Fortified City

Today’s Gospel Text: And he began to speak to them in parables. "A man planted a vineyard, and set a hedge around it, and dug a pit for the wine press, and built a tower, and let it out to tenants, and went into another country. 2 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, to get from them some of the fruit of the vineyard. 3 And they took him and beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 4 Again he sent to them another servant, and they wounded him in the head, and treated him shamefully. 5 And he sent another, and him they killed; and so with many others, some they beat and some they killed. 6 He had still one other, a beloved son; finally he sent him to them, saying, 'They will respect my son.' 7 But those tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir; come, let us kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.' 8 And they took him and killed him, and cast him out of the vineyard. 9 What will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and destroy the tenants, and give the vineyard to others. 10 Have you not read this scripture: 'The very stone which the builders rejected has become the head of the corner;11 this was the Lord's doing, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"

12 And they tried to arrest him, but feared the multitude, for they perceived that he had told the parable against them; so they left him and went away. Mark 12:1-12

Reflection: Parables speak and they can speak a thousand message but not all the thousand message could be sound and to be followed, except the discerned ones which does not contradict the doctrine of Christ.

One of the rare messages that this parable brings out is the working pattern of a God who cares for his people; how he builds buffer zones and protective walls, over a period of time, to protect his people.

The church and all that is contained in it by way of support is the fruit of God’s action.

Just like the vineyard planted by the man in the parable, likewise has God has planted the church as a concrete place, spread throughout the world. In the Old Testament that concrete place was the nation of Israel.

The concrete place is not just an external place but more so is a place in our hearts and the many souls together built in the Spirit of God. (cfr. Eph. 2: 22)

God digs a hedge around it in order to protect us from the evil one and hence the message is clear: we are in a battle situation.

Its major work will be to produce the wine that bring gladness, nourishment and life and that is exactly what the church is all about when it fulfills the mission of evangelization, beginning with the Eucharist. 

The church is made up of servants, who especially take care of the vines which the Lord has planted, the people brought to the Lord. 

Thus we see that the Church ever grows as in this parable to become a fortified city with the necessary weaponry of warfare in place.

The intercession of the saints, which is the church triumphant, the sacraments which fortifies and strengthens us against the vile of the evil one and is our spiritual food and nourishment are all strengths and hope of a help against the onslaughts of the evil one.

Prayer: We thank you Lord for the gift of the Church as a fortified fortress to guard us against the onslaught of the evil one.

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