Our lives are not our own

OUR LIVES ARE NOT OUR OWN

Is. 5:1-7 & Mt. 21:33-43

The first and third readings of today’s Mass fill me with sadness.  It tells of a loving, caring God who gave His all, even His only Son Jesus, to a nation He had chosen for Himself and all He received in return was ingratitude.

For ten years I gave retreats to the girls of a Notre Dame school at Everton, Liverpool, and of the many songs I sang to the girls, their favourite, was called ‘The Vineyard’.  When you read the words of the song you will appreciate why this song was the girls’ favourite.  These are the words:

I’ll sing of a vineyard upon a hill in a fruitful land.

My beloved it was to tend and to till with his own sweet hand.

A fence he put round it and in rich soil planted vines so choice

The ground would resound with his patient toil and his mirthful voice.

A winepress and tower he built with care while his song was sung.

But when harvest came on the branches there only wild grapes hung.

The world was in blackness and dark the sun as he asked of you

What more for my vineyard could I have done that I did not do.

“I’ll tear down my vineyard,” he cried in pain, “the new hedge I’ll burn

Where grapes will not grow there’ll be thorns again and no rain return.”

“O Israel, my darling,” the owner said, “you have pierced me through,

For I am the Lord you promised to wed and that vine is you.”

From the first reading and the song we see that the vineyard owner is God who lovingly cared for it.  He couldn’t wait to harvest a bumper crop.  How distressed He was when He found that His crop only produced sour, wild grapes!

In the Gospel, Matthew has Jesus talking to the chief priests and elders of the people who were supposed to be in charge of His vineyard, in other words, in charge of God’s people.  They led them astray and were neglectful of the orphans, widows, the homeless and the hungry.  The servants God sent to collect the produce of the harvest were the succession of the prophets.  They were sent to help the people turn back to God.  They would not listen to them, nor heed their warnings.  They maltreated them and even killed them.  Finally, God sent His only Son and heir to them.  Perhaps they would show Him some respect.  Instead He got the same treatment of the prophets and was killed.  When the chief priest realized that Jesus had addressed this story to them, they were furious.

We could be smug and think what has this reading to do with us?  That it has no relevance for us.  We would be very wrong because this story of unrequited love tells us about God’s dealing with His people through every age and it does have a message for us.

Each one of us is a tenant farmer and each one is answerable to God for their lives.  It would be foolish to think otherwise.  We own nothing.  We have to thank God for the very next breath of air we breathe and for our very next heartbeat.  We are all answerable to God for each and every action we do.

How many of us take great care of our appearance, the clothes we wear, the homes we live in, the car we drive, the holidays we go on and our standing in the community?  We’ll read magazines about fashion, food and weight loss.  But how diligent are we in improving our relationship with God?  When we come to meet our Maker will He be interested in all these things we have pursued?  Or will He want to know about our relationship with Him and our neighbour?  How much we have loved Him and helped to feed the hungry and clothed the naked and welcome the stranger?  How did we got on with our neighbours?  Were we loving, peaceful and forgiving to our enemies?

The readings make it clear that we are the tenants in the Lord’s vineyard and are answerable to Him.  We are expected to lead exemplary, unselfish lives and to leave the world a better place than we found it. 

Lord Jesus, the readings challenge us to take stock of our lives and not be complacent.  May none of us disappoint You and waste the good things You have given us but lead fruitful lives and bring forth a rich harvest.

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