God's Vineyard

Dear Friends,

This is the third weekend that the Gospel readings have involved vineyards, their management, the way family members understood them, the way they have been used and abused. Yet, what is most valuable to know is that the vineyard is the house of the Lord.

Here in the Fingers Lakes, our lush vineyards are being harvested as we read this. In northern California, its vast valleys and hillsides are being decimated by wildfires. It’s timely for us to consider vineyards and grapes.

Here are three thoughts:

Grapevines do not respond to our particular demands. Isaiah, today, tells the story of a vineyard owner who took great care to plant and nurture a proper vineyard. What’s more, the owner had expectations about this crop. This vineyard was to bear fine grapes, but in the end, there were only wild grapes.

We know about wild grapes…perhaps some of our children, siblings and maybe even our parents, who have grown in ways different from our expectations. I am not talking about destructive, addictive patterns of living, but just not matching our expectations. “What more could I have done for my vineyard that I had not done?” we might lament, and fail to value the rare tang and see the beauty of the wild grapes in our family.

We need to treat the whole vineyard as if it is ours. The children in our communities, the immigrants, the poor and hungry, the mentally ill, the robust. They all belong in the vineyard and therefore to us. The task of creating communities of trust is ours, where people on various sides of an issue can be safe, speak out their concerns and be heard. In these strange days of 2020, when the bruised, wounded and suffering seem to be increasing exponentially, we need to treat the whole vineyard as if it is ours.

And yet, it is not ours. It is also important that we treat the vineyard as not ours. Sometimes all we can do is watch and pray. It is a privilege to watch. Whom have you watched and prayed for and prayed with? We don’t need to use today’s political buzz words to know that things are very wrong in our country. Yet we need to act on the belief that this country of ours can become fresh, new, true to our guiding principles. In faith, we believe that this transformation can happen because the vineyard that is the United States is God’s vineyard.

God is a tender, attentive vineyard owner who invites us to likewise be attentive and tender. Through the words of Paul, we are invited to put the vineyard into perspective.    

        Beloved, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure        

        Whatever is pleasing, whatever is commendable, if there is any excellence

        And if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things

        Keep on doing the things you have learned…And the God of peace will be with you

~ Sister Joan Sobala