26th Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A – September 27th, 2020

This Sunday the Church asks us once again to contemplate the great mystery of God’s justice and mercy. The First Reading from Ezekiel and the Gospel from Matthew have the same overarching message: God sees us as we are, not as we were. As anyone who has turned away from a sinful lifestyle will affirm, it is sometimes extremely difficult to forgive ourselves for past sins. Often we remember our past with such a sense of shame that we feel God could not possibly forgive us – and the situation is compounded by the effects we often still suffer from our sinful choices. But God’s message to us is startlingly simple: “since [a sinner] has turned away from all the sins that he has committed, he shall surely live, he shall not die.” Learning to forgive ourselves is matter of aligning our perspective with God’s, of embracing the unconditional forgiveness and fresh start He offers to any repentant sinner.

In the course of discussing the Gospel, one Sister brought up an interesting question: why does Jesus so often refer to the Kingdom of God as a vineyard? After all, isn’t “kingdom” a complete-enough image in and of itself? As we each offered our thoughts on this topic, we began to see how the vineyard is in fact a beautiful and rich image that adds to our understanding of the Kingdom. There is such a depth of meaning that could be lost on those of us who are more familiar with commercial farming than with the fine art of vine-growing! This image draws out the necessity of work, but not a rushed and stressful work. As one Sister observed, vineyards are often very peaceful places, since the work of pruning, tending, and harvesting is difficult to mechanize; it is more of an art than mere labor. Vineyards, and the wine they produce, are also associated with joy, abundance, beauty, and richness. Finally, the precision needed to properly care for grapevines represents the delicacy and individual care God lavishes on each of our souls – a care we are called to imitate in our ministering to others.

The Second Reading is one particularly precious to Passionists, since it contains the majestic “Christ hymn” so beloved by St. Paul of the Cross. In fact, our Holy Founder decreed that all his religious should recite the final verse of this canticle before each Hour of the Divine Office, so that they could keep ever in mind the primacy of Christ and the glory achieved by His Cross. However, the passage leading up to this hymn is just as important, and one Sister shared some beautiful reflections on how these verses connect with the High Priestly Prayer of Christ in John 17. St. Paul begins with an intensely earnest plea, calling on all the graces and wonders of the Christian life to add emphasis – but what is he pleading for? For the same thing that Christ begged of the Father: unity. Just as Jesus prayed “that My joy may be in you and your joy may be full,” Paul urges the Philippians to “complete my joy.” The Apostle has become so deeply identified with Christ that he shares the same burning desire of His Sacred Heart, a desire for all of humanity to share in the unity of the Trinity.

In post-Reformation Christianity, many of us seem to have lost this passionate longing of Our Lord and His saints. Perhaps we have lost hope in Christ’s prayer “that all may be one, as You, Father, are in Me and I in You.” With such entrenched divisions, it appears rather naïve and foolish to think that we can do anything to solve the problem. But we are not called to solve all the world’s problems ourselves; we are each called to do what we can to slowly heal the wounds in the Body of Christ. Some, it is true, are called to engage in ecumenical dialogue at a high level, working for the reconciliation of whole denominations. However, God asks most of us to make much smaller (but no less important!) contributions to this great work. St. Paul gives some very practical advice on this front: “[be] of the same mind … do nothing out of selfishness … humbly regard others as more important than yourselves, each looking out not for his own interests, but also for those of others.” Within our own families and communities, our practice and witness of charity can have far-reaching effects. And, of course, the power of prayer and sacrifice must never be underestimated. There are entire religious communities, as well as prayer movements (e.g. the Christian Unity Octave) dedicated to imploring the Lord’s mercy and grace to restore the unity so deeply needed in our day. What are the ways in which God is calling you to promote unity in your family, your community, your world?