Daily Catholic Lectio
Sun, 4 October 2026
XXVII Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isa 5:1-7; Phil 4:6-9; Mt 21:33-43
Vineyard into Other Hands
It was a beautiful garden. A man and a woman were placed there to take care of it. Created in the image and likeness of the owner, they were appointed to watch over the garden and cultivate it.
They could eat the fruits of the garden, but their eyes were fixed on the two forbidden trees. Deceived by the serpent, the woman plucked the fruit of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil and ate it. She also gave it to the man.
When the owner came in the evening, both hid themselves. He noticed what had happened and asked, “Did you eat the fruit?” The man pointed to the woman; the woman pointed to the serpent. Each tried to escape responsibility.
The serpent, the woman, and the man were cursed, and the man and the woman were sent out of the garden. The garden returned to the hands of its owner.
Our first parents lost the garden because of three things: desire for the forbidden fruit, pride in wanting to become like God, and failure to discern the voice of the enemy.
Today’s readings give us two stories in which the vineyard changes hands.
The first comes from the prophet Isaiah. This poetic passage defines the context of Isaiah’s mission, because immediately after this section comes the call of Isaiah.
The song ends with these words: “The vineyard of the Lord of hosts is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are His cherished plant. He looked for justice, but saw bloodshed; for righteousness, but heard a cry.”
The owner clears the land, plants choice vines, builds a watchtower, and prepares a winepress. In the same way, God chose Israel from among the nations, brought them through the Red Sea, gathered them at Sinai, and made a covenant with them: “I will be your God, and you will be my people.”
He gave them the land flowing with milk and honey. They lived in houses they had not built, ate from trees they had not planted, and drank from wells they had not dug.
Yet they forgot the covenant and turned to idolatry.
The owner expected good grapes, but received wild grapes.
Then he asks, “Judge between me and my vineyard.”
The vineyard has acted unjustly towards the owner. His time, energy, resources, and care have been wasted. Justice demands that what has been wasted should be accounted for.
The owner removes the hedge and allows the vineyard to be destroyed.
Likewise, Israel eventually experiences exile in Babylon.
The owner does what he wills with his vineyard. The vineyard failed to recognise the goodness of the owner. It failed to return fruit worthy of what it had received.
In the Gospel we see the second vineyard. Jesus tells another vineyard parable to the chief priests and elders.
A landowner plants a vineyard, puts a fence around it, digs a winepress, builds a watchtower, and leases it to tenants. When he gives it to them, they appear to be good people. Perhaps they really are good at the beginning. The owner provides everything necessary. He is extraordinarily generous.
But the tenants misuse the generosity and goodness of the owner.
Instead of thinking, “Our master has been generous to us; therefore, we too must work generously,” they do the opposite.
When harvest time comes, the owner sends his servants to collect the fruits that belong to him.
First, the tenants refuse to give the owner his share. This reveals their greed. Their attitude becomes: “What is mine is mine, and what is yours is also mine.” This is the mentality of theft.
Second, they harm the owner’s servants. This reveals their evil intention. Instead of expressing their anger directly towards the owner, they turn it against innocent servants. Their malice becomes more destructive than their anger.
Third, they kill the owner’s only son. This reveals jealousy. They think, “He has something that we do not have.” Hoping to take possession of the vineyard, they decide to destroy the heir.
Fourth, perhaps there was another reason behind all this: the vineyard may not have produced any fruit at all. Because of their laziness and negligence, they may have treated the vineyard like the talent buried in the ground.
Before the owner could come and condemn them for their failure, they decided to destroy those who represented him.
The owner now suffers injustice. An entire year of the vineyard has been wasted.
In anger, he destroys the wicked tenants and gives the vineyard to others who will act justly.
In its allegorical meaning, the vineyard represents the Kingdom of God. The owner is God. The tenants are the people of Israel, especially the chief priests, Pharisees, and elders. The servants are the prophets. The son is Jesus Christ.
The stone rejected by the builders points towards the people who were once considered outsiders. The message is that the Kingdom entrusted to one group will be given to a people who will produce its fruits.
The chief priests and elders become angry when they hear this parable. They considered themselves the chosen people, but Jesus turns their confidence upside down. Those who thought they could never be rejected are warned that the vineyard can pass into other hands.
When we place these two vineyard stories together, several similarities become clear. In both, the owner is denied justice. In both, the owner is disappointed. In both, the owner’s goodness is rejected. In both, the vineyard is taken away and placed into other hands.
The image of the vineyard applies to us in three ways.
First, the vineyard is our life.
God, who created us, has placed into our hands the vineyard called life. He gives us life, energy, abilities, opportunities, and resources to cultivate it. He expects fruit from us. But because of laziness, negligence, anxiety, procrastination, and haste, we sometimes fail to bear fruit. At times we do many things. We remain busy from morning until night. We are involved in several activities. Yet, at the end, we remain in the same place. The Lord once told King Hezekiah, “Set your house in order.” The same word can be addressed to us: put your life in order.
Second, the vineyard is our Christian faith.
Through Baptism, we have been brought into the vineyard of the Kingdom. We have received faith, hope, and love. We share in Christ’s mission of governing, sanctifying, and teaching. We are guided by the commandments of love of God and love of neighbour. Yet, when we fail to live according to the calling we have received, our Christian faith becomes an unfruitful vineyard, or a vineyard producing wild grapes. Such a vineyard can quickly pass into other hands, because Christianity then becomes only a label.
Third, the vineyard is our relationships.
As human beings, we are social persons. We find our place in the world through relationships.
Relationships travel on two tracks: justice and mercy. We have a duty to treat one another justly. Jealousy, anger, contempt, hatred, and violence make the vineyard of relationships barren.
How can we protect our vineyard from passing into other hands?
Today’s second reading gives us a direction.
Paul tells the Philippians, “Do not be anxious about anything.” He then says that “the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will guard your hearts and minds.”
He continues by asking them to think about whatever is true, honourable, just, pure, pleasing, commendable, excellent, and worthy of praise.
Through the peace that surpasses understanding and through these virtues, let us cultivate our vineyard and make it fruitful.
Finally, as we pray in today’s Responsorial Psalm, let us say to the owner of the vineyard: “Look down from heaven and see; have regard for this vine” (cf. Ps 80:14).
For, in the end, He alone is the owner. He is the One who can take the vineyard away. And He is also the One who can restore, protect, and embrace it.
Fr. Yesu Karunanidhi
Archdiocese of Madurai
A Yesni Prays Initiative
Leave a comment