Mass Readings
Reading 1 – Isaiah 5:1-7
Psalm – Ps 79:9,12-16,19
Reading 2 – St Paul to Phil 4:6-9
Gospel – Matthew 21:33-43
Reflection
There is a funny and reflective story. It is about a woman who tried to help a victim of a car accident. While doing that, a nurse came and said, “Miss, excuse me. Step back please! I’ve had a course in First Aid, and I am trained in giving CPR!” The woman stepped aside, watched the procedure, then said, “In case you need a doctor, I’m just at your back.” Dear friends, do we recognize God who is behind us or who is in different guise to assist us during our difficult times, especially during this lockdown? As we see in the gospel, he is the stone that the builders rejected and has become the cornerstone. He is the real keystone of our life.
We, people are too confident sometimes that we can live all by ourselves. It is because we think that we have enough health, wealth, and power. It may lead us to forget and reject Christ in our lives as the tenants in the parable. The result of this is that people feel no meaning in their lives and it eventually prompts them to end their lives amid adversity and failures. But remember once we realize and strongly believe that we have Christ with us, we won’t be carried away during the times of difficulties because we will remain hopeful.
We are the tenants of the new vineyard of Christ called the “Church”. We are accountable to the owner of this church by living up to the standard of his people especially when our life is threatened with different calamities and pandemic. At this time, we are not expected to doubt our God’s ways or reject him, instead we are expected to be responsible to God, to the world, to the church, to other people, and to ourselves. We must live productive and meaningful lives, rather being wasted and irresponsible lives. So, to enliven our faith, let us affirm that we are built upon the cornerstone of Jesus Christ. Let him flourish in our lives through the sacraments of the church and let his presence in the sacraments bring us consolation during this time of uncertainty.
Fr Shymon Thekkekalathungal, Assistant Priest