Care for the Vineyard We Share

Dear Friend,

With this week’s celebrations of Saint Francis offering so much inspiration, beauty, and energy, it seems perfectly timed to hear in this Sunday’s Gospel about a vineyard – a place of growth and fruitfulness. In fact, both Isaiah (first reading) and Jesus (in the parable he offers to the elders and chief priests) zero in on the vineyard, but – importantly - they make it the centerpiece of a challenge. God’s intention for the vineyard is being thwarted by neglect and misguided leadership. “Like other Gospel readings in recent weeks, [this parable] targets religious hypocrisy, greed, and self-righteousness,” writes Mahri Leonard-Fleckman (Ponder, p. 287).

This challenge regarding the vineyard dovetails with Pope Francis’s renewed presentation of the (very Franciscan) vision of Laudato Si’ in what’s being called Laudato Si’ 2.0, due for release this week. In the words of Laudato Si’ organizers, “The Church understands the principle of the common good within the framework of social morality as those social conditions that make it possible for every human group and its members to achieve their own human fulfillment. The common good respects the human person’s dignity at its center… and concerns the life of all and includes those goods that we all need but which none of us can acquire on our own, but which requires the collaboration of all creation: climate, water, biodiversity, as well as harmony and peace are examples. The common good is to society what human dignity is to the individual.”

Again, this is a timely update! “Updating is proper to the theological and pastoral work of Catholic Social Teaching, for “the passing of time and the changing of social circumstances” require “a constant updating of the reflections on the various issues raised here, in order to interpret the new signs of the times.” (Compendium of Catholic Social Teaching).

Gratefully,

Fr. Dan ofm, Pastor