Part 1 of 2
Daily Office Readings for Sunday of Proper 22: Year 2:
Psalm 118;and Psalm 145; Hosea 13:4 to 14; 1 Cor. 2:6 to 16; Matthew. 14:1 to12
“None of the rulers of this age understood this; for if they had, they would not have crucified the Lord of glory.” (1 Corinthians 2:8)
Paul, in his first letter to the Church in Corinth, suggests that given certain knowledge before hand, they would not have crucified our Lord Jesus. There are theologians who say that the Crucifixion of Jesus was destined from before time. I am not on board with that. I do believe that God Incarnate, in Christ Jesus, would live as a human being and eventually die as a human being. This was God’s way of experiencing what it means to be human and to model for us how to live in harmony with one another. Yes, if we understood, (maybe),we would not have crucified the Lord of glory.
Part 2 of 2
New Testament Eucharistic Readings for Sunday of Proper 22: Year A
Philippians 3:4b-14 Matthew 21:33-46
“Jesus said, “Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country.”” (Matthew 21:33)
We are the tenants of this earth today. The Creator has done everything for us already. All we have to do is monitor it and keep it in ecological and spiritual balance with the rest of nature on earth. Jesus told this parable against the chief priests and the Pharisees by saying that the Hebrew people tried to hijack what is rightfully God’s. These religious leaders began to put themselves in the place of God and putting their own needs and desires ahead of God’s will for the believers.
God has built a vineyard of faith whereby we may grow the fruits of love for God and for one another. It is so important for us to understand that we are tenants here on this earth and in this earthly life. The Owner of this vineyard is coming to see what we have grown. Will our children have faith? Faith is the real fruit that God will be looking for. If we live our lives fully believing that we are not the owner of anything, including our own lives, we will begin to see the value of living for the health and welfare of the other; like St Francis of Assisi, who we remember this day. Francis devoted his life to “Lady Poverty.” Not many of us are this devoted to not owning stuff. But Francis is a good example to follow as he himself followed the Gospel of God in Christ Jesus.
Let us hear what the Spirit is saying to, and through, the saints of God, and then ponder anew what the Almighty can do. John
onewhoponders 