great ordinary happenings

The Word of God is truly piercing the soul, it sends one to reflect and examine himself, how the words strike his heart, how the reading applies, or how it relates, to one’s life. Today’s reading (Isaiah 5:1-7) is about the vineyard owner who got sour grapes instead of the good ones he expected.

“Now, I will let you know
what I mean to do with my vineyard:
take away its hedge, give it to grazing,
break through its wall, let it be trampled!
Yes, I will make it a ruin:
it shall not be pruned or hoed,
but overgrown with thorns and briers;
I will command the clouds
not to send rain upon it.”

The above referred to “the house of Israel”, but for us beloved countrymen, the Philippines is our vineyard, and we Filipinos are the vines. The same as all peoples in the other parts of the world, your particular country is your vineyard, and you are its vine.

The Gospel (Matthew 21:33-43) is about the evil servants, who were trusted with the master’s vineyard, but were overcome by greed, to the point of beating, killing, stoning those sent by the landowner to get his share of the harvest. Jesus ended his teaching by this: The kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and given to people who will produce the proper fruits.”

And so I pray: Lord, help us to be the fruitful vines that we should be, renew our troubled persons! Lord, help each of our country. We pray that You heal our lands!

Let your love be in all peoples’ hearts, oh God! Touch our beings with your all-powerful Hand, fill our spirits with Your all-merciful Presence! In the most mighty name of Jesus, we pray, Amen!

Filed under: Bible sharing, Gospel sharing, prayer, reflections