Matthew 20:1-16"... the last will be first, and the first, last."

Today's Readings

 

Reading 1, Jgs 9:6-15

⁶ All the leading men of Shechem and all Beth-Millo then met and proclaimed Abimelech king at the oak of the cultic stone at Shechem.

⁷ News of this was brought to Jotham. He went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted at the top of his voice: Hear me, leaders of Shechem, so that God may also hear you!

⁸ One day the trees went out to anoint a king to rule them. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king!'

⁹ The olive tree replied, 'Must I forgo my oil which gives honour to gods and men, to stand and sway over the trees?'

¹⁰ Then the trees said to the fig tree, 'You come and be our king!'

¹¹ The fig tree replied, 'Must I forgo my sweetness, forgo my excellent fruit, to go and sway over the trees?'

¹² Then the trees said to the vine, 'You come and be our king!'

¹³ The vine replied, 'Must I forgo my wine which cheers gods and men, to go and sway over the trees?'

¹⁴ Then the trees all said to the thorn bush, 'You come and be our king!'

¹⁵ And the thorn bush replied to the trees, 'If you are anointing me in good faith to be your king, come and shelter in my shade. But, if not, fire will come out of the thorn bush and devour the cedars of Lebanon.' 

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Responsorial Psalm, Psalms 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

 

² You have granted him his heart's desire, not denied him the prayer of his lips.Pause

³ For you come to meet him with blessings of prosperity, put a crown of pure gold on his head.

⁴ He has asked for life, you have given it him, length of days for ever and ever.

⁵ Great his glory through your saving help; you invest him with splendour and majesty.

⁶ You confer on him everlasting blessings, you gladden him with the joy of your presence.

⁷ For the king puts his trust in Yahweh; the faithful love of the Most High will keep him from falling.

 

Gospel,  

Matthew 20:1-16 ..."Thus the last will be first, and the first, last."

 

¹ 'Now the kingdom of Heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard.

² He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day and sent them to his vineyard.

³ Going out at about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place

⁴ and said to them, "You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage."

⁵ So they went. At about the sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same.

⁶ Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing around, and he said to them, "Why have you been standing here idle all day?"

⁷ "Because no one has hired us," they answered. He said to them, "You go into my vineyard too."

⁸ 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."

⁹ So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came forward and received one denarius each.

¹⁰ When the first came, they expected to get more, but they too received one denarius each.

¹¹ They took it, but grumbled at the landowner saying,

¹² "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."

¹³ He answered one of them and said, "My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius?

¹⁴ Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the lastcomer as much as I pay you.

¹⁵ Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why should you be envious because I am generous?"

¹⁶ Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.'