Go into the Vineyard

                                      

                                                              

 Deacon Tom writes ©

"Go into the Vineyard"

Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Rachel and I had an exciting weekend (that’s why I am late in getting this out – Mea culpa!).  We were in Chicago with deacons from across the country that are sharing in Maryknoll’s mission work in various ways.  As we gathered, we reflected on the words of Pope Francis in his Apostolic Exhortation, “Evangelii Gaudium, the Joy of the Gospel”. Pope Francis writes “The Church which “goes forth” is a community of missionary disciples who take the first step, who are involved and supportive, who bear fruit and rejoice. An evangelizing community knows that the Lord has taken the initiative, He has loved us first (cf 1 Jn 4:19), and therefore we can move forward, boldly take the initiative, go out to others, seek those who have fallen away, stand at the crossroads and welcome the outcast!”  What a beautiful image for our Church. Pope Francis reminds us that Jesus gave us an image of how this community of disciples should be modeled when He washed the feet of His disciples. We are a community of disciples in service to others.

In our readings today, a father tells each of his two sons to “go work in the vineyard today.”  One says, “Yes” but does not go; the other says “No” but goes. Beyond the routine homily that is common for this reading, there is another fact. That is, both are sent into the field. Our faith, like the sons sent to work in the vineyard, has this notion of being “sent” and Pope Francis is making this point in Evangelii Gaudium. We are all active players in the work of spreading the Joy of the Gospel. There are no passive players, no benchwarmers. Spreading the gospel, being missionaries, and evangelizing – being joyful transmitters of the faith that we believe - is a requirement imposed upon us by our baptism.

Many Catholics resist this notion of being “missionaries” or of being “sent” to engage in “missionary activity.” That is primarily because so many of us have a limited understanding of the word “mission”.  We associate it with going to the far reaches of the earth to preach the faith. True, many have done this – vis-a-vie the Maryknoll Fathers over the past century. But in many ways their experience has led to a better understanding about the nature of mission work… You don’t have to leave you home… Any work that you do to “gossip the gospel” that is, to tell others how the gospel is alive and working in your life, is missionary work. Any effort we do to help a neighbor because of our willingness to be a “servant” as demonstrated by Christ, is missionary work. Any sacrifice we make for others because of our love of God is a sacrifice that makes us a “missionary”.

What we know about mission from the profound writings of recent popes is that the Church doesn’t have a mission; rather, the mission has a Church… So, when Jesus tells his disciples, “Go, make disciples of all nations”, that’s what we are to do… How are we to do that?  As a community of missionary disciples sent out by our Church to whom that mission has been entrusted.

I hope to continue reflecting on this challenging work of Pope Francis.  Please let me know your thoughts.

Enjoy the day and may God bless the work of your hands….

Deacon Tom