“Making Jesus as the ‘cornerstone’ of our life and faith, and being responsible stewards for the Kingdom of God!”

(Based on Gen 37:3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28a and Mt 21:33-43, 45-46 – Friday of the 2nd Week in Lent)

A patient in a hospital – lying on the bed – accidentally knocked over a cup of water, kept on the side-table…
… which spilled on the floor, beside the bed.

The patient was afraid he might slip on the water if he got out of the bed, so he asked a nurse’s aide to mop it up.

The patient however, didn’t know it; but the hospital policy said that…
… small spills were the responsibility of the nurse’s aides
… while large spills were to be mopped up by the hospital’s housekeeping group.

The nurse’s aide decided the spill was a large one…
… and she called the housekeeping department.

A housekeeper arrived and declared the spill to be a small one.

An argument followed.
“It’s not my responsibility,” said the nurse’s aide, “because it’s a large puddle.” >> The housekeeper did not agree. “Well, it’s not mine,” she said, “the spill of water is too small.”

The exasperated patient listened for a while, wondering at this “futile game of passing the responsibility of who mops the spilled water'”….
… then took a pitcher of water from his night table
… and poured the whole thing on the floor, as he retorted: “Is that big enough now, for you two to decide?”

It was…
… and that was the end of the argument!

Very often, we tend to ‘close our minds and block our hearts’ and stay away from doing our responsibilities…
… citing excuses and claims which favour our personal agenda.

Am I also engaged in the “futile game of passing the responsibility?”

The Gospel of the Day presents Jesus confronting closed minds and blocked hearts, in recognizing Him as the Messiah and Saviour…
… with an invitation to “take up responsibilities in life!”

Jesus puts forward the parable of the tenants.

The tenants were entrusted with the vineyard by the Master, and were expected to provide the produce in due time.

They were entrusted fully with the taking care of the vineyard.

The Master places a lot of trust in the servants.

He gives freedom – a responsible freedom
… which could be meaningfully used and nurtured
… or which could be woefully misused and manipulated.

However, the tenants, who were trusted immensely, probably lost their focus on the real trust and diminished in their commitment and responsibility to their Master as well as their duty.

Their personal interests gained greater prominence over their entrusted duties.

This led to them to a total denial of all the emissaries and servants of the Master, who were sent to collect the produce.

This denial was extended even to the Master’s own Son!

This denial of the Son led to the letting loose of the anger and fury of the Just Master!

A squandering away of the responsible freedom, led to the downfall of the tenants!
A failure to give heed to the emissaries and servants caused them to face the Master’s rage!
A denial and rejection of the Master’s own Son, with a cruel intent, caused their destruction!

Are we also, as Christians, as tenants of the Heavenly Master failing in our responsibilities and duties?

The Lord presents Himself as the cornerstone…
… “the stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone..” (Mt 21:42)

In ancient practices of building, the cornerstone was the principal stone.

It was placed at the corner of the edifice or the building.

The cornerstone was usually one of the largest, the most solid, and the most carefully constructed of any in the whole building structure.

A cornerstone gives direction to the rest of the foundation.
It is also the support on which the rest of the building relies for strength and stability.

Jesus is the cornerstone…of Salvation… of the Church… of His People!

Conversely, Jesus can also be “a stumbling block”

As it is written in Romans 9:33, “Behold, I lay in Zion a stumbling stone and rock of offense; and whoever believes on Him will not be put to shame”

To those who believe, Jesus is the cornerstone of their faith and their life.

To those who do not believe, Jesus is the stumbling block in their faith!

Who is Jesus in our life?

The cornerstone? or a stumbling block?

The cornerstone to build a wonderful life in God and grow in holiness…
… or a stumbling block which causes us to take pride in our own merits, and not depend on Him?

The cornerstone to stand firm and strong in faith to withstand every storm of life…
… or a stumbling block which makes us uncertain, hesitant and cause a collapse in life?

As we enter into the new month of March, we are called to take up responsibilities in our life…
… to stop the tendency to ‘close our minds and block our hearts’
… and citing excuses and claims which favour our personal agenda.

Let us make Jesus the “cornerstone” of our life and faith…
… and be responsible stewards for the Kingdom of God!

Live Jesus! God Bless!

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📖 Discovering the beauty of the Catholic Church through the Catechism
LIFE IN CHRIST – PARTICIPATION IN SOCIAL LIFE

Authority is exercised legitimately only when it seeks the common good of the group concerned…
… and if it employs morally licit means to attain it.
If rulers were to enact unjust laws or take measures contrary to the moral order…
… such arrangements would not be binding in conscience.

In such a case, “authority breaks down completely and results in shameful abuse.” (CCC # 1903)