A wedding reception is considered by most people as the epitome of grand celebrations. Anyone who has been involved in a wedding knows the incredible amount of planning and work that it entails. A site must be located, food tested, wedding garments tried on, seating plans ar- ranged, flowers chosen, bands/DJ’s interviewed; countless details decided and changed and rearranged. For better or worse, wedding celebrations are not just the expression of love between a man and woman but are representations of the families being joined in the union. The list of those who are to be invited to a wedding is incredibly difficult to produce. One’s response to a wedding invitation is a statement of approval, not just of the couple getting married, but of their respective families.
    Wedding customs are different when looked at over time and between cul- tures and religious backgrounds but the basic understanding of the union of two individuals does not change. The parable Jesus tells in to- day’s Gospel reflects his culture and society. Weddings were celebrations of the entire population of a village. Most of the people in a village would have been in the same tribal family. The idea that a person would not ac- cept an invitation would have been considered shameful. The idea that an invitation, some- thing usually reserved only to family, would be sent out to whomever was met on the “high roads” was equally shameful. But that is ex- actly what is happening in today’s Gospel.
    Next week, we will begin a year-long celebration of the 75th anniversary of St. Margaret Mary Parish. Over the years, we and those who have gone before us have responded one way or another to the invita- tion of the Lord to the feast of His Word and His Body and Blood. In this year, you will be invited to join in a special way in the work of our parish. The theme of our anniversary year is “A Pilgrim People Celebrating our Faith”. As we enter the celebration, let us remember that our pilgrimage is our re- sponse to the invitation that calls us into the banquet of the Kingdom.

Many of us have driven to the central coast of California, to the Santa Ynes, Napa and Sonoma Valleys. The acres of grapevines punctuated by wineries offer a sense of beauty, of plenty and of graceful living. From ancient times, vineyards have been symbols of peace and security. One had to be secure in one’s place and lifestyle to have the time to plant vines, wait for them to produce fruit and then begin the process of wine production. For people in the time of Jesus, wine was a symbol of peace, celebration, security and community and because of that, the vineyard was regarded almost as holy ground. The desecration of a vineyard would be considered among the most vile of acts.

The words on the cornerstone of our Cathedral of Our Lady of the Angels quote the prophet Isaiah (56) “My house will be a house of prayer for all people.” Cornerstones originally were set as the first block of a building that defined the axis of the structure and gave strength to the rising walls. Today, cornerstones take on a much more symbolic role, defining the function or philosophy of the building, recognizing that a building is just a pile of material without a role in the community.

In today’s Gospel, we have the parable of the vineyard where the owner plants the vines, secures the plot with a hedge and tower and hires laborers to care for it. These laborers desecrate the vineyard by persecuting and killing the messengers of the owner, including the owner’s son. Not only do these laborers renege on their contract with the owner to pay him his part of the harvest but they shed blood on that holy ground. When the chief priests and elders are questioned about what the owner will/should do to those unfaithful workers, they respond that, “he will put those wretched men to a wretched death and lease his vineyard to others.” These others will become the “cornerstone” of the Kingdom, allowing it to grow and produce fruit that will not just sustain life but celebrate it.

The parable is a practical story about the Kingdom of God that we encounter each day in our own lives. Where is the ‘vineyard’ in which we work? Our homes and families? Our jobs? Our community? Our Church? Do we respect it as the holy ground that God has given to us to use and make fruitful? Are we willing to become the cornerstone of the Kingdom that supports, sustains and celebrates the reign of God here and now?

As we look forward to celebrating our 75th anniversary, we can reflect on those people who formed the cornerstone for our parish community on which we have continued to build. We also ask that the Lord make our vineyard fruitful so that those who come after us might be strengthened and enriched by the work and ministry in which we have participated.