Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary
Time
Lectionary: 421
Reading 1
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Responsorial Psalm
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Alleluia
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
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,
he 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,
he 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.”
https://bible.usccb.org/bible/readings/081920.cfm
Meditation: Do
You Begrudge My Generosity?
What can work and wages, welfare and the unemployed tell us
about the kingdom of God? In the parable of the laborers in the vineyard we see
the extraordinary generosity and compassion of God (Matthew 20:1-16). There is
great tragedy in unemployment, the loss of work, and the inability to earn
enough to live and support oneself or one's family. In Jesus' times laborers
had to wait each day in the marketplace until someone hired them for a day's
job. No work that day usually meant no food on the family table. The laborers
who worked all day and received their payment complain that the master pays the
late afternoon laborers the same wage. The master, undoubtedly, hired them in
the late afternoon so they wouldn't go home payless and hungry.
God is generous and gives us work for his kingdom
God is generous in opening the doors of his kingdom to all who will enter, both
those who have labored a life-time for him and those who come at the last hour.
While the reward is the same, the motive for one's labor can make all the
difference. Some work only for reward. They will only put in as much effort as
they think they will get back. Others labor out of love and joy for the
opportunity to work and to serve others. The Lord Jesus calls each one of us to
serve God and his kingdom with joy and zeal and to serve our neighbor with a
generous spirit as well.
Empowered to serve with a joyful and generous spirit
The Lord Jesus wants to fill each one of us with the power and strength of the
Holy Spirit so we can bear great fruit for God's kingdom (the fruit of peace,
joy, righteousness, and love) and also bring the fruit of his kingdom to our
neighbor as well. We labor for the Lord to bring him praise, honor, and glory.
And we labor for our neighbor for their welfare with the same spirit of
loving-kindness and compassion which the Lord has shown to us.
Paul the Apostle reminds us, "Whatever your task, work heartily, as
serving the Lord and not others, knowing that from the Lord you will receive
the inheritance as your reward - you are serving the Lord Christ"
(Colossians 3:23-24). Do you perform your daily tasks and responsibilities with
cheerfulness and diligence for the Lord's sake? And do you give generously to
others, especially to those in need of your care and support?
Lord Jesus,fill me with your Holy Spirit that I may serve you
joyfully and serve my neighbor willingly with a generous heart, not looking for
how much I can get, but rather looking for how much I can give.
Daily Quote from the Early Church Fathers: Christ
our householder, author unknown, from the 5th century A.D.
"The householder [in Matthew's parable - chapter 20] is
Christ, to whom the heavens and the earth are like a single house; the family
is as it were the multitude of creatures both angelic and earthly. It is as if
he built a three-storied house: hell, heaven and earth, so that those
struggling may live upon the earth, those conquered below the earth, those
conquering in heaven. We too, set in the middle, should strive not to descend
to those who are in hell but ascend to those who are in heaven. And in case
perhaps you do not know which one you ought to shun or which one you ought to
aspire to, he has given you as it were a little taste of both while you live
between light and darkness: night as a taste of hell, daylight as a taste of
heaven." (excerpt from an incomplete Commentary on the Gospel of
Matthew, HOMILY 34)
https://www.dailyscripture.net/daily-meditation/?ds_year=2020&date=aug19
WEDNESDAY, AUGUST 19, MATTHEW 20:1-16
Weekday
Ezekiel 34:1-11; Psalm 23)
KEY VERSE: "Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last" (v. 16).
TO KNOW: Jesus told his disciples a parable about divine justice for all who labored in God's service. God was compared to a landowner who called forth workers for his vineyard. The first to respond were promised the expected day's wages. Those who came later were only promised what was 'just.' When it was time to pay the workers, the owner began with the last and paid them a full day's wages. When those who worked all day were paid the same as those who worked only a few hours, they complained that they were being treated unfairly. The vineyard owner told them that he had done them no injustice by paying them equally. Whether a person responds first or last to God's call, the reward is identical. It is freely given and not merited by the laborer in God's service.
TO LOVE: Do I support justice in the marketplace?
