Catholic Mass Readings and Reflection August 23, 2023

20th Week in Ordinary Time

23rd August 2023 (Wednesday) Readings and Reflection

Psalter: Week 4

Reading of the Day

First Reading: Judges 9:6-15

At that time: All the leaders of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo, and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on top of Mount Gerizim and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you leaders of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went out to anoint a king over them, and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my abundance, by which gods and men are honoured, and go to hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit and go to hold sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the vine, ‘You come and reign over us.’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine that cheers God and men and go to hold sway over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘You come and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me king over you, then come and take refuge in my shade, but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’

Psalm 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7 (R. 2a)

R/. In your strength, O Lord, the king rejoices.

Alleluia

V/. Alleluia R/. Alleluia

V/. The word of God is living and active, discerning the thoughts and intentions of the heart.

R/. Alleluia

Gospel : Matthew 20:1-16a

At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: “For the kingdom of heaven is like a master of a house who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market-place, and to them he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing. And he said to them, ‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, ‘Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when those hired first came, they thought they could receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled as the master of the house, saying, ‘These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.’ But he replied to one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong. Did you not agree with me for a denarius? Take what belongs to you and go. I choose to give to this last worker as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?’ So the last will be first.”

Daily Gospel Reflection

Highlight: Generous or jealous?

Guidlines: God is always on the lookout to employ us in the vineyard of His kingdom. Are we ready to go in and work or do we want to while away the precious time?{alertSuccess}

1. The parable of workers in the vineyard in Matthew 20. 1-16 is familiar to many. The obvious theme and thus often-preached is Jealousy. Different workers were employed at different times. But in the end, all were paid equally. This annoys the earliest workers and they complain that the master is unjust to them by paying them just like the last workers who hardly worked.

2. They resent an obvious injustice meted out to them. But the master detects the real problem: it is their jealousy. Thus, it is not a matter of injustice but jealousy. Apparently from the human perspective, it is an act of injustice because those who worked hard and those who did not are put on the same level are treated and paid equally.

3. How can those who toiled hard for many hours and those who just bent down to work in the eleventh hour be equated? Is it not an injustice to ignore the merit of the early workers?

4. But in reality, it is a fake justice and a false clamour. They were paid as it was agreed upon. They got what was their due. Then what is their problem? When others get the same pay, when others benefit more than what they deserve, what do they lose? How can they challenge the freedom and the generosity of the owner?

5. This is the typical mentality of many today. They suffer from a false notion of justice. Whenever their self-interests are not satisfied, whenever others also profit, they feel that they are deprived of justice.

6. They forget the fact that justice is not only a matter of rights but also duties. A true man of justice will be more conscious of the rights and the needs of others. In the name of justice, many seek self-interests. True justice is charity and generosity.

7. True justice is seen in the master. He is dutiful and charitable. As a duty, he paid the early workers as agreed upon. He goes beyond normal justice. He treats all with respect and gives all with generosity. The criterion for his decision is not whether one deserves it but whether one needs it. This is how God acts!

8. Thus, this parable presents sharply the stark contrast between God’s mindset and the human mindset. Humans often think and decide wrongly, just as happened in the OT. In the first reading, we have a typical example of this.

9. The Israelites are dissatisfied with God as their king and they opt for a no-worth king, Abimelech. It is like leaving aside all the great trees such as the olive, fig, and vine and settling for a bramble to be the king of the kings. St Rose of Lima stands out as a laudable example of purity, austerity, and charity.

Practice: How easily do we become intolerant and resentful when others are treated well or progress much? How easily, we boil with jealousy even in the field of faith and spirituality, not tolerating when some are blessed with spiritual gifts! Do we want to privatize and monopolize all the blessings of God?{alertSuccess}