Sunday, October 4, 2026
Twenty-Seventh Sunday in Ordinary Time
Isaiah 5:1-7 | Philippians 4:6-9 | Matthew 21:33-43
I have chosen you from the world, says the Lord, to go and bear fruit that will remain. — John 15:16
Today, on the Twenty-seventh Sunday of the year and feast of St. Francis, we bring the Season of Creation to a conclusion. Hopefully, it has been a time to contemplate the awesome beauty and complexity of creation, as well as a moment to renew our commitment to protect and nurture this magnificent gift of God.
It began as a day of prayer for creation by Ecumenical Patriarch Dimitrios I in 1989 and extended to Creationtide, a season of prayer for creation, by the World Council of Churches. It was established as a Roman Catholic liturgical season by Pope Francis in 2019. This ecumenical event is celebrated by all Christians at a time when our home, our world, including human society, is threatened with existential disaster. Just as we Christians celebrate life with hope, even in the face of death, we are called to protect, appreciate and even celebrate our common home, the earth, the gift of our Creator that we are one with, even in the face of an ecological doomsday that appears so imminent.
We remember St. Francis today especially for his spirituality firmly rooted in reverence for all of creation; a mystic who could see the oneness of creation and God as it actually exists. His ability to connect with the universe, living creatures, people and God in a dynamic of mutual respect and affectionate charity — a dynamic of selfless love — is still an inspiration even 800 years after his death. St. Francis is a magnificent example of the lasting fruit that we are all called to produce.
The readings today remind us of just how easily things can go awry.
We hear about the well-cultivated vineyard that produces wild grapes, and we hear about the tenant farmers who refuse to pay the appropriate return to the landlord. In the back of my mind, I am wondering about the landlord who is willing to sacrifice his servants and even his son to collect the rent due. In both readings, we hear about improper relationships that are rooted in narcissistic self-interest in place of selfless love. It is inevitable that when we relate to creation, to each other, and even to God in a self-centered manner, things will go wrong. When we exploit creation for our own self-interest rather than protect and promote it through good stewardship, we defile God’s gift as well as each other and ourselves.
The Season of Creation is about right relationships. It is about relationships built on mutuality, respect and selfless love. When we are in right relationship with creation, with one another, and with God, we follow the example of St. Francis, and we grow in Christ. We become the person God created us to be.
Despite the egocentrism, violence, destruction, and evil we see in our world each day, a new world, God’s Reign, is possible; in fact, it is very near. It depends on each one of us answering God’s call to leave behind the world of evil built on the dynamic of narcissism and to strive to build a world caught up in the dynamic of selfless love. That is the way to go and bear fruit that will remain. It depends on each of us transforming our relationships with Creation, with each other, and with God. In that process we become the new person that St. Paul speaks of. Not an easy task, but worthwhile.
We don’t have to wait to be able to perform great deeds before answering this call. As we end this Season of Creation, maybe there are one or two things in my life that I can change to be a better steward of God’s creation and possibly something that I can change to improve my relationship with others. If we commit ourselves to this process, inertia will help carry us forward because as St. Paul points out the victory is already won. With God, everything is possible, so:
Brothers and sisters, have no anxiety at all, but in everything,
by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving,
make your requests known to God.
Father Raymond Finch lived and worked in the Andean regions of Latin America for three decades, including over 20 years in Peru and then as director of the Maryknoll Center for Mission in Latin America in Cochabamba, Bolivia. Originally from Brooklyn, New York, he has twice served as superior general of the Maryknoll Fathers and Brothers.
To read other Scripture reflections published by the Maryknoll Office for Global Concerns, click here.
Featured image: A rainbow is featured above a landscape in the mountains of Puno, Peru, where Maryknoll Father Raymond worked with the Indigenous Aymara community for more than 20 years. (Nile Sprague/Peru)
