27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time

Matthew 21:33-43
Once again, we find Jesus in provocative form. In another parable addressed to, and firmly directed at, “the chief priests and elders of the people”, he likens these officials to the tenants of a vineyard who not only fail to render the owner his rightful produce, but
who are prepared even to kill the owner’s son in the most unlikely event of them inheriting the vineyard themselves. He even goes as far as to say, “the kingdom of God will be taken from you…” These same people will put this Son to death two days later. Matthew was writing for a community which included many converts from Judaism. Recalling a parable like this, underlines and confirms the wisdom of their choice to abandon the old religion and embrace Christ’s teaching.

Isaiah 5:1-7
This passage is clearly the model for today’s Gospel. Coming from the early chapters of the writings of Isaiah, it was written as a warning to the people to repent of their misdeeds. Having been nurtured by their God, they were expected to produce good fruit. Instead, however, they only manged to produce “wild grapes”. The warning to the people is that, if they do not change and produce what is expected of them, dire consequences will follow. God expected “justice” and “righteousness” but up to this point has only found “bloodshed” and “an outcry”.

Philippians 4:6-9
We are only offered four short passages from this letter for our Second Reading over these weeks, and all too quickly (in this third passage) we find ourselves almost at the closing section. Paul is very happy with the generous response of this community, when called upon to send aid to other communities that were suffering hardship. He delights in the joy that they express, the opposite of which is the anxiety that he talks about in this passage. He sets down his recommendations for attaining the “peace” that they all seek and which only God can provide.

Prayer
“May the peace of Christ, which is beyond all understanding, fill our hearts and minds with the knowledge and love of God the Father. Amen.”

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