Quick recap:
1st Reading - More vineyard stories :)
Psalm 80 - The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel
Epistle - Phil 4 - motivational letter from Paul
Gospel -Matthew 21 - A landowner leased out his vineyard before leaving on a journey, and the tenants killed his servants and then his son when they came to collect the produce. In the first reading, we hear God's frustration. His chosen people have turned away, repeatedly. In the Gospel, Jesus highlights the continued behavior of the Jews, who ultimately kill the Son of God. This sets the backdrop for the psalm. In the psalm, we hear God's response to the Old Testament, and we add our plea that God protect this vineyard - us! This is nothing new to God - how many times had Israel sinned and repented? Not to mention us and our current society. Over and over, we beg God for mercy. We must have contrite hearts before God, and belief that our prayers will be heard.
I had a conversation about reconciliation last week with my dad. We talked about what it means to repent, and how we are called to more than simply reciting a list of sins when we have no intention of changing our ways. In the Act of Contrition, we plead with God for the grace to 1 - confess our sins, 2 - do our penance, and 3 - amend our lives. God knows our hearts, and like the psalm, we come before God to show our sorrow for our sinfulness.
Prayer - Lord, thank you for calling me to work in Your vineyard, and for offering me mercy over and over again. Help me to do what is right, so that I may produce a fruitful harvest. When I die, I want to be counted among those who did Your will.
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