27th Sunday in Ordinary Time Year A - 8/10/2017 - Gospel: Mt 21:33-43
Corner stone
All builders know that a firm and solid foundation of a building plays a crucial part of balancing and stability of the building. Any building, big or small, to be built on an unstable, not firm foundation, is a foreseeable disaster. It is certain that sooner or later the building will collapse. A good solid foundation is strengthened by the corner stones and they are first and utmost important part of any structure. Jesus openly told the religious leaders and the elders that those who unwelcomed his teaching were very like an unwise builder who doesn't know that he is lacking basic knowledge in building construction. Corner stones are buried underground but play the utmost important role to the whole building from the starting point to the completion and even more so long after into the future.
To be a true disciple of Jesus our faith must be deeply rooted in his teaching and it is the corner stones of our Christian living. Without this corner stone our faith in Jesus is a wavering faith and our preaching of the Gospel message is an empty message because it is a message without substance. True authority of the message must come from Jesus, the corner stone of our faith. Without solid foundation of faith, our love for the Gospel message is purely a human understanding of love. Relying on uninformed conscience to decide on matters of moral is misleading the interpretation of the Gospel's message. Clever minds can argue convincingly about love with passion and enthusiasm but they have no Gospel values. It is only purely human interpretations of it. They are not the same love Jesus talked about and die for on the cross. We Christians promote the love of the Gospel revealed to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. His teaching about love is self sacrifice and everlasting love. Modern societies are promoting for different kinds of love which are initiated by human desire and flesh and in the name of 'having a good time'. They are passionate about it because it is motivated by the urge of the flesh and selfishness.
When our life is deeply rooted on God's love and mercy it will dictate our thoughts and actions and loving actions make our faith shine. Corner stones are not just help to get balance on the proportions of the building but they serve as the boundaries where the building will stand. It determines the height of the building that can be built. Our love in Christ is guided by God's love and that helps us to move freely within the spheres of God's love and mercy. God's love comes from on high and when our love for God and for others is based on the teaching of Jesus our love has the capacity to move beyond the ordinary loves of world's materials and prestige and we are able to see God's love in the hearts of other to serve them with unconditional love of God. Unlike the love for the world which has local values and limited because it is born out of the desires of local people; the Christian love comes from God and it has the universal implication. It is God's desire to care for others and asks his followers to do the same, to care for others in the name of Jesus. We are called to let the world knows that God loves the world, his creation, and we are called to be a living and active witnesses of God's love for the world.
To be a true disciple of Jesus our faith must be deeply rooted in his teaching and it is the corner stones of our Christian living. Without this corner stone our faith in Jesus is a wavering faith and our preaching of the Gospel message is an empty message because it is a message without substance. True authority of the message must come from Jesus, the corner stone of our faith. Without solid foundation of faith, our love for the Gospel message is purely a human understanding of love. Relying on uninformed conscience to decide on matters of moral is misleading the interpretation of the Gospel's message. Clever minds can argue convincingly about love with passion and enthusiasm but they have no Gospel values. It is only purely human interpretations of it. They are not the same love Jesus talked about and die for on the cross. We Christians promote the love of the Gospel revealed to us through the death and resurrection of Jesus. His teaching about love is self sacrifice and everlasting love. Modern societies are promoting for different kinds of love which are initiated by human desire and flesh and in the name of 'having a good time'. They are passionate about it because it is motivated by the urge of the flesh and selfishness.
When our life is deeply rooted on God's love and mercy it will dictate our thoughts and actions and loving actions make our faith shine. Corner stones are not just help to get balance on the proportions of the building but they serve as the boundaries where the building will stand. It determines the height of the building that can be built. Our love in Christ is guided by God's love and that helps us to move freely within the spheres of God's love and mercy. God's love comes from on high and when our love for God and for others is based on the teaching of Jesus our love has the capacity to move beyond the ordinary loves of world's materials and prestige and we are able to see God's love in the hearts of other to serve them with unconditional love of God. Unlike the love for the world which has local values and limited because it is born out of the desires of local people; the Christian love comes from God and it has the universal implication. It is God's desire to care for others and asks his followers to do the same, to care for others in the name of Jesus. We are called to let the world knows that God loves the world, his creation, and we are called to be a living and active witnesses of God's love for the world.
Written by Fr Vũđình Tường
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia
St Francis Xavier Catholic Parish
Roman Catholic Archdiocese of Brisbane Australia