HOMILY: 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
HOMILY: 27TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A
By: Rev Fr Stephen ‘Dayo Osinkoya
HOMILY THEME: Our failure to produce good fruits implies our rejection of God’s care for us.
Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm 80
Philippians 4:6-9
Matthew 21:33-43
On this 27th Sunday in the ordinary time, our liturgy calls our attention to the necessity of bearing good fruits. Our failure to produce good fruits implies our rejection of God’s care for us.
Is there anyone here today who feels he has not been cared for, protected and blessed by God? We may argue that God has not done as much as we expect of Him, but believe if, there are a whole lot of people out there who are praying just to have a taste of what you may consider a low state of life. Whether we believe it or not, we are God’s precious vineyard and He has taken His time to prepare us, to shape us and to establish us- in form of the daily blessings, favours and protection that we enjoy freely from Him. But what is our attitude to all that the Lord has done for us? It is REJECTION!
We may not want to admit it, but many times we reject God. Many times we reject His love and forgiveness and that is rather unfortunate for us. This rejection of God’s love and forgiveness was the cry of Isaiah in the first reading of today. Many of us today, like the Israelites in the days of Isaiah, allow injustice to prevail, we deny truth, promote evil, embrace political and social ideology, rather than the good sense of truthfulness and integrity which St. Paul enjoined on all of us in his letter to the Philippians. (Cf. Phil 4:8)
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On this note of truthfulness and integrity, the gospel passage of today invites us to consider our own response to the love and Grace of God. Instead of us responding positively to our Christian vocation, we keep evil in our hearts, jealousy, hatred and desire for authority, power and human praises. This parable tells us of the consequence of our lack of response to the opportunities (of love and forgiveness) offered by God. “The kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who would produce its fruits” (Mt 21:43) To avoid the kingdom being taken from us therefore, we must show enthusiasm and passion about our Christian vocation – “Fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that id pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise… Then the God of peace will be with you.” (Phil 4:8-9)
Beloved in Christ, let us cast off the pride, jealousy and hatred within us and humbly embrace the love and forgiveness of God which transforms us and makes us better Christians. Because without the love of God, our lives shall be like the vineyard which the lord has broken down its walls, which is plucked by all who pass by, ravaged by the boar of the forest, devoured by the beasts of the field. (Cf. Is. 5:5-6 and Ps. 80:12-13). This means, if the Lord should take His care and protection off us, we become vulnerable to the assault of the evil ones. May the love and protection of the Almighty God remain ever sure over us. Amen!
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