God is not “selling anything”

Today at Holy Mass he hear in the Gospel from St Matthew the story of a landowner who planted a vineyard and leased it to tenants….When reading the Gospel of St Matthew one must keep in mind that Matthew’s primary audience were the Jewish people…In this story, Matthew is telling the Jewish people something very directly - That they are God’s chosen people and they were given the “vineyard” but in the time of God’s absence, they rejected their stewardship of the land, so God punished them…And in a later parable told to us by St Matthew - A great Wedding Feast was given and the guests who were first invited were not not interested in attending, they had “other things to do”, so we hear that God “invited other guests” to the banquet - Those “other guests” were the gentiles……These stories were meant to shock the Jewish audience of St Matthew’s time - But they are also meant to shock us today…..God “offers” us salvation, which is found in the Catholic Church, but in order to “cash in” on that offer, we must cooperate with God….If we choose not to - What was given to us will be taken away…Did you hear that!?!……This message is for real!

“God so loved the world that he gave his only-begotten Son; so that everyone who believes in him might have eternal life”

Throughout the bible, there are many stories and isolate statements that deeply impact me…I want to share with you one of them that I believe relates to the Gospel from Mass today about a people who are offered something great and in turn reject the offer……This passage is taken from the Gospel of John - I reflect on it often - Its message is very clear, its also very Catholic:

“For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him. Just as the living Father sent me and I have life because of the Father, so also the one who feeds on me will have life because of me. This is the bread that came down from heaven. Unlike your ancestors who ate and still died, whoever eats this bread will live forever.” These things he said while teaching in the synagogue in Capernaum. The Words of Eternal Life. Then many of his disciples who were listening said, “This saying is hard; who can accept it?” Since Jesus knew that his disciples were murmuring about this, he said to them, “Does this shock you? What if you were to see the Son of Man ascending to where he was before? It is the spirit that gives life, while the flesh* is of no avail. The words I have spoken to you are spirit and life. But there are some of you who do not believe.” Jesus knew from the beginning the ones who would not believe and the one who would betray him. And he said, “For this reason I have told you that no one can come to me unless it is granted him by my Father.” As a result of this, many [of] his disciples returned to their former way of life and no longer accompanied him.Jesus then said to the Twelve, “Do you also want to leave?” Simon Peter answered him, “Master, to whom shall we go? You have the words of eternal life. We have come to believe and are convinced that you are the Holy One of God.”

In this passage Jesus is very clear that his “flesh is true food and his blood is true drink” and that a Sacramental faith, which we practice to this very day in the Catholic Church was given to the Jewish people…He also says that food he gave the Jewish people to eat in the desert (i.e. Manna) for their survival does not compare to what is being given now…Something new has happened and because of that a “change needs to be made”….So when Jesus says this, some people leave the group - Notice how Jesus reacts to the twelve disciples when people leave - “Do you also want to leave?”…..Jesus is not “selling anything”…He is basically saying to those who remain…”It is what it is! - You either accept what I say as I say it…or…”There is the door” - “You can leave too”…..A strong message indeed!………The offer of salvation is for everyone and it first was given to the Jewish people - Jesus was a Jew and so were his first disciples…But as we hear in the Gospel today from St Matthew…The Jewish people “reject the offer”…So what does Jesus do? - Does he change the offer in any way? - Not a chance! - He just makes the other to “other people” - And guess who those “other people” became? - The Catholic Church!……God is not “selling anything”…And God does not force us to follow him…God never imposes himself on us - God proposes - He makes us “an offer” and that “offer” is made through his son and the one Church his son created…How do I know this? - Here is the answer - “For my flesh is true food, and my blood is true drink. Whoever eats my flesh and drinks my blood remains in me and I in him”……..The one Church Jesus founded was Eucharistic!…..Seems pretty clear to me - How about you?

“The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?”

The Gospel read to us at Mass today addresses a question that is debated to this very day….Are the Jewish people still the chosen people?…..While God did say in Scripture that the Jewish people were indeed the chosen people, we hear in St Matthew’s Gospel that the Jewish people rejected the offer of salvation by God - So what does God do in response? - He makes “the offer” to other people…Seems pretty clear to me….So how must we respond to our Jewish brothers and sisters today? - We must pray for them - That they may “open their eyes”!…..Jesus was a Jew and Jesus took the Jewish faith in a “different direction”….The temple was destroyed in Jerusalem, literally!…And a “new temple” took its place - And that “temple” is Jesus’ body and blood, offered once for the sins of mankind…..The “offer of salvation” made by God is the same today as it was two thousand years ago during the time Christ walked the earth….And we cannot change “the offer”, though may try too…………God is not “selling anything”…..JMJ