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 144(145):2-3,8-9,17-18
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 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.’
For Me, Life Is Christ
In today’s second reading, St Paul displayed the depth of his trust in Jesus. He said, “Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ.” St Paul did not centre his life on worldly comforts, material possessions or achievement. He was certain that his life belonged to Christ, and therefore, he gave his time on earth to serving others. Today, let us echo St Paul’s words with conviction: “Life to me is Christ.” Therefore, we too should live in a manner that pleases Christ alone.
In the Gospel, Jesus shared a parable about a landowner who paid every worker the same wage, regardless of the hours they worked. Even those who arrived at the last hour received the same amount as those who worked all day. The workers who worked all day felt resentment as they compared their efforts to those who worked only briefly. However, the landowner explained that he had not acted unjustly, rather, he had chosen to be generous to all. The message for us is that God’s mercy is limitless. His heart has a place for everyone, whether they have served Him for many years or have come to faith late in life. We need to live for God and work faithfully in His vineyard, not out of rivalry or a desire for recognition, but out of gratitude.
Reflective questions:
Can I say the words of St. Paul, “Life to me is Christ”? What would that look like in my life now?
Acknowledgment: Reflections are based on “Prayer for Living: The Word of God for Daily Prayer Year A” by Sr Maria Jose FMVD
