Texts taken from the “Sulla Tua Parola” Missal September-October 2023

27th Sunday in Ordinary Time (A)
3rd week of the Psalter

FIRST READING

From the book of the prophet Isaiah (Is 5:1-7)
I want to sing for my beloved my love song concerning his vineyard. My beloved had a vineyard on a fertile hill. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with choice vines; in its midst he built a tower and also hewed out a winepress. He expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes. And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard. What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I expected it to yield grapes, did it yield wild grapes? Now I want to make known to you what I am about to do to my vineyard: I will remove its hedge, and it shall be devoured; I will break down its wall, and it shall be trampled down. I will make it a wasteland; it shall not be pruned or hoed, and briers and thorns shall grow there; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. Indeed, the vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are his cherished planting. He expected justice, but saw bloodshed; righteousness, but heard cries of the oppressed. – The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the first reading

This beautiful poetic song clearly expresses the entire history of the relationship between God and the people of Israel. The people are compared to a vineyard directly cared for by its owner, God, who builds everything necessary for its protection and fruitfulness. Through the prophet Isaiah, God expresses the pain of one who has lavished care and love on the chosen people, receiving ingratitude and infidelity in return. The chosen people lose their way amid a series of situations that, instead of helping them grow in love and fidelity to God, draw them ever farther away. The symbolic story of the vineyard is, ultimately, the story of each one of us: how much love and concern does God have for us? Often our response is also the same as that of the people of Israel. Yet reading this passage comforts us because, despite the threats, God shows himself benevolent and ready to forgive us if we return to him with a contrite and humbled heart. Therefore, we must never forget that God’s love surpasses all our infidelity and that we can always begin with him a new story of love and fidelity.

SECOND READING

From the letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Philippians (Phil 4:6-9)
Brothers and sisters, do not be anxious about anything, but in every circumstance make your requests known to God through prayer and supplication with thanksgiving. And the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers and sisters, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is commendable, if there is any virtue and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you! – The word of the Lord.

Commentary on the second reading

In his letters, the Apostle Paul never fails to urge believers to trust. Life always presents difficulties, trials, and sorrows, but amid all these things there is no room for anguish in one who has experienced the Lord’s resurrection. We have a God who is not indifferent to our needs; we need only have the courage and humility to present them to him. When we lack something, why do we not ask God for it? If we are short of joy, peace, patience, and strength, why do we not ask him for them? The observation may seem obvious and self-evident, but certainly many of us ultimately do not do so. For this reason, Saint Paul urges each of us to make known to God everything we need in order to live in joy and peace. Sometimes we will need material means, at other times spiritual gifts, but the substance does not change: whom can we ask for all this, if not the One who is the giver of every good? Therefore, first we should ask, and then remember to give thanks. Generally, we are ready to ask, but not equally ready to give thanks as soon as we have received what we sought.

GOSPEL OF THE DAY

From the Gospel according to Matthew (Mt 21:33-43)
At that time, Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people: «Hear another parable: there was a man who owned a piece of land and planted a vineyard on it. He put a hedge around it, dug a pit for the winepress, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went away. When the time for the harvest drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized the servants, and one they beat, another they killed, and another they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent them his son, saying: “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 have his inheritance.” They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?». They answered him: «He will put those wretched men to a miserable death and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper time». And Jesus said to them: «Have you never read in the Scriptures: “The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes”? Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruits». – The Gospel of the Lord.

Commentary on the Gospel of the day

The parable of the tenants and the owner of the vineyard is a summary of salvation history that Jesus tells those who held authority over the people and had received God’s promise: the chief priests, the scribes, and the elders. Since they are closed to the word of salvation, Jesus tries to unsettle their presumed security with a parable. This story, which begins with a dream of love, then develops into a story of failures, ultimately ending in the victory of love: the cross of Jesus. God brings salvation out of what has been rejected: he saves us through his rejected Son. The path of our redemption is a road on which failures are not absent. Indeed, even the final one, that of the cross, is a scandal; but it is precisely there that love triumphs. Let us not forget this path, even though it is a difficult one. If each of us examines our conscience, we will see how many times we have driven away the prophets, how many times we have driven Jesus away by trying to save ourselves, and how many times we have thought we were in the right! God’s love for his people and for each one of us is manifested in the sacrifice of his Son. It is therefore important, in the story of our lives, to remember that seed of love that God has sown in us.