THE SUFFERING OF THE GOOD
Like Jesus, the best we can do is to show our solidarity with those who are suffering around us simply by being with them and needing to say little.
Generally, on TV and in the media it's ever present: we witness the misery of those who are abandoned, homeless, or abused; the exploitation of the poor; the accidental or criminal death of parents and loved ones. Jesus Himself took His place among the unjustly tried and His suffering and death are put before us at the altars of our churches, serving as a daily reminder of His solidarity with those who are suffering.
In the first reading from the Book of Tobit, he is trying to do all the good deeds that are part of his faith. He invites the poor to eat with him and he buries the dead who are left in the streets. For the latter, like an exile in a foreign land, he is liable to execution. The good deeds he does seem, at times, only to be rewarded with trouble and disappointment. Jesus, the Beloved of His Father, is rejected by the people He came to save. By Jesus' resurrection we see the triumph of the poor and rejected, although, this doesn't immediately wipe away the tears of the turbulent times we must face. Like Jesus, the best we can do is to show our solidarity with those who are suffering around us simply by being with them and needing to say little.
In the Gospel of Mark, the parable we read serves as a review of salvation history. The vineyard represents the Lord's Chosen People. The tenant farmers are the religious leaders of Israel. The servants are the prophets of old, and the beloved Son is Jesus Christ. As a result of killing the son, the vineyard will be taken from the religious leaders and given to a new people. The heart of the story will be dramatized in the Passion narrative. Social oppression, and Mark's rendition of the life of Jesus, both emphasize the saving role of Christ and the Kingdom of our heavenly Father.
In today's Responsorial Psalm we acclaim, "Blessed the man who fears the Lord" (Ps 112:1b). We need to remember what the theme of this Psalm is saying. Jesus Christ, the Light, shines through the darkness for His people; God is always gracious and merciful and just! Regardless of how it might seem at times, our heavenly Father is still guiding the course of salvation history, so make each day a Light of a New Dawn!