Reading I
Is 5:1-7
Let me now sing of
my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a
vineyard on a fertile hillside; 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 looked for the crop of grapes, but what it
yielded was wild grapes.
Now, inhabitants of
Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What
more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I
looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? 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 vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel,
and the people of Judah are his cherished plant; he looked for
judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!
Gospel
Mt 21:33-43
Jesus said to the
chief priests and the elders of the people: "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. When vintage time drew near, he sent his
servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants
seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third
they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the
first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he
sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' 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.’ They seized him,
threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the
owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" 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." 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? 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."
The vocabulary of
violence is prevalent in both the first reading and the gospel.
The prophet Isaiah describes the unproductive vineyard in terms of its
protective hedge and wall being broken through to allow the vines to be
trampled, overgrown with thorns and briers, and without rain. The
passage ends on the note of "bloodshed" and "outcry." This is not
a peaceful picture.
Moving from plants to people, the gospel tells of
servants being seized, beaten, killed and stoned. It speaks of
the landowner's son being captured, thrown out of the vineyard and
killed. This is not a serene scene.
Both of these readings provide an appropriate
context
for an important issue. October is Domestic Violence Prevention
Month. It is time to consider the prevalence of domestic
violence, especially towards women, in our country. The
statistics are mind-boggling. For example:
One of out of every four women
in this country will suffer some kind of violence at the hands of her
husband or boyfriend. A woman is mistreated every fifteen seconds
somewhere in the United States. Six million American women are
beaten each year by husbands or boyfriends, and four thousands of them
are killed. That is many more than the U.S troops killed thus far
in Iraq. Domestic violence is the leading cause of injury to
women between the ages of 15 and 44 in the United States--more than car
accidents, muggings and rapes combined. More than a million
children witness domestic violence annually and thereby become victims
themselves.
Domestic violence,
however, is not confined to physical harm. It also includes
emotional, psychological, spiritual and sexual abuse. One of the
problems inherent in domestic violence is secrecy. The victim is
often threatened with death if the violence is reported to
anyone. Often the abuser convinces the one abused that when the
secret is made known, no one will really believe the abused and no one
will care.
This month of October is not only Domestic Violence
Prevention Month. It is also Respect Life Month. These two themes
are obviously connected. There can be no respect for life as long
as the epidemic of domestic violence is not addressed and every effort
made to bring healing to those who are abused.
This church, moreover, is the best place for all of
us
to renew our dedication to protect and respect the dignity and value of
every human being from conception to death. Here we come together
to hear the words of the Lord and to offer and receive his Body and
Blood. Week after week, even day after day, Jesus reminds us that
he comes to us so that we might have life and have it more abundantly.
He comes to heal us and love us so that we in turn may heal and love
one another.