TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY – 7^TH /8^TH OCTOBER 2023

Dear Parishioners,

In the Gospel this Sunday we have the story of the landowner and his vineyard. A very profound story. The prophet Isaiah explains in a similar way the care and dedication of the landowner towards his vineyard. In the Gospel, Jesus shows us the dedication of the landowner in the way he supplies the vineyard: the security of a fence, a winepress, and a tower. He trusted that the tenants would produce a good crop. 

His vineyard may be our own life, the life of our family, our Christian community. He places in our hands His vineyard for us to care for it and He helps us to grow and produce fruit.

Picture by Elizabeth Wang

Sometimes we forget that we are not the owners but that we are the ones who have been entrusted to produce fruit. God is the landowner and He hopes that we will produce the necessary fruit.

Today’s Gospel invites us to recognise Him as our landowner. Then we can go to Him asking for help: strength when we need it, hope, comfort, etc… He is the owner and we are the caretakers.

The second reading helps us to understand how we can produce fruit: “There is no need to worry; if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving”. Prayer helps us to produce His fruits, which are love, hope and faith. Our prayer is a relationship with God, with our landowner, with the one who knows us and understands our needs.

Prayer is a journey of getting to know God. When St Paul says “there is no need to worry” I wonder what was his experience of God that made him able to say this? Personally, I trust in God but to be honest, at times I am very worried about so many things. But it is true that I have many experiences where prayer brings me closer to Him and He comforts my worries giving me peace of mind. The problems or difficulties are still there, but I am able to deal with them in a different way. Constantly, He offers us His peace, the peace that St Paul says: “will guard your hearts and your thoughts”. His peace will protect our hearts and our minds. What a generous Landowner we have!

I hope you have a good week.

Anabel Gonzalez, FMVD