TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY OF YEAR A
7th/8th October 2017
Day of Prayer for Prisoners and their dependants

Dear Parishioners,

The common theme of today's readings is the necessity of bearing fruit in the Christian life. The readings warn us of the punishment for spiritual sterility, ingratitude and wickedness.

In today's first reading, called "Isaiah's Song of the Vineyard," the prophet describes God's care of, and expectations for, His Chosen People. God's Chosen People failed to bear fruit in spite of the blessings lavished upon them by a loving and forgiving God. Further, they were poor tenants in the Lord's vineyard. Hence, God laments: "I expected My vineyard to yield good grapes. Why did it yield sour ones instead?"

In the Responsorial Psalm Ps 80, the psalmist pleads with God to look down from Heaven and to "take care of this vine," knowing that if any good is to come of the vine, it will be God's doing and not the people's.

In the second reading, Paul tells Philippians about the high expectations he has for them, reminding them that they need to become fruit-producing Christians by praying and giving thanks to God and by practicing justice, purity and graciousness in their lives.

In today's Gospel, Jesus tells an allegorical parable where the landowner is God, the vineyard is Israel, as God's special people, and the tenants are the political and religious leaders of Israel. The story emphasizes the failure of the tenants, the Chosen People of God and their leaders, to produce fruits of righteousness, justice and mercy. Giving a theological explanation of Israel's history of gross ingratitude through the parable, Jesus reminds us Christians that, since we are the "new" Israel, enriched with additional blessings and provisions in the Church, we are expected to show our gratitude to God by bearing fruits of the Kingdom, that is, the Fruits of the Holy Spirit, in our lives.

So let us ask for the blessings to be a good laborer and a good fruit producing vine in the vineyard of the Lord. Let us therefore pray together …

"SEND O LORD: HOLY APOSTLES INTO YOUR CHURCH"

Fr Sabu Pariyadan RCJ

Notices:
Please remember to pray for:

The sick and housebound

Those who have recently died: Flora Noronha

Years Mind:
Sunday: Fr Alfred Clements
Monday: Mike Post, Pope Pius XII
Thursday: Fr John Dempsey, Fr Patrick Malin
Saturday: Mgr Matthias Kearney, Mgr Michael McKenna
Sunday: Denise Murray, Fr Roderick Grant

Next Sunday - TWENTY-EIGHTH SUNDAY OF YEAR A

First Reading: Isaiah 25:6-10
The Lord will prepare a banquet, and will wipe away tears from every cheek.

Second Reading: Philippians 4:12-14,19-20
There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength.

Gospel Matthew 22:1-14
Invite everyone you can find to the wedding.