TO SERVE: Lord Jesus, help me to follow your example of generosity toward all.
http://www.togetherwithgodsword.com/commentaries-on-the-daily-gospel-of-the-mass.html
Wednesday 19 August 2020
St John Eudes
Ezekiel 34:1-11. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I
shall want – Psalm 22(23). Matthew 20:1-16.
‘Why be envious because I am generous?’
There is a story told of St John Eudes, whose feast is today. As
a young priest during severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered to care
for the sick in his diocese in France. To protect his fellow religious with
whom he lived in case he infected them, he lived in a huge barrel in the middle
of a field.
The story reminds us of the Corona virus pandemic when many
people quarantined themselves for a fortnight in case they infected their
family, friends, and work colleagues. The difference of course was that St John
was touching the sick as he cared for them.
The Lord says: ‘I myself will search for my sheep and look after
them’. And today’s Gospel concludes ‘Why be envious because I am generous?’
St John Eudes was the face of a loving shepherd generous God 400
years ago. Are we today?
http://www.pray.com.au/gospel_reflection/wednesday-19-august-2020/
Saint John Eudes
Saint of the Day for August 19
(November 14, 1601 – August 19, 1680)
Saint John Eudes’ Story
How little we know where God’s grace will lead. Born on a farm
in northern France, John died at 79 in the next “county” or department. In that
time, he was a religious, a parish missionary, founder of two religious
communities, and a great promoter of the devotion to the Sacred Heart of Jesus
and the Immaculate Heart of Mary.
John joined the religious community of the Oratorians and was
ordained a priest at 24. During severe plagues in 1627 and 1631, he volunteered
to care for the stricken in his own diocese. Lest he infect his fellow
religious, during the plague he lived in a huge cask in the middle of a field.
At age 32, John became a parish missionary. His gifts as a
preacher and confessor won him great popularity. He preached over 100 parish
missions, some lasting from several weeks to several months.
In his concern with the spiritual improvement of the clergy,
John realized that the greatest need was for seminaries. He had permission from
his general superior, the bishop, and even Cardinal Richelieu to begin this
work, but the succeeding general superior disapproved. After prayer and
counsel, John decided it was best to leave the religious community.
That same year John founded a new community, ultimately called
the Eudists—the Congregation of Jesus and Mary–devoted to the formation of the
clergy by conducting diocesan seminaries. The new venture, while approved by
individual bishops, met with immediate opposition, especially from Jansenists
and some of his former associates. John founded several seminaries in Normandy,
but was unable to get approval from Rome—partly, it was said, because he did
not use the most tactful approach.
In his parish mission work, John was disturbed by the sad
condition of prostitutes who sought to escape their miserable life. Temporary
shelters were found, but arrangements were not satisfactory. A certain Madeleine
Lamy, who had cared for several of the women, one day said to him, “Where are
you off to now? To some church, I suppose, where you’ll gaze at the images and
think yourself pious. And all the time what is really wanted of you is a decent
house for these poor creatures.” The words, and the laughter of those present,
struck deeply within him. The result was another new religious community,
called the Sisters of Charity of the Refuge.
John Eudes is probably best known for the central theme of his
writings: Jesus as the source of holiness; Mary as the model of the Christian
life. His devotion to the Sacred Heart and to the Immaculate Heart led Pope
Pius XI to declare him the father of the liturgical cult of the Hearts of Jesus
and Mary.
Reflection
Holiness is the wholehearted openness to the love of God. It is
visibly expressed in many ways, but the variety of expression has one common
quality: concern for the needs of others. In John’s case, those who were in
need were plague-stricken people, ordinary parishioners, those preparing for
the priesthood, prostitutes, and all Christians called to imitate the love of
Jesus and his mother.
https://www.franciscanmedia.org/saint-john-eudes/
Lectio Divina: Matthew 20:1-16
Lectio Divina
Wednesday, August 19, 2020
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 20:1-16
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, he 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, he 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."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents a parable which is found only in
Matthew’s Gospel. It is not in the other Gospels. Like in all parables, Jesus
tells a story about daily elements, daily things of the life of the people. He
presents a picture of the social situation of His time, in which the listeners
recognize themselves. At the same time, in the story of this parable, there are
things which never take place in the reality of the life of the
people, because speaking about the master, Jesus thinks about God, about
His Father. This is why in the story of the parable the master does things
which are surprising which never take place in the daily life of the listeners.
