FAUSTI - "Your eye is bad, because I am good?" The One who cares for the last ones, asks those who would like to be first ones. The first are the last ones and the last first ones also in spiritual goods. The one who leaves everything to work in the vineyard, like Peter and his mates, receives a great reward, as it has just been said (19: 27-29). This parable shows us that it is a gift of grace accorded to everyone, starting from the last arrived. The Lord, the only good one, He does perfectly what he says to the rich young man : He gives all that is of Him to the poor. The vineyard is the people, called to bear the fruits of the Kingdom, which are the love of God and of neighbor. The Lord goes out continuously ,at every hours, to call us and call us again. All our day - the story of every single one and everyone – it is nothing but a constant call to make fruit. This parable destroys till root the logic of possession and claim: no one can boast titles of credit for what is pure gift of grace. The first called, both in Israel and in the Church, are like Jonah: they are embittered in seeing God "merciful, clement, longsuffering, and of great love" (Gn 4,2). They are attached to their spiritual goods, as the young man rich to the material ones. They are like Paul, who gloried himself as faultless in the justice of the law (Phil 3: 3-6);they are like the elder brother, who gets angry seeing that the Father is good with his younger brother (Luke 15:28). This parable is a new little gospel, similar to Luke 15,1ss. It is in contrast to the ethics of capitalism, bot material or spiritual . It is not against law or justice - to the workers of the first hour it is given what is right - but it accentuates grace. The law and the justice of God are those of love and liberality; His remuneration exceeds every merit: it is a prize, given for mercy to everyone. The first called ones to work in the vineyard risk to reject the Lord, because He is magnanimous towards the last ones. For everyone , salvation is the free love of the Father. They can not take it cunningly or gain it with sweat: it's grace. The eternal life that the rich young man wants to have (19,16) can be achieved not doing something more, but leaving everything. We must leave, in addition to the material goods, even the spiritual ones. The Kingdom is of the poor in spirit (5.3) of who has became like a child and welcomes it is a gift from the Father to his children in the Son. The privilege of the little ones and of the last ones is that, not deserving it, they understand that it is a gift. The others - the rich in spirit - will only accept it if, not like the elder brother, they will accept the younger one only if, unlike those who worked since dawn, they will be happy because of their younger brothers have same salary as children. The passage is divided into two parts: there are five different calls from dawn until one hour before sunset (v.1-7); at the sunset there is the reward, beginning from the last ones who receive the same compensation agreed with the first ones, which of course, complain about it (vv. 8-16). The fulcrum is the rebuke to one of the workers of the first hour, who does not accept that the Lord treats him like those of the last hour. Jesus brings back to the earth what was at the "beginning": the way of acting of the Father, who is benevolent with all His children, even with those who do not deserve it. The Church, if seeks salvation from its own works, knows that it has nothing to do with Christ, It has fallen away from grace (Gal 5: 4). The Christians, aware that they have been saved by grace (Eph. 2,5), laying forth bitterness, anger, anger, lamentation, malice and any kinds of malignity, are benevolent each other. They are mutually graceful as God has graced them in Christ (Eph 4: 31).
Seek the LORD while he may be found, call him while he is near. Let the scoundrel forsake his way, and the wicked his thoughts; let him turn to the LORD for mercy; to our God, who is generous in forgiving. For my thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD. As high as the heavens are above the earth, so high are my ways above your ways and my thoughts above your thoughts. Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him. Every day will I bless you, and I will praise your name forever and ever. Great is the LORD and highly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and of great kindness. The LORD is good to all and compassionate toward all his works. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. The LORD is just in all his ways and holy in all his works. The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth. R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him. Reading 2 PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A
Brothers and sisters: Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death. For to me life is Christ, and death is gain. If I go on living in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. And I do not know which I shall choose. I am caught between the two. I long to depart this life and be with Christ, for that is far better. Yet that I remain in the flesh is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ. Alleluia CF. ACTS 16:14B
R. Alleluia, alleluia. Open our hearts, O Lord, to listen to the words of your Son. R. Alleluia, alleluia. Gospel MT 20:1-16A
Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."
FAUSTI - "Your eye is bad, because I am good?" The One who cares
RispondiEliminafor the last ones, asks those who would like to be first ones. The first are the last ones and the last first ones also in spiritual goods. The one who leaves everything to work in the vineyard, like Peter and his mates, receives a great reward, as it has just been said (19: 27-29). This parable shows us that it is a gift of grace accorded to everyone, starting from the last arrived. The Lord, the only good one, He does perfectly what he says to the rich young man : He gives all that is of Him to the poor. The vineyard is the people, called to bear the fruits of the Kingdom, which are the love of God and of neighbor.
