Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A 2023

Title

Acknowledging reality, focusing on the good

Outline

There are two basic extremes that are both unhelpful

There is the pessimist is so focuses on dark possibilities that their lives become dark - all is doom and gloom, including the future of the Church and the future of those whom he, perhaps rightly, critiques

The is the optimist who believes that every day in every way we or the Church are getting better and better. The future is rosy. There are no dark clouds.

But the scriptures have another balance. See the real probability of judgment and warn others as God calls you, but in general focus on the goodness of God, our Lord, and our Lady and live in hope and joy (not necessarily happiness) not just with respect to oneself, but also with respect to others.

This is the purpose of Isaiah chapter five

He describes all the good things God has done for his “vineyard” and draws “the people of Judah” into seeing the fairness and near-inevitability of judgment, but he does it so that, having become aware of God’s goodness and love they will be drawn to repentance and an unbelievable restoration and good future will result.

This is the purpose of the parable of the vineyard

It is built on Isaiah chapter 5 and its purpose is to note the good that God did and wanted to do to his vineyard and its tenants and his extreme patience in sending more servants even when the first are rejected and persecuted. But Jesus gets his hearers to condemn themselves. Yet his warning that “the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit,” which could come to even segments of the Catholic Church today, is at root positive: there will be a people God blesses and his hope is that those who think of themselves as his people will, “if the shoe fits,” yet repent so that, unlikely as it may seem, they are among the kingdom people.

Finally we have Paul in Philippians

Paul has acknowledged many negative things in the earlier chapters, suffering and sickness and hardships. But having acknowledged them he now turns to guiding the people forward. “Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” One does not deny the negative realities but sets aside the anxiety about them for prayer, a prayer that is full of thanksgiving for real goods given by God. That will bring the peace of God.

He has not denied many evils in the world and even in the Church (Euodia and Syntyche seem to have a conflict). But we should choose what we dwell on: “whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” Then the God of peace will be with us.

Sisters, this challenges me and perhaps challenges you

There are problems in our families, in our communities, and in our Church - I only have to mention Synod on Synodality. We should acknowledge the issues, recognize the dangers, and use that to inform our prayers - we take the issues to and leave them with the One who is indeed sovereign.

But we must take control of our thoughts, reject the whisperings of demons and indeed, “if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things.” That is why adoration and other forms of contemplation are so important even if it may take wrenching effort or a crying out to God for the ability to focus on him who is all good.

I have been trying to cut off some of the negative news feeds from my devices and am trying to find that balance where I know enough to be a helpful advisor to my family and believing friends but keep the awareness of evil low enough that my core focus is on Jesus and his mother, who give my life a tone of hope, expectation, and joy.

Readings

Catholic Daily Readings 10-8-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

FIRST READING

Isaiah 5:1–7

1 Now let me sing of my friend,

my beloved’s song about his vineyard.

My friend had a vineyard

on a fertile hillside;

2 He spaded it, cleared it of stones,

and planted the choicest vines;

Within it he built a watchtower,

and hewed out a wine press.

Then he waited for the crop of grapes,

but it yielded rotten grapes.

3 Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem, people of Judah,

judge between me and my vineyard:

4 What more could be done for my vineyard

that I did not do?

Why, when I waited for the crop of grapes,

did it yield rotten grapes?

5 Now, I will let you know

what I am going to do to my vineyard:

Take away its hedge, give it to grazing,

break through its wall, let it be trampled!

6 Yes, I will make it a ruin:

it shall not be pruned or hoed,

but will be overgrown with thorns and briers;

I will command the clouds

not to rain upon it.

7 The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,

the people of Judah, his cherished plant;

He waited for judgment, but see, bloodshed!

for justice, but hark, the outcry!

Catholic Daily Readings 10-8-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

RESPONSE

Isaiah 5:7a

7 The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,

the people of Judah, his cherished plant;

He waited for judgment, but see, bloodshed!

for justice, but hark, the outcry!

PSALM

Psalm 80:9, 12–16, 19–20

9 You brought a vine out of Egypt;

you drove out nations and planted it.

12 It sent out its boughs as far as the sea,

its shoots as far as the river.

13 Why have you broken down its walls,

so that all who pass along the way pluck its fruit?

14 The boar from the forest strips the vine;

the beast of the field feeds upon it.

15 Turn back again, God of hosts;

look down from heaven and see;

Visit this vine,

16 the stock your right hand has planted,

and the son whom you made strong for yourself.

19 Then we will not withdraw from you;

revive us, and we will call on your name.

20 LORD God of hosts, restore us;

light up your face and we shall be saved.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-8-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SECOND READING

Philippians 4:6–9

6 Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. 7 Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

8 Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. 9 Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.

Catholic Daily Readings 10-8-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION

John 15:16

16 It was not you who chose me, but I who chose you and appointed you to go and bear fruit that will remain, so that whatever you ask the Father in my name he may give you.

GOSPEL

Matthew 21:33–43

33 “Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. 34 When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. 35 But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. 36 Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. 37 Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’ 38 But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’ 39  They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. 40 What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?” 41 They answered him, “He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times.” 42  Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected

has become the cornerstone;

by the Lord has this been done,

and it is wonderful in our eyes’?

43 Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.

Notes

Catholic Daily Readings 10-8-2023: Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time

SUNDAY, OCTOBER 8, 2023 | ORDINARY TIME

TWENTY-SEVENTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

YEAR A | ROMAN MISSAL | LECTIONARY

First Reading Isaiah 5:1–7

Response Isaiah 5:7a

Psalm Psalm 80:9, 12–16, 19–20

Second Reading Philippians 4:6–9

Gospel Acclamation John 15:16

Gospel Matthew 21:33–43

GREEN