Mary’s Donkey
(Isa.5:1-7; Phil.4:6-9; Mt.21:33-43)
Blessed Fulton Sheen is deservedly getting plenty of press coverage these days. But it’s worthwhile remembering that there was another person who also became a huge international media sensation in the 20th Century. He was an Irish-born man named Patrick Peyton.
In 1938, while he was a seminarian in Washington DC, Patrick caught incurable tuberculosis. His only hope, his doctor said, was prayer. In response, he poured his heart into praying the Rosary, and promised Mary that he would dedicate his life to her if he survived. Months later, he was miraculously healed.
He was ordained in 1941, and then spent the next 50 years telling the world about the power of prayer.
Starting with no money or connections, and poor health, he managed to conquer Hollywood and the global media for Jesus Christ. He recruited thousands of people, even stars like Bing Crosby, Grace Kelly and Frank Sinatra, into organising mass prayer gatherings in stadiums all over the world. In Manila, for example, in 1985, two million people came to pray the Rosary.
The actress Jane Wyman once said, ‘Somehow, when Fr Peyton asked you for something, there was no way to say no.’
He became one of the most famous religious figures of the last century, but he never lost his humility, despite his connection with celebrities. One of his friends said, ‘He didn’t change. They did.’
When asked how a humble priest could attract so many people to his Family Rosary Crusades, he replied, ‘I’m just Mary’s donkey. A simple pack animal. My only job is to carry Jesus and his mother to the world, and then get out of the way.’[i]
Patrick Peyton had many blessings, but he didn’t just sit back and enjoy them. He actively used them to help spread the love of God.
Now, contrast that story with Jesus’ Parable of the Wicked Tenants in today’s Gospel. A landowner sets up a fine vineyard and leases it to tenants before going away. At harvest time, he sends his servants to collect the rent, which is a share of the produce.
These tenants have been given a fine home and a good livelihood, but they forget their obligations. Instead of welcoming the servants and sharing their crop, they beat one, kill another, and stone a third. Finally, the landowner sends his own son, thinking they will surely respect him. But they kill him, too.
What is their sin? It’s not just violence; it’s also twisted pride. They want all the benefits of the vineyard without any accountability. They mistake stewardship for possession, and forget that all they have belongs to the Master.
Today, this is a temptation many people have fallen into. They see their lives, talents, and successes as their own achievements, rather than gifts from God.
They even become defensive and resentful at the thought of sharing some of their fruits with God. Like the wicked tenants, their pride makes them treat God like an intruder rather than the Lord of their lives.
There is no pride, however, in Patrick Peyton’s image of ‘Mary’s donkey.’
Pack animals like donkeys don’t claim to own the cargo they haul. They don’t boast about the vineyard’s beauty or the harvest’s value. They simply plod onward, faithfully doing whatever the Master asks them to do. This is stewardship.
God is not looking for proud tenants who want to build their own kingdoms. He’s looking for humble servants who are willing to carry Jesus into the world. He’s looking for people who understand that everything they have is a gift to be shared, and not just a prize to be hoarded.
At the end of his parable, Jesus warns that the kingdom of God will be taken away from wicked tenants and given to those who will produce its fruit.
So, how might we become fruitful today? How might we become faithful pack animals for Christ rather than wicked tenants?
It all begins with prayer. Patrick Peyton’s life was all about prayer. His healing came from prayer, his life mission came from prayer, and he spent his whole life promoting the power of prayer. It was he who famously said, ‘The family that prays together stays together.’ [ii]
When a family gathers to pray, especially the Rosary, they are in effect saying, ‘We don’t own this home. We don’t own this family. God is the Master of our lives; we are simply his servants.’
Daily prayer resets our perspective. It strips away our pride and reminds us of our dependence on God. It allows us to give God the fruit he is owed by dedicating our time, our relationships, and our hearts back to him.
So, this week, let’s stop thinking like those uncooperative tenants. Let’s stop trying to control our own destiny. Let’s no longer pretend we can do it all alone.
Instead, let’s pray for the grace to be like Patrick Peyton – and Blessed Fulton Sheen – simple and joyful ‘donkeys’ for Jesus, carrying his love, his mercy, and his joy into our world.
[ii] Fr Peyton died in 1992 in the US, aged eighty-three. His work continues today through the Family Rosary Foundation. In 2017, Pope Francis declared him Venerable.