Bearing Fruit for the Kingdom
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
Read this Gospel passage aloud to the family
Matthew 21:33-43 – Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."
(Parent) Reread this part a few times aloud
“the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
(Parent) Read this meditation aloud to the family
To help us understand a part of any story, it helps us to see where this part belongs in the larger story. To better understand this parable, we should see it in context of the whole story. Here Jesus has recently entered Jerusalem triumphantly accepting the shouts of a large crowd declaring Him the king. Then He goes to the Temple, and instead making a scene declaring opposition to the Romans (as the Jews expected from the Messiah) Jesus makes a scene declaring opposition to some current Jewish practices by overturning tables of money-changers and those selling pigeons for sacrifice. So at this point, the leaders of the Jews are furious and demanding answers. With this parable Jesus is calling these leaders the wicked tenants who were put in charge but have repeatedly failed to obey God’s will, who have repeatedly rejected and killed God’s messengers the prophets, and who soon will kill His very Son. Therefore, Jesus tells them, the kingdom of God will be taken out of their hands and given to others.
God is patient; but He will not be a doormat. God has a will that is perfect, for us and for others. So he expects of us that we would fulfill it, for our sake and for the sake others. If we ignore His will, reject His will, oppose His will…He will be patient, but ultimately He will be decisive. So let’s be very grateful for the many, many chances God has given us… but let’s not be so foolish to think that He will not act definitively and powerfully.
As a family, pray a portion of the Rosary together (very short if children are young) reflecting on the Scripture passage above.(Optional: allow a brief time for discussion or questions from children concerning their thoughts and prayer.)
Reminder for Parents: Pier is just meant to be a jumping off point. The real goal is that you pray & eventually use the fruits of your personal prayer as the content of your family’s prayer. Duc in altum.
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