Friday 2nd week of Lent
"Mt 21:33-43, 45-46"
"There was a householder who planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. When the season of fruit drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants, to get his fruit; and the tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other servants, more than the first; and they did the same to them. Afterward he sent his son to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.' And they took him and cast him out of the vineyard, and killed him."
This is called 'breach of contract'. When God gave them the vineyard, He gave them a mission: to produce grapes. Vineyard and mission came together. The tenants liked the vineyard; it was kitted out with everything they needed to produce fruit. But they rejected their mission. So they decided to keep the vineyard and its fruit for themselves. They didn't want to obey. They preferred to be their own masters, 'appropriating' something that wasn't theirs. The same can happen in our lives. God has given us everything we need to bear fruit. He has given us our lives, our family, our talents, our formation... and our mission. But some love all that so much that instead of being grateful for it, they decide to keep it for themselves: 'It's my life!', they say, 'I do with it what I like.' And they guard it jealously, taking hold of it as a child grasps his ice cream and licks it slowly with a look that says, 'It's mine; only mine!'
But we know that it is not. Life, and all it brings with it, is given by God. We are tenants and have to render fruit. We have been given life, family, friends, talents, formation... but also a mission! That was the problem of the rich young man (Mk 10:17-31), do you remember him? "He went away sorrowful" (v. 22) says the Gospel. He kept his possessions - but lost his joy, his enthusiasm, his mission, his Lord...
"Cast yourself with confidence into the arms of God," recommends St Phillip Neri, "and be very sure of this, that if he wants anything of you he will fit you for your work and give you strength to do it."
