Today's readings are here: http://www.usccb.org/bible/readings/030912.cfm
When we were baptized, God the Father entrusted the vineyard, which is his Son, to us that we might be stewards of this precious gift and bring forth the fruit of the vineyard. God does not leave us on our own to tend his vineyard; he sends us his servants: the pope, bishops, and priests, to guide us. If we listen to their teaching, which is really the teaching of Christ through them, we will produce the fruit of the vineyard.
The question is: Do we listen to the servants God sends to help us tend the vineyard? Or do we listen to the ideas and perspectives of our secular culture? I realize there are times when we have a legitimate problem with a teaching of the Church. In these times, we need to draw close to the Lord in frequent prayer and ask him to give us the gifts of humility and docility. These will keep us from becoming obstinate and hard-hearted and will keep our hearts open to what our Lord is saying through his Church, which he has made the pillar and bulwark of the truth. It is also helpful to keep in mind that, because our Lord has promised to guide the Church into all the truth, she knows what makes us fully human and fully happy in a way our secular culture often does not.
As part of our Lenten growth, may God strengthen us to avail ourselves of the help his servants give, so we might produce the fruit of the vineyard.
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