My friend believes the world is crazy. He watches the
24-hour news outlets with great fear and anxiety. He tends to worry a lot,
maybe with good reason, since 2020 has been crazy. I tell him the world has always been crazy,
we just need to read world history again. I quote St. Padre Pio to him: “Pray,
Hope and don’t worry. Worry is useless. God is merciful and will hear your
prayers.”
It’s a mad, mad, mad, mad world! The world was mad 2,000
years ago with violence, killings and murders. We didn’t have CNN or MSNBC news
showing us riots, looters and violence on TV. We had only the bible to read, the
bible can be disturbing, even downright scary. Do not read Revelations on a
stormy Friday night. I think at times, I
can get caught up with the news cycles, social media and gossip. I lose sight
with the plans that God has for me. I recognize, I need to trust more, be
patience with people and believe in God’s plan. Trust and patience can come
with great sacrifice.
The Gospel of Matthew 24-33, provides us with a variation on
the theme of vineyard that is violent, tense and threatening. God has entrusted
the care of His vineyard, His people to the tenants. It’s great that the lord
is prepared to risk placing His work in the hands of sinners such as ourselves!
When God sends stewards to collect the grape harvest, the tenants, wanting to
take the vineyard for themselves, beat up the stewards and kill others. Are we
surprised about the violence in this Gospel reading? I’m not! Many Saints have
lost their lives in their journey for God. John the Baptist, Thomas More, Edith Stein and
Thomas Becket, to name a few.
It amazes me, how the people/tenants treat the prophets,
whom God had sent. Showing unbelievable patience, God, sent His Son as His
representative, thinking the tenants would welcome Him. But instead, they
mocked Him, scourged Him and crucified Him. This parable is a powerful indictment
of the leaders to whom God had entrusted His people.
However, not even the crucifixion of God’s Son could thwart
the plans that God has for us. Instead, God will ask you and I a basic
question. How do we carry out the responsibilities God has given to each of us?
Do wear bear the fruits of loving and serving God in this crazy world? Or do we go along with this mad, mad, mad world that we live in.
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