Homily For Friday Second Week of Lent Year B, 1st March, 2024. HAPPY NEW MONTH

Readings: Gen. 37:3-4.12-13.17-28, Ps. 105, Matt.21:33-43.45-46

Fr. Emmanuel Emenike  Onyia.

 

WHAT IS YOUR ATTITUDE TOWARDS GOD AND HIS VINEYARD?

The relationship between God and humanity has always been described with different stories and parables. This often shows how humanity has always been unfaithful to God who has shown so much love to us. One of such parables and stories is what we have in our readings today.

 

In our Gospel passage, we heard the great parable of a vineyard owner who sent his servants to collect the dues and rents of the tenants whom he had entrusted with the care of the vineyard he leased out to them. But these tenants were wicked and desired to keep everything they gained to themselves, hence they persecuted and killed the servants sent to them. The tenants also killed the son of the vineyard owner, whom he sent to them thinking that the tenants would respect his son.

In the end, the vineyard owner came down himself and dealt with all those wicked tenants, punishing them all for their wickedness and the evil things which they had committed out of greed and ego. They lost everything and were punished justly by the owner. This same attitude we have in our first reading in the despicable act which the brothers of Joseph committed against him in order to end his dream and gain for themselves favour and inheritance.

 

Thus, the parable describes the relationship between God and humanity and how humanity has been summoned for a trial. Here, the owner of the vineyard is God, while the son represents Jesus himself, the Son of God sent into the world to save humanity but was crucified by the same humanity. Again, the vineyard represents the world itself while the wicked tenants represent the ugly attitudes of humanity towards the resources entrusted to us by God.

 

Dear friends, our nation is on a trial before God, for God has presented his case against us today, summoning our blessed land and mountains to act as judge between him and the people of this nation, by reminding us how he has blessed us with so many resource, skills, good weather and people. But we have misused them, neglected his message, and committed a lot of evil and murder,  yet we are still carrying, seeking solutions and signs from God.

 

Today as tenants in God’s vineyard, we are called to change our ugly attitude positively, we should turn away from greed, corruption, pride and ego. If not, we will likely end up like those wicked tenants who acted with such evil against their fellow men and even against the son of their master and were justly punished. Therefore, what God requires from us today is to do justice, to love kindly and to walk humbly with him for our good and the good of others. Remember, It was the stone rejected by the builders that became the cornerstone.

LET US PRAY: Almighty Father, the world is filled with greed, corruption, pride and ego because humanity has often failed to remain faithful and accountable for the things entrusted to us. As we listen to your words today, we ask for your mercy and forgiveness for the time we have failed to be faithful, obedient and accountable for the things you entrusted to us. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. Do have a fruitful Month