In this strange approach of the master, it is necessary to find the key to
understanding the message of the parable.
• Matthew 20:1-7: The five times that the landowner goes out to look for
laborers. “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”. This is how the story begins and
it speaks for itself and does not need too many comments. In what follows, the
landowner goes out four times to call other workers to go and work in his
vineyard. Jesus refers to the terrible lack of work at that time. Now some
details of the story: (a) the landowner himself goes out personally five times
to contract workers. (b) When he contracts the workers, he fixes the salary
only for the first group: one denarius a day. To those of nine o’clock in the
morning he says: I will give you what is just, fair. With the others, he does
not fix anything. He contracted them only to work in the vineyard. (c) At the
end of the day, when it was the time to pay the workers, the landowners orders
the administrator to carry out this service.
• Matthew 20:8-10: The strange way of fixing the accounts at the end of the
day. When it was evening, the landowner of the vineyard told his administrator:
Call the workers and pay them, beginning from the last ones to the first ones.
Here, at the time of drawing the accounts, something strange takes place which
does not happen in normal life. It seems that things are inverted. The
administrator begins to pay those who were contracted just an hour before. The
salary is the same for all: one denarius, as it was agreed with the first ones
who were contracted at the beginning of the day. When the first came, they
expected to get more but they too received one denarius each. Why does the
landowner act like that? Would you do the same? It is precisely in this
surprising gesture of the landowner that the key to understanding this parable
is hidden.
• Matthew 20:11-12: The normal reaction of the workers before the strange ways
of the landowner. The last ones also receive their salary as those who were
contracted first. The story says that these began to grumble against the
landowner and said, “The men who came last 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”. This is the normal reaction of a good sense. I think that all of us would
have had the same reaction and would have said the same thing to the landowner.
Would we not?
• Matthew 20:13-16: The surprising explanation of the landowner which gives the
key to the parable. The response of the landowner is the following: “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 should you be envious because I am
generous?” These words give the key which explains the attitude of the
landowner and indicates the message which Jesus wants to communicate to us: (a)
The landowner was not unjust, because he acts according to what he had agreed
with the first group of workers: one denarius a day. (b) It is the sovereign
decision of the landowner to give to the last ones the same amount that he had
agreed upon with those of the first hour. These do not have the right to
complain and claim anything. (c) Acting with justice, the landowner has the right
to do the good that he wants with the things that belong to him. The worker, on
his part, has this same right. (d) The last question touches on the central
point: Why should you be envious because I am generous? God is different and
His thoughts are not our thoughts (Isa 55: 8-9).
• The background of the parable is the circumstance of the time, for Jesus as
well as for Matthew. The workers of the first hour are the Jewish people,
called by God to work in his vineyard. They bear the weight of the day, from
Abraham to Moses, for over one thousand years. Now at the eleventh hour, Jesus
calls the gentiles to work in his vineyard and they succeed in having the
preference in the heart of God. “Thus the first ones will be last and the last
will be first”.
4) Personal questions
• Those of the eleventh hour arrive. They have advantages and
receive priority in regard to entrance into the Kingdom of God. When you wait
in line for two hours, and a person arrives, and without saying anything she
places herself before you. Would you accept this? Can these two situations be
compared? (hint: she places herself, rather than someone higher choosing to
place her - does this change things?)
• God’s action surpasses our calculations and our human way of acting. He
surprises us and sometimes it is uncomfortable. Has this happened to you in
your life? What lessons have you drawn from this?
• This parable uses "work" and "workers" to convey
its message. Why? Is there also the message that to receive "payment"
also requires work? To be a Christian demands work - it is not a passive
existence, but rather an active participation in the work of God.
5) Concluding Prayer
Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life.
I make my home in the house of Yahweh
for all time to come. (Ps 23:6)
https://ocarm.org/en/content/lectio/lectio-divina-matthew-201-16
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