Post-feast of Theophany; the Holy Martyr Tatiana
Read
1 Peter 1:1-2, 10-12; 2:6-10; Mark 12:1-12
Christ is born! Glorify Him!
Have you ever lived in a rental apartment? Have you ever been a tenant? If you have, you probably know that this is a much different experience than owning your own home. While you work on making your rental unit your own with your own furniture and decor, it’s not like you can move into a rental apartment and start knocking walls down to make it exactly how you want it. Being a tenant means being subject to a landlord who is the ultimate owner.
Many faithful Catholics have a great ownership over their faith and their parish community and while having personal ownership and responsibility over these two things is important and can be part of a healthy relationship with our Lord, we must remember that we are more tenant than owner. Every generation within the Church brings its own ways of interaction between the Church and the world, its use of ever-changing and evolving technology, and many other things. But these are aesthetic changes that respect and affirm the presence of the true owner and landlord, God, who has leased us this vineyard, and He desires that we bear plentiful fruit.
My responsibility and yours, as faithful followers of Christ, is to be a tenant. We are to work hard for fruit to be borne and reaped. It is not our job to make drastic changes, rip foundations, and take over as if we are the owners. We are not the owners; we are tenants, and ultimately, we will be judged for the fruit that we bore or failed to produce as tenants in God’s vineyard.