‘The peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts in Christ Jesus’
The Season of Creation draws to a close today on the Feast of St Francis of Assisi. It is fitting that throughout this Sunday’s readings, the vineyard is used as a way of illustrating our relationship with God.
Isaiah (First Reading) uses a song of love to describe how God cares and protects us, his precious vines. Although we remain rooted in that love, we may not always produce the fruit of God’s love.
The Psalm uses the same vineyard imagery. It is a song of repentance and longing to return to God’s protection.
In the Gospel, Jesus uses the image of the vineyard to illustrate how God’s radical message of love, professed by ancient prophets and by himself, has been ignored and rejected. Despite this, Jesus can confidently proclaim the truth: that what people have ignored will become the foundation of a new covenant of love.
Paul’s letter to the Philippians (Second Reading) assures us that through prayer and thanksgiving we need not be afraid, because our hearts and minds are guarded in Christ Jesus. We will bear good fruit when we set our hearts on what is true, honourable, just, pure and lovely in the Lord.
May Christ Jesus, who forever guards our hearts and sustains us in his love, give us the courage and strength to lead lives centred on truth, justice, peace and compassion for all.
