A Middleburg priest recently compared the Bible story of the vineyard to the current state of America.

The Rev. Andy Blaszkowski, pastor of St. Luke Catholic Church, wrote about the comparison in his weekly reflection printed in the parish's Oct. 4 bulletin. 

Blaszkowski said the lesson of the story found in the Gospel is that the self-centered tenants make the vineyard unable to produce fruit, not the vineyard itself. He noted that Americans are living in a vineyard where everyone is entitled to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness as outlined in the Declaration of Independence. As Americans we should work to "respect the fundamental human rights" of everyone until natural death.

"We all struggle with integrity, respect, love that leads to lack of respect of life, each other and basic understanding of relationships expressed in true and authentic love," Blaszkowski said in the bulletin. 

Respect of life is an important theme; especially as October, the month highlighting its importance, continues. 

Blaskowski stated that it's a reminder to pray, focus and commit to defending human life.

"It is by the gift of God's generous creation that we received life that reflects the sacredness, uniqueness, dignity and worth that each human person possess, from the moment of conception until natural death," he said in the bulletin.

Some of the issues that threaten life include abortion, assisted suicide, poverty, violence, lack of health care and unemployment, just to name a few. He noted that as Catholics, it's important to "stand strong" and support all pro-life issues.

"The failure to protect and defend human life in its most vulnerable stages at life's beginning and its natural end makes suspect any claims to the 'rightness' of positions of other matters affecting the poor and the powerless of the human family," Fr. Blaszkowski said in the bulletin.