Twenty-Fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Missalin A p
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Isaiah 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. This is the Word of the Lord.
L-Ewwel
Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ktieb tal-Profeta
Isaija 55, 6-9
Fittxu l-Mulej sekemm tistgħu ssibuh, sejħulu sakemm
hu fil-qrib! Ħa jħalli triqtu l-midneb, u l-bniedem il-ħażin feħmietu; ħa
jerġa' lura għand il-Mulej u jħenn għalih, għand Alla tagħna għax hu jaħfer
ħafna. Il-fehmiet tiegħi m'humiex fehmietkom, u t-triqat tiegħi m'humiex
triqatkom. Oraklu tal-Mulej. Għax daqs
kemm huma ogħla s-smewwiet mill-art, daqshekk ieħor huma triqati 'l fuq minn
Responsorial Psalm
PSALM 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
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.
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.
Salm
Responsorjali
Salm 144(145)
Kuljum irrid inbierkek,
u nfaħħar ismek għal dejjem ta' dejjem.
Kbir il-Mulej, ta' min ifaħħru bil-bosta,
bla tarf il-kobor tiegħu.
R/ Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlu.
Twajjeb u ħanin il-Mulej,
Idumbiex jagħdab u kollu tjieba.
Twajjeb ma' kulħadd il-Mulej,
Tjubitu fuq kull ma għamel.
R/ Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlu.
Ġust il-Mulej fl-imġieba tiegħu kollha,
twajjeb f'dak kollu li għamel.
Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlu
lejn kull min isejjaħlu fis-sewwa.
R/ Qrib il-Mulej lejn kull min isejjaħlu.
Philippians 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 labour 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. This is the Word of the
Lord.
It-Tieni
Lezzjoni
Qari mill-Ittra lil-Filippini 1, 20c-24, 27a
Ħuti, Krisu jkun imsebbaħ fil-ġisem tiegħi, sew jekk ngħix u sew jekk
immut. Għax għalija l-ħajja hi Kristu, u l-mewt hi rebħ. Jekk għandi nibqa' ħaj
fil-ġisem, dan ifisser li għandi nagħti
l-frott tax-xogħol tiegħi. X'naqbad nagħmel ma nafx; ninsab bejn ħaltejn. Min-naħa
l-waħda, nixtieq nintemm u nkun ma'
Kristu, li jkun ħafna aħjar għalija;
min-naħa l-oħra, jekk nibqa' ngħix fil-ġisem, ikun ħafna aħjar għalikom.
Ħaġa waħda ngħidilkom: ġibu ruħkom kif
jixraq lill-Evanġelju ta' Kristu. Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
Gospel
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 labourers 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 labourers
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." This is the Word of the Lord.
Evanġelju
Qari skond San
Mattew 20: 1-16
F'dak iż-żmien, Ġesu' qal lid-dixxipli tiegħu din il-parabbola: "Is-Saltna tas-Smewwiet tixbah lil wieħed sid li ħareg filgħodu kmieni ħafna
biex isib nies tax-xogħol u jħaddimhom
fl-għalqa tiegħu tad-dwieli. Ftiehem ma' xi ħaddiema b'dinar kull jum u
bagħathom fl-għalqa. Ħareġ ukoll
madwar it-tielet siegħa, ra oħrajn
qegħdin fil-pjazza, bla xogħol, u
qalilhom: "Morru intom ukoll
l-għalqa, u nagħtikom li
jkun ħaqqkom" U marru. Raġa' ħareġ għal xi s-sitt siegħa u mbagħad għal xi d-disgħa siegħu, u għamel l-istess. Għall-ħabta
tal-ħdax-il siegħa raġa ħareġ u sab oħrajn qiegħda, u qalilhom: "Għaliex qegħdin hawn il-jum kollu ma tagħmlu xejn?" Qalulu:
'Għax ħadd ma qabbadna." Qalilhom: "Morru intom ukoll l-għalqa." Għal
fil-għaxija mbagħad sid l-għalqa qal lill-prokoratur tiegħu:
"Sejjaħ lill-ħaddiema u ħallashom, ibda minn dawk li ġew l-aħħar u spiċċa b'dawk ta' l-ewwel." Ġew dawk li daħlu għax-xogħol fil-ħdax-il siegħa
u ħadu dinar kull wieħed. Ġew ta' l-ewwel, u stennew li kienu se jirċievu iktar, iżda huma wkoll ħadu dinar
kull wieħed. Huma u jitħallsu qabdu
jgemgmu kontra s-sid u jgħidu: "Dawn ta' l-aħħar siegħa waħda għamlu, u
int qisthom bħalna li tgħabbejna bil-piż tal-jum u s-sħana!" Qabeż is-sid u qal lil wieħed minnhom: "Ħabib, minn xejn ma nqastek jien; mhux b'dinar
ftehemt miegħi? Ħu li jmissek u
itlaq. Lil dan ta' l-aħħar irrid nagħtih
daqs kemm tajt lilek. Ma nistax nagħmel
li rrid bi ħwejjġi jien? Jew qiegħed
tgħir għax jien qalbi tajba?" Hekk ta' l-aħħar jiġu l-ewwel, u ta' l-ewwel
jiġu l-aħħar." Il-Kelma
tal-Mulej
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“Are you
envious because I am generous?”
When Jesus teaches through parables, he expresses profound
truths with simple stories and images that engage minds and hearts. In the Old
Testament, the use of parables reflects an ancient, culturally universal method
of teaching an ethical lesson applicable to everyday life, by using symbolic
stories with concrete characters and actions. Most of the time, the original
audience that first heard these stories was left to draw their own conclusions.
Other times, the evangelists provided an explanation of Jesus’ story. Often the
indirectness of parables makes the wisdom of Jesus inaccessible to hostile
literalists.
The parable of the workers in the vineyard in today’s Gospel
(Matthew 20:1-16) serves as a corrective to false notions of entitlement and
merit. The story reflects the socio-economic background of Palestine
The workers who were hired first appeal to common sense,
equitable treatment, logic, and reason. Their complaint is not necessarily that
the last hired received a payment, but that if the householder was so generous
with the last, then certainly he might provide them with a “bonus” for having
endured the heat of the whole day. Some interpreters have attempted to minimize
this breach of fairness by explaining that perhaps the quality of work done by
the late-comers during the last hour was equivalent to the work done the entire
day by the others. Certain others use the rationale that a contract is indeed a
contract, and therefore the labourers hired at the beginning of the day have no
reason whatsoever to argue about the wages due to them. The fact of the matter
is that from the purely human, logical point of view, they had reason to
complain. However, this parable is not about ethical and fair labour
management, but rather about the radical nature of God’s generosity,
compassion, and the in-breaking Kingdom.
The radical moment of the parable (as indicated by 19:30 and
20:16) is noted in 20:8-9 as those who were employed not only receive payment
in reverse order, but also receive equal payment for their efforts! The parable
reaches its crescendo in verse 15 with the question: “Or am I not free to do as
I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?” The owner of
the vineyard reserves the right to pay his employees not on the basis of their
own merits but rather on the basis of his own compassion.
Generosity condemned as injustice
In today’s parable, why should such generosity be condemned
as injustice? This idea finds its roots and deepest meaning in the Old
Testament understanding of God the Creator who is good and generous to all who
turn to him. This is the God in whom Jesus believed and lived, but in the
person of Jesus, the divine compassion, mercy, and goodness surpass the divine
justice. Therefore all who follow Jesus as his disciples and friends must
imitate this extraordinary compassion and lavish generosity and never question,
deny, or begrudge it.
The God and Father of our Lord Jesus Christ reveals his
identity to us in today’s first reading from the prophet Isaiah: “For my
thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the Lord.
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your
ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.” (Isaiah 55:8-9)
We are like the eleventh-hour workers
Perhaps many of us feel strongly with the disgruntled workers
of verse 12. How often have we known whimsical employers who have compensated
lazy or problematic workers far too generously, rather than acknowledging the
faithful, dedicated, day-in day-out workers. We may ask ourselves: How can God
be so unfair? How can God overlook his most faithful workers? Underneath this
parable is the issue of bargaining with God. From the very beginnings of
religion it has been assumed that we mortals can bargain with the gods to
obtain from them what we want.
