Jesus often refers to the kingdom of God as a vineyard and what is it that we should expect from the vineyard, we should expect wine. We all know what we should get from the vineyard, but Jesus points out that even when the vineyard produces good wine the tenants don't want to share. Sadly Jesus' parables hold true today for us.
Think of it this way. All of us are part of the Kingdom of God and we are here to help build up that Kingdom. We have been given gifts and talents that we are suppose to use for the building up. Each of us, like the vineyard in the parable, is called to produce and produce in abundance and each of us like the tenant is expected to give the Owner His share.
What is the Owner’s share? The Owner’s share is a part of our time, treasure and talents. If every member of the parish offered 20 hours a month to help the parish, how much work could we get done? There would never be a shortage of people to go to the prison or the hospital. People in the hospice could be visited daily. If every person gave 20 hours a month, think of how we could discover and use the talents of the members of our parish. Think of how we could build up the relationship between the schools and the parish, how we could out-reach to the poor, think how St. Vincent de Paul would be able to offer its services all year round.
How about if we were more open to sharing our treasure? In this country there is a tax benefit for donating to the church, even the government encourages giving. Many will say “yes but I give to the Cancer Society, the hospital, and many other 'non-government agencies'" but this is not the same as giving back to God. NGO's did not give you your talents, your treasure, your time here on earth, God gave it to you. We are called to love God above all things and we often show this in our care of our neighbour, but that's not the same as giving back to God. I don't have to even believe in God to care for the poor, I don't have to believe in God to visit the sick or a prisoner, but for us as Catholics we do it because we do believe in God so we stand up and declare it.
When you minister to the poor, when you visit the sick, do you do it as a passionate Catholic or as just a concerned member of the community? When you give to the church do you do so because God gave it to you first? Do you live your life publicly as a Catholic?
When the owner comes to the vineyard you are in charge of, how will your accounting look?
We can never give back to God as much as He has given us, but we could try. Or as the old saying goes, the more you give the more you will receive.
Kevin
Think of it this way. All of us are part of the Kingdom of God and we are here to help build up that Kingdom. We have been given gifts and talents that we are suppose to use for the building up. Each of us, like the vineyard in the parable, is called to produce and produce in abundance and each of us like the tenant is expected to give the Owner His share.
What is the Owner’s share? The Owner’s share is a part of our time, treasure and talents. If every member of the parish offered 20 hours a month to help the parish, how much work could we get done? There would never be a shortage of people to go to the prison or the hospital. People in the hospice could be visited daily. If every person gave 20 hours a month, think of how we could discover and use the talents of the members of our parish. Think of how we could build up the relationship between the schools and the parish, how we could out-reach to the poor, think how St. Vincent de Paul would be able to offer its services all year round.
How about if we were more open to sharing our treasure? In this country there is a tax benefit for donating to the church, even the government encourages giving. Many will say “yes but I give to the Cancer Society, the hospital, and many other 'non-government agencies'" but this is not the same as giving back to God. NGO's did not give you your talents, your treasure, your time here on earth, God gave it to you. We are called to love God above all things and we often show this in our care of our neighbour, but that's not the same as giving back to God. I don't have to even believe in God to care for the poor, I don't have to believe in God to visit the sick or a prisoner, but for us as Catholics we do it because we do believe in God so we stand up and declare it.
When you minister to the poor, when you visit the sick, do you do it as a passionate Catholic or as just a concerned member of the community? When you give to the church do you do so because God gave it to you first? Do you live your life publicly as a Catholic?
When the owner comes to the vineyard you are in charge of, how will your accounting look?
We can never give back to God as much as He has given us, but we could try. Or as the old saying goes, the more you give the more you will receive.
Kevin
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