WHAT FRUIT ARE YOU BEARING?
Homily for the Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A Fr. Ugochukwu Ugwoke, ISch Isaiah 5:1-7; Philippians 4:6-9; Matthew 21:33-43 There is something striking about the imagery of a vineyard which runs through the readings of this Sunday. In the Gospel passage of last Sunday, Jesus spoke about two sons whom their father sent to work in the vineyard. Today, he speaks about tenants entrusted with a vineyard. The question therefore continues to be about what we do with what God has entrusted to us. In Isaiah, God is presented as the owner of a vineyard who has done everything necessary for it to flourish. He cleared the land, planted the choicest vines, built a watchtower and prepared a winepress. Naturally, he expected good grapes. Instead, the vineyard produced wild grapes (Is 5:1-4). Isaiah then reveals the meaning of the image. “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel” (Is 5:7). God had cared for his people, but he expected their lives to produce justice and r...
