Go and Proclaim: Render to God the Fruits Due to Him
First Reading: Isaiah 5: 1-7
Responsorial Psalm: Ps 80: 7-9; 10-11; 12-14
Second Reading: Philippians 3: 17-21
Gospel Reading: Matthew 21: 33-44
GO AND PROCLAIM: RENDER TO GOD THE FRUITS DUE TO HIM (A RECAPITULATION BASED ON THE HOMILY OF +FR. ROMIE JUN PENALOSA)
“God is talking to us everyday, if we only listen. For many things that we are longing for in life can be found in what God is saying to us.”
Happiness and joy is an eternal virtue that only God can fulfill. It is a deep longing of a man’s heart that cannot be satisfied by another person or any material thing the world can offer. Seeking Christ in our life will lead us to fulfillment and satisfaction. We are so busy that we miss out on what God is saying to us. But when we take a pause and have a break, we hear God in solitude and begin to understand that longing we have in life is only in Christ.
The parable in our Gospel reading today speaks so much to us. Life is not a privilege; it is a gift. We need to see this from this perspective. Oftentimes, we think that life is a privilege so we tend to chase and desire things we think we deserve, causing us to be unhappy in our life. But the moment we reflect on our imperfections and weaknesses, our failings and mistakes, the more we appreciate the grace of God in our life. The more we become grateful, the more we become joyful because we no longer see life as a privilege but a gift to enjoy.
Our first reading teaches us that the grace of God in our life doesn’t take away our responsibility to do our part. For the grace of God to be effective, we need to receive it and respond on it. We need to build it from within ourselves, cultivate, and let it blossom.
St. Paul in our second reading encourages us to follow the examples of those who are walking and receiving the grace of God in their life; an attitude we need to cultivate also in our own. Emulate the good examples of these people in order for us not to become enemies of the cross.
The Gospel of Matthew today gives us a reflection of how we should live life. In order for us to bear fruit worthy to be offered to God, we need to deliberately and intentionally live out that Christ-life. As a mission church, we are part of the harvest referred in the parable. But what is the fruit to be harvested? It’s the souls who will be coming to Jesus. God has invested a lot in us, the vineyard, in order to bear good fruit. But do we really bear good fruits?
Seven things we can do when we listen to God that will lead us to bear fruits:
(7 Acts of Mercy)
Feed the hungry
Give drink to the thirsty
Clothe the naked
Give shelter to the traveler
Visit the sick
Visit those in prison
Bury the dead
Our constant refusal to listen to God leads to our rejection of Him. But why reject Him when He has our best interest in His heart?
Remember, the will of God is always for our good. Listen to Him and do what He says. For by doing this, the fruits will just come out from us. Our life is a blessing from God and we are just stewards, therefore we are accountable to God. Let us use it in bringing Christ to others so that we can bring others back to Him.
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