First Reading – Isaiah 55:6-9 ©
Responsorial Psalm – Psalm
144(145):2-3, 8-9, 17-18 ©
Second Reading – Philippians 1:20-24,
27 ©
Gospel Acclamation – Luke 19:38, 2:14
Alternative Acclamation – Acts 16:14
The Gospel According to Matthew 20:1
- 16 ©
(NJB)
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary
Time (Year A)
God is
always near to us, God is present--even in the hearts of the wicked; with the
loving God there is always the possibility of repentance, conversion, kenosis,
metanoia.
It is wise
to reflect on the notion that God, who created the universe and everything in
it, that God has a deeper appreciation for the life of creation than we can possibly
imagine from our position, conditioned by time and space and the exigencies of
nature.
Be mindful
of the way the psalmist speaks:
God, the
creator of the universe, God is not a king, and know that God is present in all
times and places, even in the deepest recesses of the human heart.
While God
cares for us, God does not intervene directly in human events. The creator only
issues an indirect influence over our lives. God’s power does not interfere
with our freedom.
Contemplate
the vast power of God and contemplate the ways of God’s love and mercy, God’s
humility and compassion, the workings of God’s justice toward the benefit of
all creation.
Be mindful
of the works of the apostle, here he speaks like a contrarian, and that is
fine; insofar as his motive is pure. However, his words are easy to
misinterpret.
The apostle
speaks about life in the flesh as a burden, though a happy burden if he is
living as a servant of the Gospel; he speaks of eternal life with Christ as
something he desires and something in which he expects the greatest joy, he
speaks of this as his greatest reward, when he does so he is speaking in
anticipation of his mortal demise, he is talking about death.
The apostle
speaks as someone looking forward to the rewards of martyrdom, in so doing he
is putting the cart before the horse.
He also
calls it a good thing when corrupt preachers teach the gospel even if they do
so from impure motives, believing that it is good insofar as they are spreading
the fame of Christ.
This is
misguided, and there is a lot in this words that are suspect.
Be mindful!
Walk
humbly, love justice, act with mercy and compassion all the days of your life.
This is the
walk of faith, which means trusting in the Good News, the Gospel of Jesus
Christ.
Know that God
is not concerned with glory. Jesus is not interested in having a name above all
other names. God is not a king and Jesus is not a prince, God is our loving
parent and Jesus is our friend and brother.
When you
preach to the people, just as when you stand before God, do not worry about beowing
and scraping, just confess the truth that God is Love.
Remember!
The creator
of the universe does not wear a crown, and we are not seek glory as we struggle
on the way toward salvation. Following Jesus we are meant to seek out
the lowest of the low, not the highest heaven, seeking to serve those in the
deepest dark and return them to the light of love.
When you are in the darkness God will hear you, God
is with you.
Consider the Gospel reading for today.
This parable represents the true teaching of
the church.
It is one of the most commonly repeated
themes, it is a message to every person who would claim to be a follower and
teacher of the way.
If you follow the teaching of Jesus you will
be rewarded; you receive your reward through the simple act of following. By
keeping to the way, you bring Heaven to earth.
The way is not toilsome, though it may require a lifetime of work; the way
is gift that when received, is shared with others.
In following the way, we do not layup
treasures in Heaven; we do not amass wealth, privilege or honors. Such concerns
do not belong to the way.
God, the creator of the universe rejoices and
gives the same blessing to the first as God does to the last.
In the eyes of God, the bishop is the same as
the priest, the priest the same as the parishioner, they merely have different
duties, they are each beloved by God, just as the sinner is loved in equal
measure to the saint.
First
Reading – Isaiah 55:6-9 ©
My
Thoughts Are Not Your Thoughts
Seek
the Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near.
Let
the wicked man abandon his way, the evil man his thoughts.
Let
him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is rich in
forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways – it is
the Lord who speaks.
Yes,
the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts
above your thoughts.
Responsorial
Psalm – Psalm 144(145):2-3, 8-9, 17-18 ©
The
Lord is close to all who call him.
I
will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The
Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
The
Lord is close to all who call him.
The
Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How
good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
The
Lord is close to all who call him.
The
Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He
is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.
The
Lord is close to all who call him.
Second
Reading – Philippians 1:20-24, 27 ©
Life
to Me Is Christ; but Death Would Bring Me More
Christ
will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of
course, is Christ, but then death would bring me something more; but then
again, if living in this body means doing work which is having good results – I
do not know what I should choose. I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be
gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to
stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
Avoid
anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ.
Gospel
Acclamation – Luke 19:38, 2:14
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Blessings
on the King who comes, in the name of the Lord!
Peace
in heaven and glory in the highest heavens!
Alleluia!
Alternative Acclamation – Acts 16:14
Alleluia,
alleluia!
Open
our heart, O Lord, to accept the words of your Son.
Alleluia!
The Gospel According to Matthew 20:1
- 16 ©
Why Be Envious Because I Am Generous?
Jesus
said to his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at
daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the
workers for one denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at
about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said
to them, “You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they
went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out
and did the same. Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more
men standing round, and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle
all day?” “Because no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go
into my vineyard too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his
bailiff, “Call the workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last
arrivals and ending with the first.” So those who were hired at about the
eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each. When the first came,
they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took
it, but grumbled at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done
only one hour, and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a
heavy day’s work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My
friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take
your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have
I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am
generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’
The Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary
Time (Year A)
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