Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Also Read: Mass Readings for 08 October 2023 Homily for 08 October 2023 – Sunday
First Reading: Isaiah 5: 1-7
7 For the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his pleasant planting; he expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard a cry!
The Lord planted a vineyard on a very fertile land. He dug it and cleared it of stones. He planted it with Choice vines and built a watchtower in the midst of it. He also hewed out a wine vat in it. (Vv1-2) Similarly, the Lord planted us in fertile soil – the church, our Christian faith, and our birth into Christian families. He sowed the seeds in us, through our catholic upbringing and the catechism we learned in our formative years. He speaks his Word through the Holy Bible, which is our watch tower too. Yet we seem to bear wild grapes! Could it be, because we didn’t allow His word to prune us? With the storms of life did we just drift further away from him and justify our waywardness in the name of coping up or blending in with the crowd?
The justice he expects of us today could be in the little choices of our daily lives. The harmless addictions, the frivolous gossiping, or the vicious jealousy that we may harbour could well be the bloodshed He sees us commit. Or every time we groan about a certain difficulty/ issue; instead of being grateful for all his blessings; he hears us cry!
Let us realize that the problems we face today are part of the pruning process we need, to produce the fruit that the Good Lord expects of us. Let us turn to our watch tower and be guided on the right path so that we may produce the fruit expected by the Lord. Amen.
Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 80: 9, 12-16, 19-20
14 Turn again, O God of hosts; look down from heaven, and see; have regard for this vine,
15 the stock that your right hand planted.
19 Restore us, O Lord God of hosts; let your face shine, that we may be saved.
Amen.
Second Reading: Philippians 4: 6-9
6 Do not worry about anything, but in everything by prayer and supplication with thanksgiving let your requests be made known to God. 7 And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.
Once we entrust our cares unto the Lord, we develop a calm mind. In this calm mind, the Lord speaks to us, as to the course of action we need to follow. The Peace of Christ Jesus then guards our minds, our hearts, our souls, and our spirits.
In Jesus’ name, Amen.
Gospel: Matthew 21: 33-43
43 Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.
Let us look at what are the fruits of the kingdom. We have just learned from the first reading that justice and righteousness are expected of us. (Isa 5:7) When we pray and make supplications (Phil 4:6-9) with justice and righteousness at the core of our hearts; then we enter the assured peace of the Lord that surpasses all understanding.
But given all this knowledge, if we stubbornly continue to live like the Pharisees -revengeful and jealous; we risk losing the kingdom of God! Let us examine our hearts and strive to produce the fruits of the Kingdom of God.
We can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. (Phil 4:13) Amen.
