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TWENTY SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME Isaiah 5:1‑7 1. The story of the Vineyard, is a popular song in the folklore of Isaiah’s day. More or less like “Old Macdonald had a farm.” It was sung at village festivals. However, unlike the Macdonald’s Farm, the Vineyard Song had a twist in the tail. The last verse takes a common village song and makes it an indictment on the People of Israel for failing to live up to the covenantal promises. However, this segment from Isaiah is read this Sunday mainly to introduce the theme of the Vineyard which we listen to in the Gospel.
2. In the Gospel, the original story of the Vineyard as told by Jesus has taken on several coatings before it came down to be written in the Matthean Gospel. A long time before the Landlord sends his son, the Landlord sends the messengers. These are just Single Messengers. There is no suggestion that they should be identified with Old Testament Prophets. The parable simply concludes with Tenants who were not worthy - but who would do anything to keep the Vineyard. In the original form it is not an Indictment on the “unworthy tenants.” It is rather a back handed compliment. This is very similar to the Parable of the Unjust Judge and the Unjust Steward. Those parables were difficult to explain. The underlying theme is that the “Just” in the Kingdom of God, should use as much effort and ingenuity in seeking the Kingdom as these: the Judge, the Steward and now the Tenants use to get their own Goals. As a result in the first version of the Parable, there was no Christological overtones. The Son was not sent as a precursor, a forerunner of Jesus Christ. The emphasis was on the Efforts and energy of the unworthy tenants. Jesus draws a surprising lesson from an utterly discreditable piece of human behaviour . You must be equally determined and work equally hard to get the Kingdom of God. 3. It was very simple for the EarlyChurch to put a moral on that story just like we do with Hurricane Katrina and Rita today. Today we speak of the floods as signs of the end times. The destruction as a punishment for our sins just like in the case of Sodom and Gomorrah. The fundamentalists are having a field day. And so in the EarlyChurch, the evangelists put a new spin on the Parable to meet the needs of their own time. the Vineyard was the Kingdom of God the Messengers were the Prophets of the Old Testament the vinedressers or tenants were the Scribes, Pharisees, the Leaders. the son was Jesus Christ, who was put to death: scourged and Crucified. 4. Although we need not be as literal as the fundamentalists, putting on a meaning in our present times to the Story of the Vineyard is not wrong. We have to apply the moral of the parable to our own situations in the Community, the Parish in which we live. At this Mass where we mandate and commission those involved in the education of our children, I see the Vineyard as our children... You as teachers are the tenants responsible for the most treasured possessions of our families, our parish community. In the last four years that I have worked here, I have seen you do a magnificent job with our children. In the words of Fr. Bill Addley, you have been A double plus. the children are respectful and courteous the children have shown themselves as being resourceful and apply themselves to their studies and sports. the children are conscious of others who are not so fortunate as themselves. They have been involved in Building Wells project, now in building a school in Haiti - and they are selling the traditional blue wrist bands with Our Lady of Lourdes on their hands. Your challenge as Teachers - I use that to include everyone from the Principal to the Caretaker, the Secretaries to the Special Ed Teachers. As I see it you are face with a few challenges. 1. In the world that is becoming more and more secularised, how do you teach Christian values and principals. How do you present the Christian Message. 2. There is a stress on the Individual rights of a person, which impacts on the Common Good. How do we manage to make them realise that when they say “It is my right” - there is also, “It is my responsibility” that goes along. 3. There is a gradual disintegration of Community and Society structures. As a result you are getting less support from the Society and the Church - How do you keep up your spirits, when sometimes you think you have to do it alone. 4. A Spiritual lifestyle and spiritual Balance is being challenged by an attractive Package of Sports, Entertainment and Sunday shopping. How do you bring in the Spiritual Dimension into our Catholic Schools. But I am confident that you have both the talent and the Resourcefulness as individuals and as a Staff to meet these challenges. And so as Jesus mandated his Apostles to Go out and preach the good News, we as a Family whose children you educate, we as a Church community whose children attend this parish... we too mandate you to bring the Good News to our children. Let me end with a story told by one of our Inner City School teachers. She was going to pick up a Video at Block Busters, when she noticed a thin, scrawny girl outside the store. It was a girl from her class. She was just going to approach her when she noticed the girl and her mother were selling crocheted toilet roll covers - to make ends meet. Here it was nine at night. And the teacher knew that the child had a ton of homework to complete. The teacher was outraged that this girl had to live in a world that dictated such harsh circumstances of life. She remembered a song by Alexandra Guzman.
Teachers that is all we are asking you to do: Lend a Hand. You have an opportunity to make a difference You can affect their lives positively You can stir up endless thirst for learning You can make them reach for the stars JUST DO IT. |
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