Franco Grech osa

 

Reflections and Articles written by Fr Franco Grech osa

 


 

29th Sunday of the Year (A)

Is. 45: 1, 4-6; Psalm 95; 1 Tess. 1: 1-5b; Mt. 22: 15-21

Read: The hostility between Jesus and the religious authorities was growing day by day. Because of this, the Pharisees worked out between them and the Herodians how to trap Jesus and get rid of him. They tried to corner him with a question that would implicate either a question of religion or a political one. Jesus releases himself from the trap very wisely.

Reflect: If one had to answer the question: to whom does one’s life appertain, all one has to do is to look at the image engraved in his/her heart. Whose image is this? That of Caesar or of God who made us, knows us and called us even before we were born? Therefore, let us give to God what is His – our life.

Pray: Let us pray that justice prevails in our land by starting to sow this wherever we may be. Let us also pray for a sense of belonging to God and to his Kingdom.

Act: To be just, we need to practice justice. Let us ourselves work towards justice and not just talk about it.


28th Sunday of the Year (A)

Is. 25: 6-10a; Psalm 22; Fil. 4: 12-14, 19-20; Mt. 22: 1-14

Read: Jesus presents salvation in the form of a wedding feast. Those invited to this wedding did not attend this feast and preferred to carry on with their life. Some even acted violently against the servants sent by the king and even killed them. In a rage the king sent his soldiers, who exterminated those killers, and again sent his servants to invite all those interested in attending the wedding feast. However, anybody attending was bound to wear a wedding garment, because if not, such persons risked being sent out of the wedding hall.

Pray: Today could be an opportune day for us to say a prayer of thanksgiving to God who wishes to befriend us. Let us also pray for all the people of the world that they accept the invitation to His Kingdom.

Reflect: The invitation to the Kingdom’s meal is offered for free to everybody. All are invited but not everybody accepts. Those who accept are bound to follow the rules of the Kingdom. This is why the one who was not wearing a wedding garment was sent away from the wedding hall. Sometime we misinterpret God’s mercy – we think that God forgives everything and thus for Him all is acceptable. However, in reality this is not so!

Act: What qualities should we nurture so as to be more effective in the mission entrusted to us? Today let us do something good to somebody else as an act of gratitude to God.

 


27th Sunday of the Year (A)

Is. 5: 1-7; Psalm 79; Fil. 4,6-9; Mt. 21: 33-43

Read: “There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants”. God says: “What else was there for me to attend to my vineyard which I did not do?”

Reflect: You and I are one of those vines. God planted us in his vineyard, the Church, on the day of our baptism. With the Eucharist he nourished us. On the day of our Confirmation he strengthened us. Every confession resembles the pruning of vines. The fruits of the Holy Spirit, according to St. Paul, are: happiness; patience; righteousness; faithfulness; and control. Jesus expects these fruits from me and you. If Jesus, the son of the owner of the vineyard, had to come now seeking these fruits, what will he find?

Pray: Forgive me God and, in your mercy, forget my guilt. “Come again, God Almighty; look down from heaven, and visit this vineyard. Take care of what was sown by your right hand, the sapling that you grew for yourself”.  

Act: What you sow you will reap! Do your utmost to live according to God’s Spirit, and let His will be done! In God’s hands everything blossoms.


26th Sunday of the Year (A)

Ez. 18: 25-28; Psalm 24; Fil. 2,1-11; Mt. 21: 28-32

Read: What do you think? – Jesus asked – Which of the two carried out God’s will? The son who told his father that he was going to work in the vineyards and did not go, or the other son who told him that he did not want to go, but then relented and went.

Reflect: The publicans and prostitutes can more readily – you members of the Church! – accept God in their life. Thus, they are likely to arrive before you in God’s Kingdom. It is only those who recognise themselves as sinners, and who accept that they need help, that will experience the joy of being saved.

Pray: Let us pray to God that we do not fall into the temptation of judging others and that we recognise that every person is greater than his/her shortcomings.

Act: In the quiet of your heart, accept that you are a sinner and that you need God’s mercy as much as, if not more, than those who, in your opinion, appear to be ‘bad’.

 


25th Sunday of the Year (A)

Is. 55: 6-9; Psalm 144; Fil. 1,20c-24,27a; Mt. 20: 1-16a

Read: “Are you being envious because I am generous?”. Take note of the characters and the reactions of those in the parable of the workers in the vineyard.

Reflect: Why do you find it difficult to rejoice at the good fortune of others? People are jealous when they think that somebody else has possession of something that belongs to them …. or simply because they wish to own what others have. What is your reaction to this parable?

Pray: You are always going to realise that somebody else owns more than you and others less. Pray that you avoid being jealous. Jealousy shatters relations. Pray that you avoid being jealous at all costs; and remember that life could be unjust. Pray that you have a heart that rejoices at the good that others have.

Act: When something good happens to somebody else, join that person in her/his happiness and try not to be like somebody who wishes to possess all that is good. Show in a genuine manner your appreciation and happiness at the graces received by any of your brethren.


24th Sunday of the Year (A)

Sir. 27: 33-28,9; Psalm 102; Rom. 14: 7-9; Mt. 18: 21-35

Read: Whether we live, or we die, we belong to the Lord. Thus, hatred and anger are both to be rejected. If God shows us mercy, we ourselves are to show mercy to others, as we are told in the parable of the servant who refused to forgive.

Pray: Pray for the grace of humility so that you can receive God’s mercy, and that you can then share this mercy with others. Remember those who may have hurt you, and who need your forgiveness. Pray for the grace to be reconciled.

Reflect: Why did the servant whose substantial indebtedness was forgiven did not forgive another servant a much smaller debt owed to him? The truth is that, when one receives mercy, one does not always show gratitude and humility. At times, this mercy which is received and is not shown to others, leads to anger, especially when one is an egoist. We are able to receive mercy only when we love and respect the one who has shown us mercy. Then, we are ready to share that mercy with others.

Act: Time is a healer, but on many occasions we lose the opportunity for reconciliation. Approach others with love and compassion from the heart, forgive someone who hurt you.


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