Love without limits

Listening to the Spirit

O Jesus, You died for the salvation of all
and founded the Church to continue the work
of redemption on earth.
Increase, we ask You,
The number of those who preach the Gospel.
Strengthen them in their ministry,
sanctify their service,
so that those who have not yet received the gift of faith,
may soon come to know You and love You on earth,
and enjoy Your eternity in heaven.
We ask this through Christ our Lord.
Amen

Listening to the Word

Matthew 21:33-43

“Listen to another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a fence around it, dug a winepress in it, and built a watchtower. Then he leased it to tenants and went to another country. When the harvest time had come, he sent his slaves to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his slaves and beat one, killed another, and stoned another. Again he sent other slaves, more than the first; and they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, saying, ‘They will respect my son.’ But when the tenants saw the son, they said to themselves, ‘This is the heir; come, let us kill him and get his inheritance.’ So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?” They said to him, “He will put those wretches to a miserable death, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the harvest time.”

Jesus said to them, “Have you never read in the scriptures:

‘The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; this was the Lord’s doing, and it is amazing in our eyes’?

Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that produces the fruits of the kingdom.

Reflection

Six months ago, at the beginning of this pandemic, our front liners advised us to stay at home as they put it, “I stay at work for you and you stay at home for us.” Despite their lack of rest and sleep they have been faithful to their duty to take care of the sick. Unfortunately, the number of cases keeps rising in number, and somehow they have run out of energy. Thus, they called for a time out, not to take a rest but to have a better plan and strategies in dealing with this deadly disease. And then they continue their mission on the battlefield to save lives.

The front liners are always in danger of contracting the deadly disease whenever they treat people with Covid-19. Many doctors and nurses have died. In the Philippines, many doctors and nurses died during their duty. In Indonesia, more than 115 doctors died during their mission to take care of the patients. Indeed, as Bishop Broderick Pabillo said, “Medical front liners are ’truly heroes’ who risked their lives so that others may live.”

I do believe that there were some moments if not always in which they felt scared. They are indeed used to saving lives, but the truth is they are also human beings and they are scared. The fear of getting infected is always there and they have to live it. But the fear never takes away their courage and love for the sick. Indeed, love conquers fears and death.

The Father sent his own son to the vineyard. Sending his own son to the vineyard is really risky and dangerous. “He is to be rejected and killed, just as the prophets and the owner’s son were. But there is the difference: as God’s son, he is entirely willing to go among the sinning people. He lives by compassion.” Out of love and compassion, God sent his only begotten Son to save the world. “For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth on him should not perish, but have eternal life.”

God sent his own son into the trap of human life not because life is perfect, but because love is. Jesus, the face of God’s mercy comes and gives his life so that we have life in Him. He is the True Life. True Life gets buried. It rises again when we look to Jesus. He is love. He is there for us in our vineyard.