Twenty-sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time
28 SEPT 2014
Lectionary: 136
Reading 1 EZ 18:25-28

Thus says the LORD:
You say, "The LORD's way is not fair!"
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.

Responsorial Psalm PS 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14

R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R/ Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Reading 2 PHIL 2:1-11

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.

Or PHIL 2:1-5

Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.

Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.


(Christ Among The Doctors, Albrecht Durer, 1506)

Gospel MT 21:28-32

Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
"What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
'Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.'
He said in reply, 'I will not, '
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, 'Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father's will?"
They answered, "The first."
Jesus said to them, "Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him."


(Christ Disputing with the Pharisees By: Jacob Jordaens, ca 1640)

Gospel Reading: Matthew 21:28-32

*This Sunday’s Gospel takes place in the Temple area (verse 23) one week before Jesus’ Passion. Jesus is speaking directly to the “chief priests and elders of the people” (verses 23-27). Since his arrival in Jerusalem (chapter 21) and for the rest of that week (see chapter 22 and especially the “woes” pronounced in chapter 23), he challenges their authority and that of the Pharisees and Sadducees.

*When they refuse to answer his question about the authority of John the Baptist, Jesus tells them a parable about a vineyard. As we saw last week, the vineyard is a common biblical metaphor for God’s people (Isaiah 5:1-7; Jeremiah 5:10; Ezekiel 19:10-14).

*This time, the parable concerns the attitude of those sent to work in the vineyard. God desires those who serve him to do so with the “obedience of faith” (Romans 1:5, 16:26; Galatians 5:6, 13-14; James 2:14-26). He also expects our actions to match our words.

*The religious leaders who would not recognize John’s authority, also could not accept his message which was to repent of their sins (Matthew 3:2), and that those who did not “bear good fruit” will be “cut down and thrown into the fire” (Matthew 3:10).

*On the other hand, those unencumbered by pride and able to acknowledge their sinfulness were able to receive Jesus’ message with joy and simplicity (verses 31-32).

QUESTIONS:

+In the 1st Reading, what are Ezekiel's listeners objecting to? (see verses 1-24) Why might they see God's ways as unfair? Why are they not, in fact, unfair?
In the 2nd Reading, what overriding quality or qualities of Christ should be ours when it comes to our dealings with God and neighbor?

+In the Gospel Reading, what links this parable to Matthew 21:23-27?

+In the parable, what is the father’s request? What does each son say and do? Why?

+What group of Jesus’ listeners (verses 23; verses 31-32) is like what son? How?

+How do you suppose each group of listeners felt about this story?

+Are you more like the first son or like the second one? In what ways?

+Do you look on any group of people as sinners or as “spiritually inferior”? Do you see any danger in that attitude? What is it?

+Have you said “yes” to God? What in your life is a direct living out of that “yes”?

+How can you better respond to God’s invitation through John the Baptist to repent, to bear good fruit, and to follow Jesus?

(courtesy of: Scripture Study for Catholics)

Bible Study--26th Sunday in Ordinary Time--Cycle A

(courtesy of: St. Charles Borromeo Parish, Picayune, MS--Faith Studies in the Bible)



"You know well enough that Our Lord does not look so much at the greatness of our actions, nor even at their difficulty, but at the love with which we do them."  –St. Therese of Lisieux

Thanks op

You're very much welcome, Brother!

Challenging scriptures this week.


I am trying to get the sermon that our Deacon gave for this mass.


He had incredible and valuable insight about the difference between self righteous and God's righteousness.


God's fairness is in the time we are given to repent and in His patience.

As always.. thank you so much for posting this.