Psalm XXVII SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME

Psalm 79, which the liturgy of the XXVII Sunday in Ordinary Time presents to us, refers to the three northern tribes, Ephraim, Benjamin, and Manasseh. This suggests that this Psalm may have referred to the Assyrian invasion that concluded in 722 BC with the destruction of Samaria. The psalmist offers his prayer before the sad conclusion and implores God to intervene to save his people. The Psalm is composed of five stanzas, three of which end with a refrain: “Restore us, God of hosts; make your face shine, and we will be saved!” (vv. 4, 8, 20).
Through the traditional image of the vine, frequent in the Bible, the psalmist sketches the history of Israel. This vine, transplanted from Egypt into the Promised Land, flourished and occupied the entire land. Now the psalmist wonders why this vine has fallen into such desolation, to the point that any wild beast can ravage it (vv. 9-17).
The Church is the vineyard of God. Christ is the true vine, we are the branches, and the Father is the vinedresser (Jn 15:1-8). In Christ, the ancient unfaithful vineyard has been renewed, and from it has arisen the Church, which forms one single thing with him and extends its roots over the entire earth. This gives all of us a feeling of great hope and trust in God’s intervention, who will always intervene to save us.