The Lord goes out continuously ,at every hours, to call us and call us again. All our day - the story of every single one and everyone – it is nothing but a constant call to make fruit.
This parable destroys till root the logic of possession and claim: no one can boast titles of credit for what is pure gift of grace.
The first called, both in Israel and in the Church, are like Jonah: they are embittered in seeing God "merciful, clement, longsuffering, and of great love" (Gn 4,2).
They are attached to their spiritual goods, as the young man rich to the material ones. They are like Paul, who gloried himself as faultless in the justice of the law (Phil 3: 3-6);they are like the elder brother, who gets angry seeing that the Father is good with his younger brother (Luke 15:28).
This parable is a new little gospel, similar to Luke 15,1ss. It is in contrast to the ethics of capitalism, bot material or spiritual .
It is not against law or justice - to the workers of the first hour it is given what is right - but it accentuates grace. The law and the justice of God are those of love and liberality; His remuneration exceeds every merit: it is a prize, given for mercy to everyone.
The first called ones to work in the vineyard risk to reject the Lord, because He is magnanimous towards the last ones. For everyone , salvation is the free love of the Father.
They can not take it cunningly or gain it with sweat: it's grace.
The eternal life that the rich young man wants to have (19,16) can be achieved not doing something more, but leaving everything. We must leave, in addition to the material goods, even the spiritual ones.
The Kingdom is of the poor in spirit (5.3) of who has became like a child and welcomes it is a gift from the Father to his children in the Son. The privilege of the little ones and of the last ones is that, not deserving it, they understand that it is a gift.
The others - the rich in spirit - will only accept it if, not like the elder brother, they will accept the younger one only if, unlike those who worked since dawn, they will be happy because of their younger brothers have same salary as children.
The passage is divided into two parts: there are five different calls from dawn until one hour before sunset (v.1-7); at the sunset there is the reward, beginning from the last ones who receive the same compensation agreed with the first ones, which of course, complain about it (vv. 8-16).
The fulcrum is the rebuke to one of the workers of the first hour, who does not accept that the Lord treats him like those of the last hour.
Jesus brings back to the earth what was at the "beginning": the way of acting of the Father, who is benevolent with all His children, even with those who do not deserve it.
The Church, if seeks salvation from its own works, knows that it has nothing to do with Christ, It has fallen away from grace (Gal 5: 4).
The Christians, aware that they have been saved by grace (Eph. 2,5), laying forth bitterness, anger, anger, lamentation, malice and any kinds of malignity, are benevolent each other. They are mutually graceful as God has graced them in Christ (Eph 4: 31).
Reading 1 IS 55:6-9
RispondiEliminaSeek the LORD while he may be found,
call him while he is near.
Let the scoundrel forsake his way,
and the wicked his thoughts;
let him turn to the LORD for mercy;
to our God, who is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
nor are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
As high as the heavens are above the earth,
so high are my ways above your ways
and my thoughts above your thoughts.
Responsorial Psalm PS 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18
R. (18a) The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Every day will I bless you,
and I will praise your name forever and ever.
Great is the LORD and highly to be praised;
his greatness is unsearchable.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is gracious and merciful,
slow to anger and of great kindness.
The LORD is good to all
and compassionate toward all his works.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
The LORD is just in all his ways
and holy in all his works.
The LORD is near to all who call upon him,
to all who call upon him in truth.
R. The Lord is near to all who call upon him.
Reading 2 PHIL 1:20C-24, 27A
Brothers and sisters:
Christ will be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death.
For to me life is Christ, and death is gain.
If I go on living in the flesh,
that means fruitful labor for me.
And I do not know which I shall choose.
I am caught between the two.
I long to depart this life and be with Christ,
for that is far better.
Yet that I remain in the flesh
is more necessary for your benefit.
Only, conduct yourselves in a way worthy of the gospel of Christ.
Alleluia CF. ACTS 16:14B
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Open our hearts, O Lord,
to listen to the words of your Son.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 20:1-16A
Jesus told his disciples this parable:
"The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o'clock,
the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.'
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o'clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o'clock,
the landowner found others standing around, and said to them,
'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.'
He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.'
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
'Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.'
When those who had started about five o'clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
'These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day's burden and the heat.'
He said to one of them in reply,
'My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?'
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."