Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

“This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.” In today’s Gospel reading (Matthew 21:33-45), we hear the parable about the wicked tenants. The householder built the perfect vineyard with everything the tenants needed. The householder “planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a wine press in it, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country.” When the fruit was ready, the householder sent his servants to get the fruit. How did the tenants repay him? “The tenants took his servants and beat one, killed another, and stoned another.” The householder sent more servants and they did the same to them. Finally, he decided to send his son. Surely they wouldn’t do anything to his son. When his son arrived the tenants said, “This is the heir; come, let us kill him and have his inheritance.” God did the same for us. He created the perfect world and he gave us everything we needed to survive. He gave us food, shelter and sent profits to aid in our spirituality. How did we respond to his love and charity? We killed the messenger. Finally He sent us His only Son to save us from our wickedness. Again, we killed the messenger.

God is so generous to us. He provides everything we need to survive. No matter how many times we shoot the messenger, He forgives us and calls us back to His arms. The parable tells us that God has unlimited mercy. God loves us so much that He gives us absolute freedom over our lives. We are free to choose our actions which may be in direct conflict with that of God. Our God is very patient with us. Every time we fall, he helps us back up and provides a new path for us. However, we must remember, we will all face a final judgment. At some point in our life, our earthly journey will end and we will face God in heaven. Where is it that we want to be? Our actions today are leading us to our final destiny. Are you heading for heaven or hell? Lent is a great time to make a course correction. God sends his son to us every time we receive the Eucharist. He sends the purification we need to cleanse our souls. He provides everything we need in the Eucharist. Do you fully embrace the Eucharist or do you mock the very sacrament you receive?

A Simple Prayer

“Lord, I am not worthy to receive you,

But only say the word and I shall be healed.”

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon