O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king
CI Reading Judges 9:6-15 The tale of the
trees and their king
All the leading
men of Shechem and all Beth-millo gathered, and proclaimed Abimelech king by
the terebinth of the pillar at Shechem.
News of this was
brought to Jotham. He came and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim and shouted
aloud for them to hear: ‘Hear me,
leaders of Shechem, that God may also hear you! ‘One day the trees went out to
anoint a king to rule over them. They said to the olive tree, “Be our king!” ‘The
olive tree answered them,
“Must I forego
my oil which gives honour to gods and men, to stand swaying above the trees?” ‘Then
the trees said to the fig tree, “Come now, you be our king!” ‘The fig tree
answered them, “Must I forego my sweetness, forego my excellent fruit, to stand
swaying above the trees?” ‘Then the trees said to the vine, “Come now, you be
our king!” ‘The vine answered them, “Must I forego my wine which cheers the
heart of gods and men, to stand swaying above the trees?”
‘Then all the
trees said to the thorn bush, “Come now, you be our king!” ‘And the thorn bush
answered the trees, “If in all good faith you anoint me king to reign over you,
then come and shelter in my shade. If not, fire will come from the thorn bush and
devour the cedars of Lebanon.”’
Responsorial
Psalm: O Lord, your strength gives joy to the king
Gospel Matthew
20:1-16 Why be envious because I am generous?
CDR: Jesus said to
his disciples: ‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak
to hire workers for his vineyard. He made an agreement with the workers for one
denarius a day, and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third
hour he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them, “You go
to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.” So they went. At about the
sixth hour and again at about the ninth hour, he went out and did the same.
Then at about the eleventh hour he went out and found more men standing round,
and he said to them, “Why have you been standing here idle all day?” “Because
no one has hired us” they answered. He said to them, “You go into my vineyard
too.” In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff, “Call the
workers and pay them their wages, starting with the last arrivals and ending
with the first.” So those who were hired at about the eleventh hour came
forward and received one denarius each. When the first came, they expected to
get more, but they too received one denarius each. They took it, but grumbled
at the landowner. “The men who came last” they said “have done only one hour,
and you have treated them the same as us, though we have done a heavy day’s
work in all the heat.” He answered one of them and said, “My friend, I am not
being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and
go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do
what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last
will be first, and the first, last.’ O Lord, your strength gives joy to your creatures. Merciful God. Compassionate Father. Father you
are full of kindness; you are generous in all your ways. Father I thank you for
your faithfulness and love. Father you are just in all your ways for your gifts
to humanity is beyond measure. We thank
you for Jesus Christ your gift to us. Father may we appreciate your goodness to
the glory of your name in all our actions towards one another.
Jesus I trust in you. Virgin Mary pray for
me. Saint Joseph pray for me. Angels and Saints of God pray for me. My Angel
Guardian ray for me.
Pray the Holy Rosary: Ave Maria. Hail Mary
full of grace. Hail Mother of our Lord Jesus Christ.
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