TODAY’S GOSPEL READING
21 MARCH, 2025
Matthew 21:33-43, 45-46
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people:
“Hear another parable.
There was a landowner who planted a vineyard,
put a hedge around it,
dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.
Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey.
When vintage time drew near,
he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce.
But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat,
another they killed, and a third they stoned.
Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones,
but they treated them in the same way.
Finally, he sent his son to them,
thinking, ‘They will respect my son.’
But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another,
‘This is the heir.
Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.’
They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him.
What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?”
They answered him,
“He will put those wretched men to a wretched death
and lease his vineyard to other tenants
who will give him the produce at the proper times.”
Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures:
The stone that the builders rejected
has become the cornerstone;
by the Lord has this been done,
and it is wonderful in our eyes?
Therefore, I say to you,
the Kingdom of God will be taken away from you
and given to a people that will produce its fruit.”
When the chief priests and the Pharisees heard his parables,
they knew that he was speaking about them.
And although they were attempting to arrest him,
they feared the crowds, for they regarded him as a prophet.
THE GOSPEL OF THE LORD!
REFLECTION
In this parable, Jesus tells the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and entrusts it to tenants. When he sends his servants to collect the harvest, the tenants mistreat and kill them—even his own son. This passage highlights humanity’s rejection of God’s messengers and ultimately, His Son, Jesus Christ. It is a call to faithfulness, reminding us that God entrusts us with His blessings, expecting us to bear good fruit. If we reject His grace, we risk losing the Kingdom, which will be given to those who remain faithful.
PRAYER
Heavenly Father, thank You for the many blessings You have entrusted to us. Help us to be faithful stewards of Your gifts, bearing good fruit in our lives. Open our hearts to receive Your Word and to recognize Your presence in those You send to guide us. May we never reject Your love but embrace it fully, living in obedience and trust. Strengthen us to follow Your ways so that we may inherit the Kingdom You have prepared for us. Amen
