Amid the greatest gales and the roughest waters, it is not the Holy Church that should fear threats, but her enemies.
Newsroom (01/02/2025 19:36, Gaudium Press) Much has been said recently about the threats of all kinds that surround the ship of the Holy Church in the increasingly rough waters of this world. There is no doubt that they are real. However, little or no mention is made of the threats uttered by the divine lips of the One who constituted that same ship and who, despite the illusory pretensions of the forces of evil, has maintained and led it victoriously for two thousand years.
While there were countless words of sweetness and forgiveness exhaled from the mouth of the Divine Master, there were also many threatening expressions against the most diverse categories of beings. He threatened the fever that prostrated Simon’s mother-in-law (cf. Lk 4:39) and the storm that terrified his disciples on the Sea of Tiberias (cf. Mk 4:39); he threatened the demons (cf. Mt 17:18; Mk 1:25; 9:25; Lk 4:35; 9:42) and his most faithful servants of the time, namely the scribes and Pharisees (cf. Mk 3:5; Mt 23:13-38; Lk 11:38-52) who had taken possession of Moses’ chair (cf. Mt 23:2). He also frequently included strong threats in his wise parables, for example, against the lax steward who, if found by his master mistreating his servants, would be cut in half (cf. Lk 12:46).
These threats were not lacking even in the most decisive moments of the Savior’s life, such as at the Holy Supper when he dictated to his disciples the sublime testament of his love: “Truly I tell you, one of you will betray me. […] But woe to that man by whom the Son of Man is betrayed! It would be better for that man if he had never been born” (Mt 26:21-24).
In light of these considerations, the parable of the vinedressers (cf. Lk 20:9-19) offers us a consoling application about the aforementioned threats that surround the Holy Church in our day. Three times, the master of the vineyard sends his servants to collect what is due from those who had rented it. However, the vinedressers beat and injure them, finally murdering their heir, who is also sent to them. Jesus then asks his listeners: “What will the owner of the vineyard do to them? He will come and destroy these vinedressers and give the vineyard to others” (Lk 20:15-16). This is what happened to the ministers of the Old Law who didn’t want to accept the Messiah, who recognized themselves without difficulty as these criminals (cf. Lk 20:19).
After referring to the cornerstone rejected by the builders, Our Lord seals his divine words with a threat: “Whoever falls on that stone will be broken, and whoever it falls on will be crushed” (Lk 20:18). Such intimidation can well be attributed to the Mystical Bride of the One who is that cornerstone, especially about the promise of her indefectibility (cf. Mt 16:18), for the parable shows that when good ministers are lacking, the Lord is not slow to send them, annihilating the usurpers.
Thus, amid the greatest gales and the most troubled waters, it is not the Holy Church who should fear threats, but her enemies. The external ones, who will break when they fall on this rock; and the internal ones, who will be crushed when they see it fall on them with the weight of the Blessed Virgin‘s heel: “She will crush it” (Gen 3:15).
Text taken from Heralds of the Gospel Magazine no. 266, February 2024. Editorial.
Compiled by Dominic Joseph
