From the Pastor Desk –
“GO YE ALSO INTO MY VINEYARD”
- In the language of a song of human love the prophet
speaks of God’s love for his people. Like a worker who devotes
all his care to his vineyard, and it does not give him the expected
fruit. Isaiah tells us the story of God’s relationship with his people
as the story of an unrequited love: Israel is the vineyard that the
Lord takes care of with delicacy and that yields sour grapes instead
of good grapes. It is the same story that Psalm 79 reminds us
of: come and visit your vineyard, the vine which your right hand
planted and which you made vigorous.
- The Gospel maintains the image of the vineyard, now
with the novelty that it is presented as the Kingdom given to the
people of Israel. Unfortunately, this people does not bear the
expected fruits; on the contrary, it mistreats and murders those
sent by God, ending with its own Son. Paul, witness of the new and
eternal covenant, encourages the Philippians to open themselves
to the love of the God of peace by living as true disciples of Christ.
- This Sunday’s parable teaches us that we should not live
in a false religious security because we are members of the Lord’s
vineyard. Just because we belong to the Lord’s vineyard does
not mean that we are already living according to his will. As the
Jewish leaders did not know how to recognize the cornerstone,
the Kingdom will be given to a new people, no longer the twelve
tribes of Israel, but the twelve Apostles, the new Israel: the
Church, which will recognize in Jesus its cornerstone and which
will bear the fruits of the Kingdom.
- Today’s Gospel message is not a thing of the past.
It challenges us all as members of the believing people, as
a new vineyard that God continues to care for with infinite
tenderness. We thank God for his faithfulness and patience
with us and we ask his forgiveness because on many occasions
we do not bear the fruits of the Kingdom that he expects.
For reflection: “the stone that the builders rejected”, do the men
and women of our society recognize Jesus as the cornerstone of
their lives? and you? “he will rent the vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the fruits in due season”, what are those fruits
that correspond to the Kingdom of God? in what way are our
Church and our communities responding to God’s commission?
- Although we have been Christians for a long time,
we still have much to learn. There is still a great distance
between God’s plans and ours, as Isaiah says: “My plans are
not your plans”. From the Gospel we learn that God always
surprises us and exceeds our expectations, changes our way of
understanding our relationship with Him and with our brothers.
He keeps calling, inviting us to work in his vineyard. At the evening
of each day may we be able to say, like St. Paul to the Christians of
Philippi, that for us life is Christ.
- The new wine, the fruit of God’s vineyard, is the blood of
Jesus Christ. To the extent that we receive communion from the
Eucharist, we are living branches grafted onto the vine, which is
the Lord.
- Thank you all for your generosity and for being part of this beautiful Blessed Sacrament Community.
Greetings at home to all; with my love and blessing,Blessings,
Father Gabriel Jaime Toro R – Pastor
Desde el escritorio del Padre Gabriel Toro:
“ARRENDARÁ LA VIÑA
A OTROS LABRADORES”
- En el lenguaje de un canto de amor humano habla el
profeta del amor de Dios a su pueblo. Como un obrero que dedica
todos sus cuidados a su viña, y ésta no le da el fruto esperado.
Isaías nos cuenta la relación de Dios con su pueblo como la historia
de un amor no correspondido: Israel es la viña que el Señor cuida
con delicadeza y que da agrazones en vez de buenas uvas. Es la
misma historia que el Salmo 79 nos recuerda: ven a visitar tu viña,
la cepa que tu diestra plantó y que Tú hiciste vigorosa.
- El Evangelio mantiene la imagen de la viña, ahora con la
novedad que se presenta como el Reino entregado al pueblo de
Israel. Lastimosamente este pueblo no da los frutos esperados,
por el contrario, maltrata y asesina a los enviados de Dios,
terminando con su propio Hijo. Pablo, testigo de la nueva y eterna
alianza, anima a los filipenses a abrirse al amor del Dios de la paz
viviendo como verdaderos discípulos de Cristo.
- La parábola de este domingo nos enseña que, no debemos
vivir en una falsa seguridad religiosa por ser miembros de los
labradores de la viña del Señor. No por el hecho de pertenecer a la
viña del Señor ya estamos viviendo según su voluntad. Como los
dirigentes judíos no supieron reconocer la piedra angular, el Reino
se entregará a un nuevo pueblo, no ya las doce tribus de Israel,
sino los doce Apóstoles, el nuevo Israel: la Iglesia, que reconocerá
en Jesús a su piedra angular y que dará frutos propios del Reino.
- El mensaje del Evangelio de hoy no es cosa del pasado.
Nos cuestiona a todos como miembros del pueblo creyente,
como nueva viña a la que Dios sigue cuidando con infinita ternura.
Damos gracias a Dios por su fidelidad y su paciencia con nosotros
y le pedimos perdón porque en muchas ocasiones no damos los
frutos del Reino que Él espera.
- Para reflexionar: “la piedra que desecharon los
constructores” ¿los hombres y mujeres de nuestra sociedad
reconocen a Jesús como la piedra angular de sus vidas? ¿y tú?;
“arrendará la viña a otros labradores que le entreguen los frutos
a su tiempo” ¿cuáles son esos frutos que corresponden al Reino
de Dios? ¿de qué manera están respondiendo nuestra Iglesia y
nuestras comunidades al encargo de Dios?
- El vino nuevo, fruto de la viña de Dios, es la sangre de
Jesucristo. En la medida que comulgamos de la Eucaristía, somo
sarmientos vivos injertados en la cepa, que es el Señor.
- Con mi cariño y mi Bendición,
Padre, Gabriel Jaime Toro R. Pastor.
- Mil Gracias a todos por su generosidad y por hacer parte deesta hermosa Comunidad del Santísimo Sacramento.
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- Bendiciones,
Padre Gabriel Jaime Toro R – Pastor
- Bendiciones,
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