The Second Friday of Lent

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.

God the Father constantly sends His Beloved Son into our lives to plead with us for the harvest of the good fruit we owe Him. He has given us all the goods we have and in return He asks us to produce a harvest of holy thoughts, words, and works. And if we respect what Jesus Christ has done for us through his life, death, and resurrection, then we will bear good fruits. However, if we are like the tenants in today’s gospel and put our own selfishness above obedience to the God who gave us everything, then we shall perish in sin. This is why it is important to cultivate humble spirits so that when the temptation to see ourselves more worthy than others, we shall be able to set aside our pride and remember that God is master of all our lives.

Do we respect Christ? If so, then how do we show it in our dealings with Him and others? Do we spend time each day cultivating humble spirits so that they will obey you and produce good fruit?

O Lord, we respect you, help us to produce a holy harvest.

Amen.