Taking Care Of God’s Vineyard

Speaker: Archbishop Loren Thomas Hines

October 05, 2026

in Spritual Growth

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October 04, 2026

Readings:
Isaiah 5:1-9
Philippians 3:14-21
Matthew 21:33-43

19th Sunday of Ordinary Time 2026 Homily – Abp. Hines

Christ speaks to us through parables in order to reveal what He wants us to understand. He gives us instructions and directions. Today, He talks about the perfection of His creation. Everything is kept in order and balance. God has put all these things in perfection. In the Gospel, we see a vineyard, just as He created the garden. The plan was there from the very beginning- perfect and just made for man. God is life. He is the Source of Life. He is our strength, power and ability. Isaiah 61:3 describes how God replaces mourning and despair with beauty, joy, and praise, making His people “trees of righteousness, the planting of the Lord, that he might be glorified.” Man however, in his ignorance has destroyed many things in God’s creation. Isaiah 5: 1-2 I will sing for the one I love a song about his vineyard: My loved one had a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up and cleared it of stones and planted it with the choicest vines.

We have been given everything we need in life; water, oil, all the natural resources. The world and all it contains belongs to God. He expects us to give Him the glory that is due to Him and the benefits that belong to Him which are; taking care of others, being a blessing to them, doing things for them. Unfortunately, man in his greed has kept things for himself and not think of other’s needs.

The Parable goes on to say that A landowner establishes a fully equipped vineyard—complete with a wall, a winepress, and a watchtower—and leases it to tenant farmers before moving away. When harvest time arrives, he sends his servants to collect his share of the fruit. Instead of paying, the tenants beat, stone, and kill successive groups of servants. Finally, the owner sends his own son, thinking, “They will respect my son.” However, the tenants recognize the son as the heir and conspire to murder him outside the vineyard to seize his inheritance. Jesus then poses a question to his listeners: “When the owner comes, what will he do to those tenants?”

In our lives today, we should realize that everything belongs to God. We need to give Him what is due to Him. When we receive blessings from God, we should use them wisely and share our blessings with others. There will be that day when our bodies will die, but our spirit lives on. All the vastness of the land has been given to man for our use. But what has man done? He has caused its destruction by cutting down the trees and stripping its forest and vegetation bare and all for their own profit. If we truly study God’s ways and follow Him, then we would have joy and peace and be able to enjoy the life He has given us. What will the owner of the vineyard do to the keeper of the vineyard? Will he just ignore what has been done and let it go? Yes, God is a God of mercy, but He is also a God of Discipline.