St. Matthew Catholic Church

Weekly Message     

Blessings to Bodacious

Dear brothers and sisters,   

     Imagine planting a vineyard. You carefully prepare the soil, plant the best  vines, build a fence around them, provide  water and protection, and patiently wait for  the harvest. After all that work, you  naturally expect good fruit. God has done  it. The 1st reading says, “I expected good  grapes, but it produced wild grapes.”

     Jesus uses the same image. A landowner carefully  prepares his vineyard and entrusts it to tenants. When  harvest time comes, he expects them to give him the fruit.  Instead, they reject his servants and finally even kill his  son. The vineyard represents God's people - and  ultimately each one of us.

     We are Blessed: God has given us so much: life, family,  faith, talents, opportunities, friends, work, health, His  Church, and above all, His Son, Jesus Christ. Sometimes  we focus so much on what we lack than what we already  have. Gratitude begins when we recognize them.

     Blessings are Fruits: God does not bless us simply to  keep His gifts for ourselves. A vineyard exists to produce  fruit. God gives us love so we can love, forgives so we  can forgive, and faith so we can witness.

     Fruits are Bodacious: The fruits God desires are not  grapes or apples, but love, forgiveness, kindness,  patience, mercy, and generosity. Our faith becomes  beautiful when it produces good fruit in our daily lives.

     St. Paul reminds us to fill our minds with what is true,  honorable, just, pure, lovely, and worthy of praise. What  fills our minds eventually appears in our words and  actions. When we fill our hearts with God’s Word, prayer,  and gratitude, our lives produce good fruit. The secret  ingredient is gratitude. God blesses us > We recognize  His blessings > We become grateful > We share our  blessings > Our lives produce good fruit.

Blessings!

  Msgr. Xavier Pappu                     

                     Insert:  Giving to God/Dar a Dios.pdf
                              Please pray for vocations to the priesthood 
                          for the Priests of our Diocese; & for our Bishop

                 Download our Parish Mobile App "Myparish Classic" 
                                                      on your Playstore  or Appstore