by: Deacon Adel Abrugena
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, today, Jesus gives us a difficult parable, the parable of the tenants in the vineyard.
The landowner planted the vineyard, protected it, prepared everything, and entrusted it to tenants. When harvest time came, he expected them to give back what belonged to him. But the tenants forgot something very important: the vineyard was never theirs. They were only entrusted with it. And I think this is where the Gospel speaks very strongly to us today. Everything we have is entrusted to us, our family, our marriage, our children, our work, our talents, our time, our possessions, even our faith. We are not the owners. God is. And the question is: what are we producing for the Lord?
The tenants became possessive. They wanted the vineyard for themselves. And when the owner sent his servants, they rejected them. Finally, he sent his own son. And we know what happened. They killed him. Jesus was speaking about Himself. He is the Son sent by the Father. He is the stone rejected by the builders, yet He became the cornerstone. And this is where discipleship becomes real. Following Jesus is not simply believing in Him. It is not simply coming to Mass, praying, or knowing Scripture. Following Jesus means surrendering our lives to Him.
Jesus Himself showed us what radical surrender looks like. He did not come to take control, to gain comfort, or to protect Himself. He came to serve, to suffer, to forgive, and ultimately to give His life for us. And that is also the challenge of evangelization today. We live in a world where many people do not want to hear about God. Some reject the Church. Some are indifferent. Some have been wounded by Christians. And sometimes, even we ourselves are afraid to speak about our faith because we don’t want to be judged, rejected, or called too religious. But Jesus still sends His servants. And today, we are those servants. He sends us into our families, our workplaces, our communities, our schools, and even into difficult situations.
Evangelization is not always standing in front of a crowd and preaching. Sometimes evangelization is forgiving someone who hurt us. Sometimes it is staying faithful to our marriage when it is difficult. Sometimes it is praying with our children. Sometimes it is speaking about Jesus when the opportunity comes, even when our voice shakes. Sometimes it is simply living our faith consistently when nobody is watching. And yes, sometimes we will be rejected. But rejection cannot become an excuse for surrendering our mission.
Jesus? He was rejected, betrayed, mocked, and crucified. Yet He never stopped loving. That is the kind of surrender He asks from us. Brothers and sisters, the vineyard is still God’s. The question is not whether God will continue working in His vineyard. He will. The question is whether we will be faithful tenants. Will we give Him the fruit He deserves? Will we surrender our plans, our comfort, our fears, and even our desire to be accepted?
Let us remember: we don’t own the vineyard. We are entrusted with it. And the cornerstone that was rejected is still Jesus. So let us build our lives on Him. And let us produce fruit, not just for ourselves, but for the Kingdom of God. Lord Jesus, make us faithful tenants of Your vineyard. Give us the courage to evangelize, the humility to serve, and the grace to surrender everything to You. Amen.