I’ve always thought the Parable of the Tenants could be a storyline on one of those “world’s dumbest criminals” shows.

Serial murder seems like an absolutely insane course of action simply to hoard the profits of a harvest you don’t legally own. In what world did the tenants think they would get away with that? Furthermore, they must have had a contract with their landowner ensuring payment for their labor. Why, all of a sudden, is this payment not enough?

This Sunday, Jesus tells a short, uncomfortable story. A father asks two sons to go work in the vineyard. One says no, but later goes. The other says yes, but never shows up. It is a parable so simple, we almost miss how sharp it is. Jesus is clear about who it is for. This is not aimed at pagans or outsiders. It is aimed squarely at religious people, people who know the right words and sound obedient.

Every December, the priests of my diocese gather for a Christmas dinner with our bishop. Nearly 200 of us in one room: newly ordained and long retired, pastors of large parishes and quiet confessors, men full of energy and others moving more slowly. Some carry visible success; others bear hidden wounds. It is a tapestry of vocations and lives. When the bishop thanks us, I am always moved. For a moment, none of our differences matter. What matters is that we belong to one another.

In my parish, there was once a new employee who frequently told me she was sorry for various imperfections in her work. It could be a little tiring. I finally told her, “You know, you don’t have to say ‘sorry’ so often.” She looked me right in the eyes and said, “Father, you’re right. I’m sorry.” Her ear-to-ear grin betrayed that she enjoyed the irony — and that she would keep asking for forgiveness as often as she needed it.

Thank you to all our faithful benefactors for your generous gifts to our Parish Beautification projects! Since June of 2026, we received $58,085.00 from 303 families of Saint Joan of Arc parish. THANK YOU! THANK YOU! THANK YOU! This tells me that you trust God with what he has entrusted to you as a gift. We can all learn to be good stewards of God’s grace through Saint Peter: Each of you should use whatever gift you have received to serve others, as faithful stewards of God’s grace in its various forms.” (1 Peter 4:10)