Monthly Archives: September 2014

September 30, 2014

27th Sunday of the Year – At Work in the Vineyard

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

vineyard

Study:  Recall a time when you rejected something you knew was right.  Did you finally swallow your pride and admit it or did you maintain your original rejection?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the wisdom and guidance to choose what is good, holy, and true.

Serve:  Who in your life is facing a difficult or challenging decision right now?  How can you help them?

27th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

In the ancient world there were three plants that were very important:
* wheat — for making bread
* olives — for making oil
* grapes — for making wine

These three foods were central to the diet of the people in the Gospel story. Bread was the staple; it was unleavened and similar to our “pita bread” today. Oil was used for cooking, bathing, cleaning, perfume, and household applications. Wine was the principle alternative to water – and when added to water, the alcohol in the wine insured a certain level of safety.

Vineyards were a common part of people’s experience. Even today the Mediterranean region is filled with vineyards, some small, others massive. Thus, when the Scriptures refer to vineyards, the image was familiar and easily understood.

Keeping a vineyard is hard work! The vines need constant attention: pruning, weeding, watering, and keeping them tied up off the ground. Patient care is required as workers routinely check the health of the plant so as to prevent any disease.

In the Gospel today we hear how a landowner leased his vineyard out to tenants who worked for him. At harvest time he sent his servants to gather his portion of grapes, only to have them rejected and injured. Finally he sent his son who was killed by the tenants.

One way to understand this story is to see the tenants as the people of Israel. They rejected the servants (the Prophets) sent by the landowner (God), and killed the only son (Jesus). Simply put, their work in the vineyard did not yield good fruit; their actions resulted in rejection and death.

But what happens when we place ourselves in the story? What happens when we see ourselves as the servants in the vineyard?

Everyday God sends messengers into our hearts. We know how we should live and offer our lives through many sources: our conscience; friends & family; the Scriptures; the teaching of the Church.

Let’s face it. We work in a different vineyard, the garden of life. We labor as tenants on the Earth, bearing fruit that will one day be harvested by the Owner. May our work in the vineyard be worthy when he calls, and may our reception of his servants show our respect and our love.

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September 23, 2014

26th Sunday of the Year – Words & Actions

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

Trust Quote

Study:  When in your life have actions “shouted down” the words we hear?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the strength to be consistent in what we say and do.

Serve:  How do my words encourage others?  How do my actions show my care and support?

26th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

It seems like there are certain phrases that get said throughout our lives.  These words are commands, invitations, and requests to make things happen – and they come in many forms:

“Take out the trash”
“Clean your room”
“Do the dishes”
“Come to my…” (athletic game, concert, etc.)
“Would you volunteer at…” (pick one!)
“Help me with…”

Let’s face it.  We are asked to do many things throughout this life.  From chores and tasks to acts of kindness and civil responsibility, many of these actions are simply part of our existence on this earth.

Yet once we hear these words we are asked to respond.  This happens in two crucial ways:

* What we say  (our WORDS)
* What we do     (our ACTIONS)

When we are confronted with a request or invitation how we respond says a lot about who we are.  If our words and actions are in agreement everything is fine – “yes” means yes and “no” means no.  But if we say one thing and do another, then the weight of our choice is measured in our actions.

This is the message of the Gospel today.  Jesus speaks of two sons who receive a request from their father.  One says yes but does not act, the other says no but changes his mind and acts.  In the end, the one who acted did his father’s will.

We journey through life confronted by countless choices everyday.  Some things we know should be done, others should not.  Some things are options that could be done; we have to weigh the priorities of our time, energy, ability, and need.  Yet what we discover is that we are defined not by what we say, but by what we do.

As people of faith we have other commands to follow:  Love God; Love one another; Repent and forgive; Work for justice; Seek peace.  Indeed our faith is reflected not in our words but our actions; even the Golden Rule “Do to others as you would have them do to you…” (Mt 7:12) is nothing more than a reminder that actions speak louder than words.

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September 14, 2014

25th Sunday of the Year – Generosity

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

generosity (1)

Study:  How have I reacted in the past when someone I know has been particularly blessed or fortunate?  Am I supportive or jealous?

