DOA HARIAN

Twenty-sixth Sunday of Ordinary Time
Remembrance of Saint Therese of Lisieux (+1897), a Carmelite monk with a deep sense of the mission of the Church.

First Reading

Ezekiel 18,25-28

'Now, you say, "What the Lord does is unjust." Now listen, House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright abandons uprightness and does wrong and dies, he dies because of the wrong which he himself has done. Similarly, when the wicked abandons wickedness to become law-abiding and upright, he saves his own life. Having chosen to renounce all his previous crimes, he will most certainly live: he will not die.

Psalmody

Psalm 25

Antiphon

Lord, I love the house in which you live.

Give judgement for me, O Lord;
for I walk the path of perfection.
I trust in the Lord; I have not wavered.

Examine me, Lord, and try me;
O test my heart and my mind,

for your love is before my eyes
and I walk according to your truth.

I never take my place with liars
and with hypocrites I shall not go.

I hate the evil-doer's company :
I will not take my place with the wicked.

To prove my innocence I wash my hands
and take my place around your alter,

singing a song of thanksgiving,
proclaiming all your wonders.

O Lord, I love the house where you dwell,
the place where your glory abides.

Do not sweep me away with sinners,
nor my life with bloodthirsty men

In whose hands are evil plots,
whose right hands are filled with gold.

As for me, I walk the path of perfection.
Redeem me and show me your mercy.

My foot stands on level ground :
I will bless the Lord in the assembly.

Second Reading

Philippians 2,1-11

So if in Christ there is anything that will move you, any incentive in love, any fellowship in the Spirit, any warmth or sympathy -- I appeal to you, make my joy complete by being of a single mind, one in love, one in heart and one in mind. Nothing is to be done out of jealousy or vanity; instead, out of humility of mind everyone should give preference to others, everyone pursuing not selfish interests but those of others. Make your own the mind of Christ Jesus: Who, being in the form of God, did not count equality with God something to be grasped. But he emptied himself, taking the form of a slave, becoming as human beings are; and being in every way like a human being, he was humbler yet, even to accepting death, death on a cross. And for this God raised him high, and gave him the name which is above all other names; so that all beings in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld, should bend the knee at the name of Jesus and that every tongue should acknowledge Jesus Christ as Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

Reading of the Gospel

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Matthew 21,28-32

'What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, "My boy, go and work in the vineyard today." He answered, "I will not go," but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, "Certainly, sir," but did not go. Which of the two did the father's will?' They said, 'The first.' Jesus said to them, 'In truth I tell you, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, showing the way of uprightness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.

 

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Yesterday I was buried with Christ,
today I rise with you who are risen.
With you I was crucified;
remember me, Lord, in your kingdom.

Alleluia, alleluia, alleluia

Homily

Jesus returned to the temple where the day before he had driven out the merchants and money changers and healed many sick people who had approached him. The high priests and the elders of the people came to question him on what authority he had behaved in that way. They had authority over the temple. Jesus does not answer their question directly and asks in turn that they tell him by what authority the Baptist baptised. They do not know how to answer Jesus' question as they were afraid of the reaction of the people and they admit: "We do not know." Jesus, at this point, recounts the short parable we read, that of a father who asks his two sons to go and work the vineyard: the first says he does not feel like it, but then goes; the second, on the other hand, shows he does feel like it, but then does not go. "Which of the two did the will of the father?" Jesus asks his interlocutors. They can only answer: "The first." It was the only possible answer.
At this point Jesus proposes a totally unexpected reversal. Addressing those priests and elders of the people - precisely on the basis of their answer - he says to them: "The tax-collectors and the prostitutes are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you." It is a very harsh statement for those listeners, but it reflected what was happening before their eyes: the tax-collectors and the sinners were indeed flocking to Jesus to hear him, and they listened to him with enthusiasm: they took his words seriously, they touched his love and accepted his forgiveness, and many continued to follow him; they were not ashamed to ask him for help; they did not pretend to be what they were not; they did not defend themselves by claiming merit or justification. They repented and changed their lives. The Gospel was truly good news for them, truly life changing. As it is for anyone - including us - who lets their heart be touched by the word of the father who sends to work in the vineyard. Faith comes from hearing the Gospel. Whoever listens to it with faith also turns away from the "no" like that of the first son and repents, that is, leaves his way and takes that of the vineyard. This is what we ask the Lord every day in the Lord's Prayer: "Thy will be done." Precisely, "Let it be done," not just proclaimed with the mouth.