HOMILY FOR THE TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME YEAR A.
HOMILY THEME: FOLLOWING THE CHRISTIAN WAY
BY: Fr. Benny Tuazon
HOMILY:
(Mt. 22:33-43)
In the day’s Gospel Jesus reveals His mission and fate trough the Parable of the Vineyard. It was not a perfect analogy but the message is clear. God sent His Son to proclaim the Good News of salvation but was rejected and later put to death. The parable was a summary of the story of salvation. Like the master of the vineyard, God sent prophets, judges, and kings in order to invite people to bear fruit and be faithful and responsible stewards. But the tenants became greedy and killed whoever was sent. While it ended tragically, there will be judgment and accountability. In the same way, we will be accountable to God for our lives.
The first reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is another depiction of God’s plan. Isaiah also used a vineyard to show what the Jewish leaders had done. The owner personally worked hard to tend and prepare the vineyard. To his surprise, wild grapes emerged! Isaiah reminded his listeners that the owner was the Lord and the grapes were the Jews. The point was, God made everything well, conducive to maturing to a holy life yet the opposite happened. When we cooperate, we will reap holy graces. When we disobey and resist, we deprive ourselves of grace.
What must we do? St. Paul, in his letter to the Philippians, in the second reading, reminds us to seize every opportunity to do good. He said: “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.
Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.”
The battle against evil is not won by flight or fight. The goal is to win the other. The CHRISTIAN way is flooding the world with goodness. Witnessing to the faith is the most effective way. When Jesus came, He went about preaching and living what He taught. Now, it is still the same.
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