1st Reading – Isaiah 55:6-9
6 Seek the Lord, while he is able to be found. Call upon him, while he is near.
7 Let the impious one abandon his way, and the iniquitous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will take pity on him, and to our God, for he is great in forgiveness.
8 For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways, says the Lord.
9 For just as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so also are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts.
Responsorial Psalm – Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
2 Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
3 Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
8 The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
9 The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
17 The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
18 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.
2nd Reading – Philippians 1:20C-24, 27A
Brothers and sisters:
20C Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
21 For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22 And while I live in the flesh, for me, there is the fruit of works. But I do not know which I would choose.
23 For I am constrained between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is the far better thing,
24 but then to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake.
27A Only let your behavior be worthy of the Gospel of Christ.
Alleluia – CF. Acts 16:14B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
14B Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel – Matthew 20:1-16A
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
1 “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2 After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard.
3 Going out about nine o’clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
4 and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.’
5 So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
6 Going out about five o’clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
7 They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
8 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.’
9 When those who had started about five o’clock came, each received the usual daily wage.
10 So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage.
11 And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner,
12 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.’
13 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?
14 Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
15 Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?’
16A Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”