham,” the man cries out from the flames, “send Lazarus to dip the tip of his finger in water and cool my tongue.” 

Have the fires of Hades taught this foolish man nothing? 

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Since the rich man preferred to separate himself from Lazarus in this life, the stakes are raised in eternity. As the Lord describes, “Between us and you a great chasm is established to prevent anyone from crossing.”

Lazarus, on the other hand, was abandoned by humanity in this life, but God comes to his aid in death, granting him the unmerited gift of eternal life. 

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So, what might this parable mean for us?

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Perhaps two things. First, we all bear some sense of responsibility for the wellbeing of our neighbors, which we are reminded of in Lent.

Secondly, we shall live in eternity the way we have lived here on earth, either in harmony with God and his creation, or separated.

Based upon my actions, what might it look like for me?

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Image credits: (1) MIT Press Reader (2) Illustration of Lazarus at the Rich Man’s Gate, Fyodr Bronnikov (3) BibleLyfe.com

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Gospel: Matthew 1: 16-24

Jacob was the father of Joseph, the husband of Mary.
Of her was born Jesus who is called the Christ.

Now this is how the birth of Jesus Christ came about.
When his mother Mary was betrothed to Joseph,
but before they lived together,
she was found with child through the Holy Spirit.
Joseph her husband, since he was a righteous man,
yet unwilling to expose her to shame,
decided to divorce her quietly.
Such was his intention when, behold,
the angel of the Lord appeared to him in a dream and said,
“Joseph, son of David,
do not be afraid to take Mary your wife into your home.
For it is through the Holy Spirit
that this child has been conceived in her.
She will bear a son and you are to name him Jesus,
because he will save his people from their sins.”
When Joseph awoke,
he did as the angel of the Lord had commanded him
and took his wife into his home.

The Gospel of the Lord.

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Today’s Gospel provides some of the clearest insights we have into the heart of Saint Joseph.

The passage begins with shock. Mary, Joseph’s bride-to-be, is found with child and Joseph knows he is not the father. Imagine his immediate reaction, that the woman whom he loved and trusted has seemingly betrayed him in a profoundly intimate way.

Though virtuous, Joseph is only human. I’d imagine after hearing the news, he cried out to God as many of us would: “God, why would you allow this to happen? Do I not pray to you in the Temple? Do I not offer sacrifice? Do I not follow your commands?”

After the initial shock settled in, we see Joseph’s virtue emerge. Although the Law permits him to have Mary stoned, he decides not to expose her to public shame, rather to divorce her quietly. 

Such a gentle dismissal of his bride-to-be reveals the compassion of a man who must’ve felt betrayed, for he has yet to understand God’s plan.

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Once that plan is revealed, however, we see a deeper dimension of Joseph’s heart.

An angel appears to him in a dream, assuring him that Mary has not been unfaithful to him, that his future has not been ruined, and that his marriage can proceed, only on terms he never imagined.

Suddenly, the darkness breaks. 

This doesn’t mean that Joseph understood the depths of God’s plan – he must’ve had a thousand different questions. But like Mary, Joseph doesn’t require perfect clarity to say “yes” to God’s will.

So, he takes Mary and the Christ-child into his home, revealing that he is, in his heart of hearts, a man of faith and surrender.

His docility to God’s will continues after Christ’s birth as he leads Jesus and Mary into Egypt, then helps to raise the Christ-child into his adolescent years.

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Which of Joseph’s virtues do I try to practice? Compassion? Gentleness? Faith? Surrender?

Or, ideally, all of the above.

Saint Joseph, pray for us.

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Image credits: (1) Saint Joseph with the Infant Jesus, Guido Reni (2) The Annunciation to Saint Joseph, Renata Sedmakova (3) Ibid.