Memorial of Saint Justin, Martyr

He had one other to send, a beloved son. He sent him to them last of all, thinking, “They will respect my son.” But those tenants said to one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.”

God the Father sent His beloved Son into the world for us. We are the produce that Jesus comes to claim from the vineyard and there are many in the world who want to keep us from him. He died trying to bring us to His Father and after his Passion, Death, and Resurrection, God sends forth the Holy Spirit to continue Jesus’ work in the world. Jesus may have been rejected, but he has become the cornerstone of our faith and we are called to imitate him through the inspirations of the Holy Spirit. It is through the Holy Spirit that we become the new tenants of the vineyard of the Lord. We are in charge of tending the vineyard of souls and pressing the wine of love, mercy, and grace for our Father. We must beware of the desire to claim this work as our own as the evil tenants before us did. We should be more than willing to offer all our produce to God and keep nothing for ourselves.

Have we thanked Jesus for his sacrifice? How have we undertaken the task of tending the vineyard of souls? Are we humble enough to allow God to take the produce of our good works and use them how He deems fit?

O Lord, we are tenants in your vineyard. Help us to respect and serve you and not ourselves.

Amen.