Our Response to God's Love

 Reflection on Today's Readings, Friday, 2nd Week of Lent, Year B, March 5th, 2021
Texts: Gen. 37:3-4.12-13.17-28; Ps. 105:16-21; Mtt. 21:33-43.45-46
Today's Readings tell us about God's love for us and our response to such love. The gospel adds to it by telling us the consequence of such response. In Joseph we see Jesus Christ whom God loved so much and sent to us out of love to restore the eternal life we have lost as result of the disobedience of our first parents; for it is said, "Then Yahweh God said, 'now that the man has become one of us in knowing God from evil, he must not be allowed to reach out his hand and pick from the tree of life too, and eat and live for ever! ... He banished the man, and in the  front of the garden of Eden he posted the great wing creatures and the fiery flashing sword, to guard the way to the tree of life. '" (Gen. 3:22,24). When  His son came to us, we sold Him to His enemies and  they killed Him. The gospel reading tells us that we killed Him out of wickedness, out of greed, out of envy, out of selfishness. In the vineyard, we see the gift of life to us, we see gift of wealth, we see our talents and skills, etc; many of the time we are greedy with them, we are selfish with them, we use them as if we are their origin, the source. Now we may ask ourselves individually: 'do I live my life in a way that give glory to God? Do I glorify God with my gifts, talents, skills and wealth? The period of Lent affords us the opportunity to review all these and to make amends, to correct ourselves.
The gospel reading tells us that the  master of the vineyard came to ask for fruits. What kind of fruits God demands from us for all His blessings upon us? It is the fruits of righteousness, a virtuous life (Micah 6:1-8). Prophet Micah says, "You have already been told what is right and what Yahweh wants of you. Only this, to do what is right, to love loyalty and walk humbly with God" (Micah 6:8). What God demands for His blessings to us is righteousness, virtues, and the keeping of His commandments. Lenten season is the time for us to be fervent in our practice of virtues, righteousness and the keeping of God’s commandments.
The gospel reading goes further to tell us the consequence of our response to God's love. We have been unfaithful, unyielding, and wicked to Him, we have been unappreciative of Him, and such a response makes  one lose the kingdom of God. It is said, "Therefore I tell you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation producing the fruits of it." If we truly desire the kingdom of God, let us glorify God by our lives, let us glorify Him with our gifts, talents, skills, etc.
Today's psalm reminds us that no one could stand in the way of God, whatever we do to end it will always turn around to bring it into past. The only thing that is demanded of the bearer of the plan is faithfulness, the faithfulness to God. The brothers of Joseph planned to end his dream, but their plan only served to fulfil the dream. This tells us that no one should fear enemy of progress; we only need to fear when we are not faithful to God. Though the road will be rough and turbulent, the dream will come to past, the plan of God for us will be fulfilled by our faithfulness to Him. It is said, "His feet were weighed down in chains, his neck was bound with iron, until what he said came to pass, and the word of the Lord proved him true. Then the king sent orders and released him; the ruler of the peoples set him free. He made him master of his house and ruler of all his possessions." This is a call to be faithful to God in all circumstances; let us not betray our faith but hold it dear at any time.

Grant, we pray, almighty God, that, purifying us by the sacred practice of penance, you may lead us in sincerity of heart to attain the holy things to come. Amen. (Opening prayer).

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke