Monday, August 3
Liturgical Color: Green
Today the Church honors Nicodemus, the
member of the Sanhedrin who was a
secret follower of Jesus. He convinced the
other members that Jesus was entitled to
a trial, and later helped St. Joseph of
Arimathea prepare Jesus for burial.
Day 215 - The Parable of the Wicked Tenants
Today’s Reading: Luke 20:9-18
9 And he began to tell the people this parable: “A man planted a vineyard, and leased it to tenants, and went into another country for a long while. 10 When the time came, he sent a servant to the tenants, that they should give him some of the fruit of the vineyard; but the tenants beat him, and sent him away empty-handed. 11 And he sent another servant; him also they beat and treated shamefully, and sent him away empty-handed. 12 And he sent yet a third; this one they wounded and cast out. 13 Then the owner of the vineyard said, What shall I do? I will send my beloved son; it may be they will respect him.’ 14 But when the tenants saw him, they said to themselves, This is the heir; let us kill him, that the inheritance may be ours.’ 15 And they cast him out of the vineyard and killed him. What then will the owner of the vineyard do to them? 16 He will come and destroy those tenants, and give the vineyard to others.” When they heard this, they said, “God forbid!” 17 But he looked at them and said, “What then is this that is written: The very stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone’? 18 Every one who falls on that stone will be broken to pieces; but when it falls on any one it will crush him.”
Today’s Commentary:
Psalm 118 describes the Messiah as one rejected by Israel’s builders, yet chosen by Yahweh to be the honored foundation stone of a new Temple. Isaiah 8 describes the Lord as a stumbling stone that will trip and destroy the sinners of Israel, especially those in Jerusalem. Daniel 2 recounts a vision in which God destroys the empires of the earth with a crushing stone, replacing them with his messianic kingdom.