In today's gospel, Jesus presents Himself as the vine, and wine production lends itself meaningfully to a deeper understanding of the Church's mission. God likened His people to a vineyard, cultivated and tended for harvest, and looked after with love and commitment. The canticle of Isaiah in the first reading tells us of God's relationship with his vineyard (the Church) from the moment He planted it till that moment, sometime in the future, when He will harvest His crop. God desires the very best from his vineyard, so He is simply disappointed if the grape harvest fails. People are also disappointed when they expect grapes from God's vineyard and get sour grapes instead. These are times of turbulence for true faith. Lately, in the wake of sex abuse crimes by members of the clergy, many people all over the world are simply leaving the Church. These people are finding themselves at crossraods where trust in institutions like the Church is concerned. They are desperate for something solid to hold on to. Believers are being called to go beyond the collective fears that make our time.If there is instability, that should point to foundation issues that need attention. God offers stability in the only thing that cannot fail - God's faithfullness itself. The call for a new evangelisation that risks becoming a cliche' should provide us with the right perspective to look at reality with the eyes of God. The Church, after Israel, was originally designed to be a people through whom God reveals His love for the world. This should never be distorted.
