The gospel for today sets the stage for
Jesus’ death. The parable of the wicked tenants who kill the servants sent to
collect the rent and then the vineyard owner’s son foreshadow the events that
will soon claim Jesus’ life. The message Jesus is conveying is that God’s plans
will not be stifled by those of man. His being rejected by the Jewish
authorities allows a furthering of God’s Kingdom. For… “The stone rejected by the builders will become the cornerstone”.
God’s plan of salvation is mysteriously broadened so that others may join in
the task of bringing about that bountiful harvest the Kingdom of God will
produce.
Jesus showed us by word and example how to
live fruitful lives. As His disciples it is necessary to engage in meaningful
reflection about the quality of our spiritual lives. A question we might ask
ourselves is, “How do we know if we are bearing fruit for the kingdom?” One way
to fathom this out is to set aside a few minutes at the end of the day and
review our day’s activities from a spiritual perspective. This is one of the
many contributions handed down to us from St. Ignatius in his Spiritual
Exercises. It goes like this:
1) Give thanks to God for all that we have.
2) Ask God for the grace to know our sins and to
avoid them in the future.
3) Reflect on the events of the day to see where
we served God or where we have neglected Him.
4) Ask God to pardon our faults.
5) Ask God for the grace to be more like Him.
If we are to form a habit of this simple yet humbling practice, we are
sure to grow spiritually and that growth will produce a harvest worthy of the
kingdom.
As we grow in the love of God, we are able to surrender our thoughts
and desires to Him and allow Him to fill us with His thoughts and desires as
was captured in this prayer from the middle-ages:
God be in my head and in my understanding;
God be in my eyes and in my looking;
God be in my mouth and in my speaking;
God be in my heart and in my thinking;
God be at my end and at my departing.
Amen
May God open our minds and hearts and bless
the work of our hands so that we can advance His Kingdom in our time.
Enjoy the day!
Tom
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