Now this is the commentary/homily on last Sundays Gospel I was pretty much looking for ... kinda-sorta.
I would like to reflect on Sunday’s parable of the vineyard owner to see its application to our times. Here is a brief summary:
A landowner set forth a vineyard with great care and lavish attention. He then entrusted it to tenant farmers. At harvest time, he sought his share of the produce. Yet instead of giving the owner what was due him, the tenant farmers refused, ridiculing, beating, and even killing the servants sent to collect his share. They end by killing the landowner’s own son.
When Jesus asks his audience what they thought the owner would do in response, they replied that he would put the men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who would give him the produce at the proper time. Obviously, they did not realize that in the parable the Lord was actually describing them, and that such a judgment would be upon them unless they repented.
This is not merely a story told to illustrate a moral point. It had an actual historical fulfillment and remains a “real-world scenario” even today. The vineyard set forth with love and great care was Israel. God was the landowner, who gave them the land, protected them with His law, and sustained them with His love and providence. The servants who called for the fruits represented the prophets. Jesus Himself is the son whom they kill. Even in spite of this crime, God allowed Israel 40 biblical years to repent and come to believe in Him, sending forth apostles, evangelists, and teachers to convince them. Still, there was a collective and obstinate refusal to believe in Jesus, the Messiah sent to save. So, in A.D. 70, God permitted the unrepentant people to wage a foolish war against the Romans. The result was that the Romans conquered Jerusalem, utterly destroying it and the Temple. According to Josephus, 1.2 million Jewish people lost their lives in that terrible war.
The parable was a true warning of the destruction that was sure to come unless repentance and faith replaced the obstinate refusal to obey and believe. It is tragic that things were so bad that God had to act drastically in order to reset the moral and spiritual order, to and save even a few.
I would argue, based on prophecy, that we are nearing such a time now and that we must urgently pray for both mercy and repentance. The warnings and prophecies of Our Lady in the past one hundred years have become more urgent and even dire. - read the rest here.
"1.2 million Jewish people lost their lives in that terrible war."
ReplyDeleteYes, times are urgent in every single generation ... I sometimes sense the urgency in our Holy Father's voice as well when asking nations to work towards peace and asking us to pray for peace.
From an article I read not too long ago:
"Know this: if Pyongyang decided to launch a salvo of nuclear armed missiles towards Seoul, Tokyo, U.S. military bases or the homeland, the carnage unleashed would be unlike anything we have seen since the days of World War II. In such a scenario, millions upon millions of people could die or become the victims of radioactive fallout, whose injuries could lay dormant for years. It would be, per one senior Pentagon official I spoke to last week, “as if Lucifer opened the gates of hell.”
I see the Holy Father leading us in prayer for peace and showing us how to show mercy to others - perhaps soon, everyone will be on the peripheries and will no longer be able to mock God's merciful love.
DeleteWhile I agree over all with the thesis of Msgr Pope that we must heed the Gospel message of prayer and penance spoken of by Our Lady at Fatima, he then goes onto extremely poor shakey ground by referencing Akita so frequently. Akita is not approved. Some aspects of it received the bishop’s affirmative decision, but with the proviso of deference to the Holy See (good article link below). And the Holy See first gave a negative decision and then, when asked to review, no new decision came forth. I for one never bought into Akita because of its tendency to the prophetic doom and gloom sensationalism but hey...I am not the one with the charism of discernment for the phenomena. https://www.osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/4568/Is-Japans-Our-Lady-of-Akita-apparition-worthy-of-belief.aspx
ReplyDeleteMany thanks for shining a light on that aspect - I knew that as well - and I've been concerned that Monsignor has embraced the Akita message so whole-heartedly, or so it appears. Thanks for stepping in on this. I personally think the 'timeline' notion is not a guarantee of anything. I'm totally with the Holy Father and trust his plea and work for peace. I think these things actually turn off a lot of people when you start comparing notes to apparitions and revelations which are so specific.
DeleteAkita IS an approved apparition. It was approved by the local bishop, which is all that needs to happen.
DeleteYes it would be enough except that the same local bishop gave his decision with a caveat with his limited approval depended upon the decision of the Holy See. So it was more of a "yes...but not totally sure...so let's see what they say" kind of approval.
DeleteThen, in 1990, Cardinal Peter Seiichi Shirayanagi, president of Japan’s conference of bishops, gave an interview to 30 Days, an Italian Catholic magazine, in which he said bluntly, “The events of Akita are no longer to be taken seriously.”
DeleteGiven all the conflicting information, in 1999 Christian Order, a British Catholic magazine, sent a formal query to the apostolic nuncio in Japan, Archbishop Ambrose de Paoli. He replied: “The Congregation for the Doctrine of the Faith has asked me to respond to your query re: Akita. ... The Holy See has never given any kind of approval to either the events or messages of Akita.”
It appears, then, that Akita is not an approved apparition and the apocalyptic warnings we have read recently are not “worthy of belief.” - OSV
https://www.osv.com/Article/TabId/493/ArtMID/13569/ArticleID/4568/Is-Japans-Our-Lady-of-Akita-apparition-worthy-of-belief.aspx
Thanks for providing the sources needed to disprove other unreliable ones.
DeleteI read about Akita many years ago and wondered as to the so-called prophecy.
Still, prayer is of the utmost importance since we don't need prophecy to see what is going on in the world, the Church, our families.
You guys are wrong. Akita IS approved. All of these things you are presenting is propaganda from modernists who want everyone to think that everything is fine in the Church. Even EWTN who is VERY careful about alleged apparitions have articles on their website showing how it IS approved. The fact that the CDF hasn't commented means they haven't overturned the local bishop's decision.
DeleteFrom EWTN: After eight years of investigations, Rev. John Shojiro Ito, Bishop of Niigata, Japan, recognizes "the supernatural character of a series of mysterious events concerning the statue of the Holy Mother Mary" and authorizes "throughout the entire diocese, the veneration of the Holy Mother of Akita, while awaiting that the Holy See publishes definitive judgment on this matter."
DeleteSince the Holy See has chosen not to provide a judgment, it means the Bishop's judgement stands. Thus it's approved.
Also the University of Dayton, which is THE mariological center, has it listed as an approved apparition along with Kibeho, Fatima, LaSallete, Lourdes, etc.
So, it is DEFINITELY approved!
Also, here is the letter of approval, which was sent to the Holy See, and according to the transcript of a meeting between Cardinal Ratzinger and The Papal Nuncio to Japan, the Holy see has no objections to the decision of the Bishop. http://www.motherofallpeoples.com/2008/09/akita-consists-of-supernatural-origin-the-pastoral-letter-of-bishop-john-ito/
DeleteThe Holy See does not need to ratify the decision of the Local Bishop. It stands UNLESS the Holy See intervenes and overturns it. So, it is approved completely until the Holy See says otherwise. Which won't happen. It's true. It's real. And we are living in the times prophesied.
ReplyDelete