Today, October 4
Feast of the Day
No feast of the day
Saint of the Day
Francesco Bernardone was born in Assisi, Italy, in 1181 or 1182. The son of a wealthy silk merchant, Francis lived a life of comfort and pleasure. As a young soldier and prisoner of war, he survived severe illness and gave up the idea of being a knight. Believing his call was to serve God and the poor, he chose the way of poverty and self-denial. In 1206, he felt called to repair God's house and decided to follow the command literally. His angry father disinherited him and denounced him as a madman. Francis began to live on alms and continued to repair churches. In 1209 he understood that his work was to build up the Church by preaching repentance. His zeal for God won disciples, and in 1210 a rule was approved, with the pope giving Francis and his companions a commission to preach. By 1219, they numbered 5,000.
At Christmas 1223, Francis built a crèche, beginning a custom which has spread throughout Christendom. The following September, Francis received the stigmata, marks on his own body resembling the wounds of the crucified Christ. Francis is also recognized as being the first to teach that the earth itself is holy.
Francis remained a deacon all his life and his visionary leadership inspired thousands to lead lives of poverty, simplicity and humble service, delighting in creation and consumed with love for Christ. Francis died at Assisi on the evening of October 3, 1226, and was canonized two years later. He is a patron of Italy and of ecologists.
©2011 Living with Christ, Novalis - Bayard Press Canada Inc., http://www.livingwithchrist.ca/. Reprinted with permission.
Readings of the Day
Book of Isaiah 5,1-7.
Let me now sing of my friend, my friend's song concerning his vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; He spaded it, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines; Within it he built a watchtower, and hewed out a wine press. Then he looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and men of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard: Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of the LORD of hosts is the house of Israel, and the men of Judah are his cherished plant; He looked for judgment, but see, bloodshed! for justice, but hark, the outcry!
Psalms 80(79),9.12.13-14.15-16.19-20.
You brought a vine out of Egypt; you drove away the nations and planted it. It put forth its foliage to the sea, its shoots as far as the river. Why have you broken down the walls, so that all who pass by pluck its fruit? The boar from the forest strips the vine; the beast of the field feeds upon it. Once again, O LORD of hosts, look down from heaven, and see: take care of this vine, and protect what your right hand has planted the son of man whom you yourself made strong. Then we will no more withdraw from you; give us new life, and we will call upon your name. LORD of hosts, restore us; let your face shine upon us, that we may be saved.
Letter to the Philippians 4,6-9.
Have no anxiety at all, but in everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God. Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence and if there is anything worthy of praise, think about these things. Keep on doing what you have learned and received and heard and seen in me. Then the God of peace will be with you.
Holy Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Saint Matthew 21,33-43.
Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people: "Hear another parable. There was a landowner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug a wine press in it, and built a tower. Then he leased it to tenants and went on a journey. When vintage time drew near, he sent his servants to the tenants to obtain his produce. But the tenants seized the servants and one they beat, another they killed, and a third they stoned. Again he sent other servants, more numerous than the first ones, but they treated them in the same way. Finally, he sent his son to them, thinking, 'They will respect my son.' But when the tenants saw the son, they said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and acquire his inheritance.' They seized him, threw him out of the vineyard, and killed him. What will the owner of the vineyard do to those tenants when he comes?" They answered him, "He will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to other tenants who will give him the produce at the proper times." Jesus said to them, "Did you never read in the scriptures: 'The stone that the builders rejected has become the cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes'? Therefore, I say to you, the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit.
Daily Reflection
"The vineyard of the Lord of Hosts is the house of Israel" says the prophet (Is 5:7). We ourselves are this house... and, since we are his Israel, we are the vineyard. So let us take good care that grapes of wrath (Rv 14:19) rather than sweetness do not grow from our branches, so that no one may say to us: "I expected grapes but it yielded wild grapes" (Is 5:4). What fruitless soil! The soil that should have presented its master with fruits of sweetness, pierced him with its sharp thorns. In the same way his enemies, who ought to have welcomed our Savior with all the devotion of their faith, crowned him with the thorns of his Passion. In their eyes this crown expressed insult and abuse, but in the Lord's eyes it was the crown of virtue... My brethren, take good care that no one says with regard to you: "He expected it to yield grapes, but it yielded wild grapes" (Is 5:2)... Let us be careful that our evil deeds do not rub against our Lord's head like thorns. There are thorns in the heart that have even wounded the word of God, as our Lord says in the gospel when he relates how the sower's seed fell among thorns that grew and choked what had been sown (Mt 13:7)... So take care that your vineyard does not bring forth thorns instead of grapes and your vintage produce vinegar instead of wine. Anyone who gathers in the grapes without sharing them with the poor is collecting vinegar instead of wine; and anyone who stores his harvests without sharing them with needy is not setting aside the fruit of almsgiving but the briars of greed.