Pray:  Ask the Lord for the grace and wisdom to celebrate sincerely with others when they have received special gifts or opportunities.

Serve:  How can you support others in their moments of blessing?  How might you be generous with gratitude for another person’s good fortune?

25th Sunday of the Year Readings

Fr. Andrew’s Homily

Consider the following possible situations and scenarios:

  • Your neighbor that you have known for over twenty years has just won the lottery.
  • A high school classmate that you didn’t talk to very much in school makes it big in Hollywood.
  • A relative gets left a hefty sum of money from an old uncle and goes on a long trip around the world.
  • A kid who used to ride your bus to school is now the executive at the company – and is your boss.
  • A fellow employee in another office gets a big bonus for a successfully completed project.
  • Your best friend has the opportunity to have a special audience with the Pope – through a connection with a friend in the Vatican.

All of these scenes have one thing in common: through an encounter with generosity and/or opportunity another individual benefits and possesses rewards that we do not share.

How do we react? How do our attitudes and actions change toward those who have received unexpected (and sometimes unearned) generosity? While I know that I hope that I would be good natured, polite, friendly, and supportive – a part of me echoes with the sentiments of the workers in today’s Gospel.

There is a sense of justice, a feeling that we should get what we deserve that goes against the grain of the message today. The last workers got the same wage, even though they only worked a fraction of the time. It’s not fair!

In reality, the story went beyond fairness. No worker was cheated. No worker was denied a fair and agreeable wage. The Master simply wanted to be generous out of concern and care for others.

The fact is, God is generous to all of us. There are moments when we have fallen short of the Lord’s justice through sin and temptation. Yet like the workers today, we receive God’s generosity even when we have not earned it. May we live accordingly.

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September 7, 2014

The Triumph of the Cross

By Fr. Andrew Ricci

triumph of the Cross

Study:  Reflect on a moment when you encountered real suffering and loss.  Where did you find the strength to continue?

Pray:  Call upon the Lord for the guidance and wisdom to carry on, especially in the midst of difficulty.

Serve:  Perhaps you are called – like Simon of Cyrene – to carry a cross for another.  Who in your life right now could use your help?

Feast of the Triumph of the Cross Readings

How many times throughout our lives have we made the sign of the Cross?  Stop and think:  at Mass; meal prayers; morning & evening prayers; special gatherings; and moments of blessing and grace.  This simple action, which we teach to children at an early age, invokes a connection with the passion of Jesus.

We adorn our homes with the Cross.  A crucifix is a common gift to a new home; they are placed in bedrooms and common areas as a reminder that Jesus is the source of our help and strength.

We adorn ourselves with the Cross in many ways:  a crucifix on a chain; a cross in our pocket; earrings; rings; bracelets; and all the extra cards, bookmarks, figurines, and miscellaneous items that remind us that Jesus died on a Cross.

The Paschal Mystery – the death and resurrection of Christ – speaks to the heart of our  faith.  Out of love for us God sent Jesus, who gave his life on the Cross that we might have eternal life.  Through his suffering and death, we recognize that God has made a pathway possible that we might all journey through this life to the gates of Heaven.

The Cross teaches us many lessons:
* Life is difficult, and at times painful
* Weakness and sin are part of our experience
* God identifies with our pain
* God dies that we might have life

At the core of our teaching the Cross stands as the testament of God’s love for us.  On one hand the Cross is an embarrassment – after all, why would God (all powerful, all knowing, supreme) choose to be humiliated?  Does that not mean that God is weak?  Why could God not take away our sins in a way that showed majesty and splendor?

Yet on the other hand, the Cross is a statement that God meets us where we are in life.  In our weakness, in our humiliation, in our low moments of doubt and sin God comes to us.  Jesus, like us in every way but sin, understands our pain because through his Cross he shares in the suffering of the world.  He knows us, and loves us even more.

Every time we make the sign of the Cross may we recall what the Lord endured for us.  May the Cross be our strength as we trust in God’s love, and may we seek to follow that love as we journey through this life toward the world to come.

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