Over the last 3 Sundays Jesus has told 3 different parables about the vineyard. Today we hear the most dramatic of these parables. This is the shocking story of the ungrateful and rebellious tenants who try to take over the landowner’s beautiful vineyard for themselves, and kill his servants and then his son. This is, of course, a story about God and the human race and how we have treated God and His creation. The vineyard is an image which runs all the way through the Bible from Genesis to the Book of Revelation – it is a symbol of the joy & blessing which God desires for our lives. But in the ways we abuse & even destroy the vineyard, it also reveals our ingratitude, negligence and rejection of God’s blessings. Jesus calls us to be true partners to God and each other

How does this connect with our lives today? Two things to consider:

1) One of God’s great gifts to us is our parish. This is a vineyard where God blesses us and gives himself to us in so many ways. He feeds us and nourishes with his living Word and his own Body and Blood in the Eucharist. He strengthens us and protects us through the gift of our community, and he calls us into an ever-deeper relationship with him both as individuals and as members of the parish family. This month is a very special month for our parish as we prepare for Archbishop Richard’s visit on Sunday 25th October. May this be a time to re-commit ourselves to a deeper connection with God and to our parish. May we be fruitful and faithful labourers in God’s vineyard here in White City!

2) Part of our mission is to care and reflect the abundant love of God through our generous support for those most in need in our global family. This weekend is the CAFOD HARVEST FAST DAY appeal. CAFOD urgently needs our help to support people facing devastating poverty around the world. See www.cafod.org.uk for more information about the life-saving, world-changing work which CAFOD does on our behalf.


With blessings & prayers from Fr Richard, Fr Ephrem & all the parish team
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