Catechism Links
CCC 210-211: God of mercy and piety
CCC 588-589: Jesus identifies his compassion to sinners with God’s
CCC Cross Reference:
Ps 145:3 300; Ps 145:9 295, 342
Phil 1:21 1010, 1698; Phil 1:23 1005, 1011, 1021, 1025; Phil 1:27 1692
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Reading 1
Is 55:6-9
Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the Lord for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
Responsorial Psalm
Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the Lord and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The Lord is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The Lord is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The Lord is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Reading II
Phil 1:20c-24, 27a
Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Gospel
Mt 20:1-16a
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
Readings from the Jerusalem Bible
First reading Isaiah 55:6 – 9
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 – 27
My one hope and trust is that I shall never have to admit defeat, but that now as always I shall have the courage for Christ to 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, so that, whether I come to you and see for myself, or stay at a distance and only hear about you, I shall know that you are unanimous in meeting the attack with firm resistance, united by your love for the faith of the gospel.
Gospel Matthew 20:1 – 16
Jesus said, ‘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.’
Readings and Commentary from the Navarre Bible
25th Sunday in Ordinary Time
From: Isaiah 55:6-9
Epilogue: Invitation to Partake of the Banquet of the Lord's Covenant
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[6] "Seek the Lord while he may be found,
call upon him while he is near;
[7] let the wicked forsake his way,
and the unrighteous man his thoughts;
let him return to the Lord, that he may have mercy on him,
and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
[8] for my thoughts are not your thoughts,
neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
[9] For as the heavens are higher than the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways
and my thoughts than your thoughts.
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Commentary:
55:6-9. The Israelites are called to conversion. In order to return to their homeland, they must return to God, must "seek" him (vv. 6-7). And the Lord, who allows himself to be found and who does not judge in the way that men do, is willing and able to grant forgiveness (vv. 8-9). In other words, the call to repentance is grounded on the goodness of God who "will abundantly pardon" (v. 7). Man, for his part, should grasp this opportunity that God offers him. So, the words in this passage are a constant encouragement to begin and begin again in the pursuit of virtue: "To be converted means to ask for forgiveness and to seek out the strength of God in the Sacrament of reconciliation, and thus begin again, advancing step by step every day, learning to overcome ourselves, to win the spiritual battles that we face, and to give of ourselves joyfully, 'for God loves a cheerful giver' (2 Cor 9:7)" (Bl. John Paul II, Novo incipiente, 8 April 1979). And St Augustine, apropos of conversion, wrote: "Do not say: 'Tomorrow, I will he converted; tomorrow, I will give thanks to God; and all my sins, today's and yesterday's, will be forgiven'. It is true that God promises forgiveness for your conversion; but He does not promise tomorrow for your delays" (Enarrationes in Psalmos, 144, 11).
The words of v. 8 are echoed by St Paul in Romans 11:33, and are a reminder to us of just how narrow-minded we can be and how we can fail even to imagine the great things that God has in store for us.
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From: Philippians 1:20-24, 27
St. Paul's Own Circumstances (Continuation)
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[20] It is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death. [21] For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. [22] If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. [23] I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. [24] But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. [25] Convinced of this, I know that I shall remain and continue with you all, for your progress and joy in the faith, [26] so that in me you may have ample cause to glory in Christ Jesus, because of my coming to you again.
Fight for the Faith
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[27] 0nly let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel.
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Commentary:
20. "Christ will be honored in my body": whether he lives (because that will allow him to keep up his apostolic work) or whether he has to face martyrdom: in either case he is able to bear witness to Christ.
Every Christian is linked to Christ through Baptism (cf. Rom 6:5) and this union is strengthened by the Eucharist (cf. 1 Cor 10:16-17). A believer, therefore, should aspire to identify with Jesus to such an extent that he can say with the Apostle, "it is no longer I who live, but Christ who lives in me" (Gal 2:20). Everything anyone has is a gift from God; and a Christian's life in the body, with any suffering he experiences, and even death, identifies him in some way with Christ's own life: this identification is the goal of every Christian.
21-26. St Paul expresses a desire to "depart" and be with Christ: the Greek verb he uses has the sense of casting off (like a boat before it leaves harbor) or upping stakes (like an army decamping): he sees death as a liberation from earthly ties, which allows him immediately to "be with Christ". These words indicate that those who die in grace do not have to wait until the Last Judgment to enjoy God in heaven. This was the teaching of the Church, based on Sacred Scripture, at the Second Council of Lyons: "the souls of those who after holy Baptism have acquired no stain of sin at all, and those who having incurred the stain of sin are cleansed . . . are received immediately into heaven" ("Profession of Faith of Michael Paleologue").
The Apostle is in two minds. But his desire to be with Christ does not inhibit his generous work for the good of souls: he wants to stay in the world, in order to continue working for the conversion of the Gentiles and to look after the Christian communities which he has founded, which are going from strength to strength.
In spite of his uncertainty about his future, St Paul is inclined to think that he will be allowed to continue his work to the spiritual advantage of the Philippians and the other churches.
