Cry Room Chronicles LVIII

We were back at our usual haunt, the 9 a.m. Mass at St. Robert's. The new addition was Auntie Gayle, who is visiting us for a week. We arrived early as usual, allowing Jacob to get a potty run in before Mass started.

Mass started with "Amazing Grace," which is the song that we are singing before dinner. Jacob and Lucy sang along, which made us very happy. Then father taught us to sing some parts of the newly translated Mass, including the Gospel Alleluia, the Holy, Holy, Holy, the Lamb of God, and other parts.

Lucy decided to go to the children's liturgy of the word across the street with Auntie Gayle and Mommy. Jacob and I stayed in church. Jacob was very well behaved, for which I was grateful. He sat quietly and did sing along with other parts and did his best with the Creed. He did spend a last part of Mass trying to shush Lucy, who had a little too much volume when she talked. They both put money in the collection, shook hands, and said some of the Our Father.

After Mass was over, we lit candles as is our custom. Jacob prayed for Lucy; I'm not sure what Lucy said she prayed for. We went back across the street for tea and snacks. The lady who led the pre-school liturgy of the word came over and talked to Lucy, who apparently did a great job and colored in a lion. I have the picture now. Too bad our fridge isn't metal on the outside, otherwise we'd hang it up.

Father's sermon built off of the gospel, Jesus's parable about a vineyard owner who rents out his land to tenants who abuse and kill the landowner's servants when they come to collect at harvest time. He finally sends his son whom they kill, figuring on taking his inheritance. Jesus asked the elders and chief priests who were listening what they thought. They said the landowner should come back and put the tenants to a wretched end and then rent the vineyard out to others who will pay at the proper time. Jesus then tells them, "the kingdom of God will be taken away from you and given to a people that will produce its fruit."

Father interpreted this parable as a call to take proper care of the Earth. We need to be good stewards of the creation given to us, especially in taking care of the poor and others who do not have what they need to live. I thought this was okay but missed the mark for what Jesus was saying. In addition to material reality, we need to be good stewards of the faith given to us, being fruitful and offering our work to Him.