First reading Isaiah 55:6-9
‘My thoughts are not your thoughts.’
Seek the LORD while he may be found; call upon him while he is near; let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have compassion on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, declares 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.
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Responsorial Psalm Psalm 145(144):2-3. 8-9. 17-18. ℟18a
The LORD is close to all who call him.
I will bless you day after day,
and praise your name for ever and ever.
The LORD is great and highly to be praised;
his greatness cannot be measured.
The LORD is close to all who call him.
The LORD is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in mercy.
How good is the LORD to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
The LORD is close to all who call him.
The LORD is just in all his ways,
and holy in all his deeds.
The LORD is close to all who call him,
who call on him in truth.
The LORD is close to all who call him.
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Second reading Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
‘For to me to live is Christ.’
Brothers and Sisters: Christ will be honoured in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. If I am to live in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell. I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better. But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account. Let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ.
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Gospel Acclamation
Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
that we may pay attention to the words of your Son.
Alleluia.
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Gospel Matthew 20:1-16
‘Do you begrudge my generosity?’
At that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable, ‘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 would receive more, but each of them also received a denarius. And on receiving it they grumbled at 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, and the first last.’
