Your Life is for Loving
27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
“The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.”Ps. 80
This is a clear lesson in the word of God, LOVING is the fruit He requires from us because that is the purpose of our life. Only in this way do we manifest having His Spirit of love, which impels us to bear fruit by doing good to others, becoming a blessing, and only in this way can we be sure of having true communion with Him and therefore divine and eternal life, His salvation.
“A branch cannot bear fruit by itself; it must remain in the vine. Neither can you bear fruit unless you remain in me.”John 15:4
Verse 8 adds,
“This is to my Father’s glory, that you bear much fruit, showing yourselves to be my disciples.”John 15:8
Let us remember the fig tree that bore no fruit; it was cursed and withered. He gave us life to love and do good, for this is how we fulfill our roles as His children and citizens of Heaven. By putting our talents in the service of others, only they enter the joy of the Lord (Matthew 25:21ff). By sharing our gifts and possessions with those in need, we create treasures in Heaven. Only this demonstrates and guarantees our true union with Him, which gives life to our souls.
What kind of fruit does the Lord expect from us? Jesus told us,
“Truly, truly, I tell you, whoever believes in me will do the works I have been doing, and they will do even greater things than these.”John 14:12
He went about doing good and healing all who were oppressed by the devil (Acts 10:38). Sent by God to open the eyes of the blind, to set the captives free, and to proclaim salvation, as the prophet said, He will tell us,
“As the Father has sent me, so I am sending you. Receive the Holy Spirit”John 20:21
With the strength of His Spirit, we are sent to continue Christ’s mission, to make His Kingdom of love, joy, peace, and other fruits of the Spirit present. Therefore, the Christian life consists of living and spreading His Kingdom, the fruits of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:22). The Church teaches us very clearly the fruits we are called to bear in the 14 forms of love it offers us based on the words of Jesus, 7 ways to attend to the bodily needs of our neighbor, and 7 ways to do good to their souls, known as works of mercy.
He does everything so that we bear fruit. He gives us His Spirit, He gives us the Church, with which He became one to continue guiding us as a good shepherd, teaching us, and giving Himself to us through the sacraments. He gives us life every day and everything necessary to bear fruit. The Lord laments our mediocrity and sin, our limited cooperation with Him. He asks,
“What more could have been done for my vineyard than I have done for it? Why, when I looked for good grapes, did it yield only bad?”Isaiah 5
Or as He says at the end of today’s Gospel,
“Therefore I tell you that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit”Matthew 21:43
Let us ask the Lord for the grace to remain united to Him so that we can bear the fruits He asks of us, for
“Apart from me, you can do nothing”John 15:5
Readings for the Week
Sunday: Is 5:1-7/Ps 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20 (Isaiah 5:7a)/Phil 4:6-9/Mt 21:33-43
Monday: Jon 1:1—2:2, 11/Jon 2:3, 4, 5, 8/Lk 10:25-37
Tuesday: Jon 3:1-10/ Ps 130:1b-2, 3-4ab, 7-8/Lk 10:38-42
Wednesday: Jon 4:1-11/Ps 86:3-4, 5-6, 9-10/Lk 11:1-4
Thursday: Mal 3:13-20b/Ps 1:1-2, 3, 4 and 6/Lk 11:5-13
Friday: JI 1:13-15; 2:1-2/Ps 9:2-3, 6 and 16, 8-9/Lk 11:15-26
Saturday: JI 4:12-21/Ps 97:1-2, 5-6, 11-12/Lk 11:27-28
Next Sunday: Is 25:6-10a/Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 (6cd)/Phil 4:12-14, 19-20/Mt 22:1-14 or 22:1-10
Observances for the Week
Sunday: 27th Sunday in Ordinary Time
Monday: Columbus Day; St. Denis, Bishop, and Companions, Martyrs; St. John Leonardi, Priest
Wednesday: St. John XXIII, Pope
Saturday: St. Callistus I, Pope and Martyr
Next Sunday: 28th Sunday in Ordinary Time