How many times have we experienced this in our belonging to
and service in the Church? Some may grumble and claim that their long,
dedicated, tireless service qualifies them instantly for higher pay, higher
rank, and greater privilege and prestige. It is precisely at moments like this
that we must humbly acknowledge that we are like those eleventh-hour workers.
Not one of us deserves the blessings that God has prepared for us. Our
grumbling and lateral gazing often leads to serious resentments that are hard
to shake off. All our good works give us no claim upon God. How much less do we
have the right to demand, even if we have done everything we ought to do, that
we should be honoured and rewarded by God in a special manner as if we were
such meritorious, indispensable persons in his service? The word “entitlement”
does not exist in the vocabulary of the Kingdom of God
The only remedy to such sentiments is to look upon the
merciful face of Jesus and thus recognize God’s lavish generosity in the flesh.
Human logic is limited, but the mercy and grace of God know no limits or boundaries.
God doesn’t act by our standards. This means that we must see and accept God in
our sister and brother, just as God has wished them to be. When God chooses a
person, granting him/her particular graces, blessings, or gifts, God does not
reject the other person nor deprive him/her of his grace. God’s graces and
blessings are boundless, and each person receives his or her own share. God’s
choice of a person or people should not be a cause of pride for those chosen,
or of rejection for those not chosen. It is only when both parties live in
humility and simplicity, and recognize together a God of love and mercy at work
in their lives that they will begin to learn the real meaning of love and
justice, and finally come to reconciliation and deep, mutual understanding.
For your reflection
In the New Testament, Jesus teaches us that we must overcome
jealousy and envy. This is brought out in Sunday’s parable of the labourers who
come to work at different times of the day, but receive the same salary
nevertheless. Those who came at the first hour grumbled against the landowner.
“He said to one of them in reply, ‘My friend, I am not cheating you... Are you
envious because I am generous?’” (Matthew 20:13-15)
Consider these two sections from the Catechism
of the Catholic Church (#2552-2553)
:
“The tenth commandment forbids
avarice arising from a passion for riches and their attendant power.
“Envy is sadness at the sight of
another’s goods and the immoderate desire to have them for oneself. It is a
capital sin.
Envy is that fault
in the human character that cannot recognize the beauty and uniqueness of the
other, and denies them honour. In order to approach God, who is total goodness,
beauty, and generosity, this attitude must be broken from within. Envy can no longer
see.
Our eyes remain
nailed shut. Envy and avarice are sins against the tenth commandment. What can
we do to move beyond this blindness and hardness of heart?
Caritas in Veritate
In light of Sunday’s Gospel about compensation, I offer you
section #63 of Pope Emeritus Benedict XVI’s Encyclical Letter Caritas
in Veritate “On
Integral Human Development in Charity and Truth”:
“No consideration of the problems
associated with development could fail to highlight the direct link between poverty
and unemployment. In many cases, poverty results from a violation
of the dignity of human work, either because work opportunities are
limited (through unemployment or underemployment), or “because a low value is
put on work and the rights that flow from it, especially the right to a just
wage and to the personal security of the worker and his or her family.” For
this reason, on 1 May 2000 on the occasion of the Jubilee of Workers, my
venerable predecessor Pope John Paul II issued an appeal for “a global coalition
in favour of ‘decent work,’” supporting the strategy of the International
Labour Organization. In this way, he gave a strong moral impetus to this
objective, seeing it as an aspiration of families in every country of the
world. What is meant by the word “decent” in regard to work? It means work that
expresses the essential dignity of every man and woman in the context of their
particular society: work that is freely chosen, effectively associating
workers, both men and women, with the development of their community; work that
enables the worker to be respected and free from any form of discrimination;
work that makes it possible for families to meet their needs and provide
schooling for their children, without the children themselves being forced into
labour; work that permits the workers to organize themselves freely, and to
make their voices heard; work that leaves enough room for rediscovering one's
roots at a personal, familial and spiritual level; work that guarantees those
who have retired a decent standard of living.”
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