The Fruits of God's Vineyard

I grew up in the Finger Lakes, the heart of wine country.  In late summer, the vines are heavy with dense clusters of grapes.   On the drive down to visit family, I see vineyards on both sides of the road, and every winery packed with people enjoying the fruits of those vines. Can you imagine a vineyard that didn’t share its fruit? As disciples building up God’s “vineyard”, we are asked to share the fruits of our relationship with God with others in our family, in our community, and in our world.

In this week’s gospel, Jesus continues speaking to a group of Pharisees and chief priests, telling the story of a vineyard and the relationship between its owner and his tenants.  Jesus’ audience would have recognized in this parable the images from Isaiah in the Hebrew Scriptures (our Old Testament, and this week's first reading): “the vineyard” is Israel itself, and God, its “Owner.” The Pharisees no doubt recognized themselves as the wicked tenants who refused to listen to God’s messengers or to accept the “cornerstone,” God’s son. God sends us many messengers in the prayers and readings at Mass and through the loving words and actions of our family and friends. Do we open the gates of our vineyard and allow God’s messages to have an impact in our lives? How can we make Christ our “cornerstone?”

One message that resonated with me came through the advice of a veteran parent after the birth of my daughter: my husband and I were invited to think of our daughter as being head over heels in love with us.  From the beginning, we would be the center of her life, her attention focused on us.  Every interaction with us would matter to her.  Later, another messenger helped me to realize that our love and care for our daughter allowed her to accept the love and care of others and shaped her image of a loving and caring God.  When I became a parent, I accepted the role as my daughter’s “cornerstone,” and our relationship would become the foundation on which she would build all the loving relationships in her life.  

God asks us to make Christ the cornerstone of our lives, to allow Christ into the vineyard created for us and to open our hearts and minds to his loving presence.  If we accept that he loves us deeply and completely, and allow him to be the powerful presence in the very center of our lives, Christ’s presence in us will shape our words and actions.  Our relationship with Christ will guide our interactions with others in our lives. The fruits of this relationship are plainly proclaimed in the second reading from Paul’s letter to the Philippians: “the peace of God that surpasses all understanding.” Imagine the impact of sharing God’s peace with your family members.  Imagine the impact of an entire parish community joined in relationship with Christ, tending God’s vineyard together and sharing its fruits.

This past weekend, a team of parishioners and staff traveled to the Diocese of Steubenville to participate in a ChristLife seminar, learning to draw others into the joy of a deeply personal relationship with Jesus. Together we sang and prayed, discussed how to find meaning in our lives.  We came to learn how to accompany others along this journey, and also received the keys to unlock our own transformation. We’re looking forward to sharing our experience in the weeks and months ahead.

Many thanks to my companions on this journey to Discovering Christ: Eric Heinen, Cathy Kamp, Mike Nesbitt, Claudia Reyda, and Ned Sayegh.  Please continue to pray for all of us on the core team as we work and plan to bring ChristLife to the St. Joseph’s community.  For information about ChristLife and about joining our parish core team see our web page at www.sjcpenfield.com/christlife.