21. Death is "gain", because, for a person who dies in the grace of God, it means entering into the joy of the Lord, seeing him face to face (cf. 1 Cor 13:12) and enjoying "what no eye has seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for those who love him" (1 Cor 2:9). This desire to enjoy God in heaven caused St Teresa of Avila to say: "I am living and yet I am not really living, for I place my hopes on such a higher life that I am dying because I do not die" ("Poems", 2).
"Christ himself, our teacher of salvation, shows us how useful it is to leave this life; when his disciples became sad because he told them that he was going away, he said to them, 'If you loved me, you would have rejoiced, because I go to the Father' (Jn 14:28), thereby teaching them that, when those we love leave this world, we should rejoice rather than be sad" (St Cyprian, "De Mortalitate", 7). Faith shows us that death is the definitive step into eternal life. However, to have a well grounded hope of attaining that goal we need to remember that for us, "to live is Christ" here on earth also. For one thing, supernatural life is the life of grace, and this has been won for us by Christ; also, knowing and loving Christ should be our life-purpose. A Christian has to try to see that his life is fruitful in terms of holiness, and that he uses all ordinary events and all his activities to draw others towards Christ.
"So, if you have encountered Christ," Bl. John Paul II exhorts, "live for Christ, live with Christ, and bear witness to him; proclaim this in the first person singular: 'For me to live is Christ.' That is what true liberation also consists of—proclaiming Jesus Christ freed from attachments and present in men who are transformed and become a new creation" ("Homily, Santo Domingo Cathedral", October 1984).
27. The Greek term translated here as "let your manner of life be" has a more specific meaning "Live like good citizens." The inhabitants of Philippi enjoyed Roman citizenship and were very proud of this (cf. p. 101 above). However, in addition to whichever positions they have in society, Christians are citizens of heaven (cf. Phil 3:20), and therefore they should lead a life "worthy of the gospel of Christ", like good citizens of the Kingdom of God where Christ reigns as king (cf. Jn 18: 37), by loyally obeying his laws--the new law of grace contained in the Gospel.
However, being a citizen of heaven is quite compatible with being a citizen of human society: "to acknowledge God is in no way to oppose the dignity of man, since such dignity is grounded and brought to perfection in God. Man has in fact been placed in society by God, who created him as an intelligent and free being; but over and above this he is called as a son to intimacy with God and to share in his happiness. (The Church) further teaches that hope in a life to come does not take away from the importance of the duties of this life on earth but rather adds to it by giving new motives for fulfilling those duties" (Vatican II, "Gaudium Et Spes", 21).
A truly Christian life in the middle of the world speaks to all, Christians or no, of the presence of God and of his plans for the salvation of all mankind. Moreover, "what does much to show God's presence clearly is the brotherly love of the faithful who, being all of one mind and spirit work together for the faith of the Gospel (cf. Phil 1:18) and stand out as a sign of unity" (ibid.). This is essential to the effort to spread the Kingdom of God, for "every kingdom divided against itself is laid waste" (Lk 11:17). The early Christians really did put this teaching into practice: they were "of one heart and soul" (Acts 4:32).
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From: Matthew 20:1-16
The Parable of the Laborers in the Vineyard
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[1] "For the Kingdom of Heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. [2] After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. [3] And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; [4] and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went. [5] Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. [6] And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' [7] They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.' [8] And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
[9] And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. [10] Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. [11] And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder, [12] saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.' [13] But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius? [14] Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you. [15] Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity? [16] So the last will be first, and the first last."
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Commentary:
1-16. This parable is addressed to the Jewish people, whom God called at an early hour, centuries ago. Now the Gentiles are also being called -- with an equal right to form part of the new people of God, the Church. In both cases it is a matter of a gratuitous, unmerited, invitation; therefore, those who were the "first" to receive the call have no grounds for complaining when God calls the "last" and gives them the same reward -- membership of His people. At first sight the laborers of the first hour seem to have a genuine grievance--because they do not realize that to have a job in the Lord's vineyard is a divine gift. Jesus leaves us in no doubt that although He calls us to follow different ways, all receive the same reward -- Heaven.
2. "Denarius": a silver coin bearing an image of Caesar Augustus (Matthew 22: 19-21).
3. The Jewish method of calculating time was different from ours. They divided the whole day into eight parts, four night parts (called "watches") and four day parts (called "hours")--the first, third, sixth and ninth hour.
The first hour began at sunrise and ended around nine o'clock; the third ran to twelve noon; the sixth to three in the afternoon; and the ninth from three to sunset. This meant that the first and ninth hours varied in length, decreasing in autumn and winter and increasing in spring and summer and the reverse happening with the first and fourth watches.
Sometimes intermediate hours were counted--as for example in verse 6 which refers to the eleventh hour, the short period just before sunset, the end of the working day.
16. The Vulgate, other translations and a good many Greek codices add: "For many are called, but few are chosen" (cf. Matthew 22:14).
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Source: "The Navarre Bible: Text and Commentaries". Biblical text from the Revised Standard Version and New Vulgate. Commentaries by members of the Faculty of Theology, University of Navarre, Spain.
Published by Four Courts Press, Kill Lane, Blackrock, Co. Dublin, Ireland, and by Scepter Publishers in the United States. We encourage readers to purchase The Navarre Bible for personal study. See Scepter Publishers for details.
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