This Week’s Gospel Message for Sunday, September 20th is from Matthew 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. . .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.” . . . So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.’”
“We sympathize with the laborers who worked all day only to find out that they made not a penny more than those who worked for only an hour. This is an obvious injustice. But our perspective is flawed. Perhaps the laborers who were still standing around at five o’clock were injured, weak, or disabled. Quite likely they were already rejected by every other landowner. The kingdom of heaven welcomes even those who have been rejected, who have been waiting, who did not bear the heavy burden. God’s mercy and acceptance are unrestricted.” Source: Pastoral Patterns, Autumn 2020
DAILY READINGS FOR THE WEEK
Monday Eph 4:1-7, 11-13; Matt 9:9-13
Saint Matthew, Apostle and Evangelist (Feast) – “The apostle Matthew appears in the list of the twelve apostles in all three synoptic gospels, but only in Matthew’s gospel is he identified as a tax collector (the other gospels call this man Levi). Matthew, the gospel author, invites his community of Jewish-Christians to embrace their Jewish tradition and participate in the Church’s evangelizing mission to the Gentiles.” Please see page 9 for a closer look at Matthew.
Tuesday Prov 21:1-6, 10-13; Luke 8:19-21
Wednesday Prov 30:5-9; Luke 9:1-6
Saint Pius of Pietrelcina, Priest (Memorial) – “Padre Pio was born as Francesco Forgione in the Italian village of Pietrelcina. He joined the Capuchin Friars and was ordained a priest. While praying before a cross, he received the stigmata—the bodily experience of the crucifixion wounds of Jesus. He founded a hospital, the House for the Relief of Suffering. He was a spiritual advisor, confessor, and intercessor, whose life was devoted to the Eucharist and prayer.”
Thursday Eccl 1:2-11; Luke 9:7-9
Friday Eccl 3:1-11; Luke 9:18-22
Saturday Eccl 11:9–12:8; Luke 9:43b-45
Source: Living With Christ, September 2020