Themes:
A. An Unbelievably Good God
B. God Is Grace

Readings:
First Reading:     Is 55:6-9
Second Reading:   Phil 1:20-24, 27
Gospel Reading:    Mt 20:1-16

Greeting (See First Reading)

"Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,
call to him while he is still near," says the prophet.
God himself goes out to seek you,
says the message of today.
May the Lord find you and stay always with you.
R/ And also with you.

Introduction by the Celebrant

A. An Unbelievably Good God
When you come to think of it, often we cannot understand God's goodness. Why is he so patient with sinners? Why does he give his gifts to people who, in our opinion, do not deserve them, or waste them? But God's ways are not our ways, his thoughts are not always our thoughts. Let us ask the Lord Jesus in this eucharist that our thoughts and actions may become more like those of God.

B. God Is Grace
God is scandalously just and good, because God is grace. He is so good that at times we cannot understand him. Why is he so lenient with notorious sinners? We forget how lenient he is with us, sinners too. Let us open our hearts to his mercy and goodness. He gives without our asking. He gives for free. He gives more richly than we dare to expect. The first and the last receive his love. The first and the last are invited to his table. Let us join Jesus in thanksgiving.

Penitential Act

We may have questioned at times
God's generosity and merciful love
and envied the gifts he gave to others.
Let us ask the Lord to forgive us.
          (PAUSE)
Lord Jesus, in your mercy
you keep forgiving sinners:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Jesus Christ, in your generosity
you keep giving rich gifts to us and to others,
knowing well that often we will not use them:
Christ, have mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.

Lord Jesus, in your patience
you keep inviting us to think and act
in your own inimitable ways:
Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.

Forgive us, Lord, that all too often
we fail to understand your astonishing goodness.
Be patient with us, Lord,
and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.

Opening Prayer

Let us pray to God that he may attune
our thoughts and actions to his own
          (PAUSE)
Lord our God, you say of yourself
that you are good with a love
that surpasses even justice.
Thank you for accepting the little ones as much as the great,
those who turn to you at the last hour
as well as the laborers who have toiled all their lives.

Open us more to the free gifts of your grace,
make us accept them with gratitude
and appreciate how liberally you give to others.
Turn our ways into your ways of love.
We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Scripture Readings

First Reading Introduction: Seek the Ways of the Lord
     God is high above us, yet very close to us. We should seek him and learn to think and act in God's ways.

1st Reading: Is 55:6-9

Seek Yahweh while he may be found;
call to him while he is near.
Let the wicked abandon his way,
let him forsake his thoughts,
let him turn to Yahweh for he will have mercy,
for our God is generous in forgiving.
For my thoughts are not your thoughts,
my ways are not your ways, says Yahweh.
For as the heavens are above the earth,
so are my ways higher than your ways,
and my thoughts above your thoughts.

Responsorial Psalm: Psalms 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18

Every day I will bless you, and praise your name forever and ever.

Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised; his greatness is unsearchable.

The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.

The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.

The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.

The LORD is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.

Second Reading Introduction: For Me, "Life" Means Christ
       For Paul, it doesn't matter much whether he lives or dies. Alive, he serves Christ; by dying he will be with Christ. But he is willing to continue working in the service of the gospel.

2nd Reading: Phil 1:20-24, 27

Brothers and sisters, Christ will be exalted through my person,
whether I live or die.
For to me, to live is Christ, and even death is profitable for me. But if I am to go on living, I shall be able to enjoy fruitful labor. Which shall I choose? So I feel torn between the two. I desire greatly to leave this life and to be with Christ, which will be better by far, but it is necessary for you that I remain in this life.
Try, then, to adjust your lives according to the Gospel of Christ.

Gospel Introduction: God Is Generous To All
       God's generosity surpasses our human reasoning. He gives everybody a chance to enter his kingdom; he lets us share in his life, not because we deserve it but because he is good.

Gospel Reading: Mt 20:1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable, "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay the workers a salary of a silver coin for the day, and sent them to his vineyard.

He went out again at about nine in the morning, and seeing others idle in the square, he said to them: 'You, too, go to my vineyard and I will pay you what is just.' So they went.

The owner went out at midday and again at three in the afternoon, and he did the same. Finally he went out at the last working hour - it was the eleventh - and he saw others standing there. So he said to them: 'Why do you stay idle the whole day?' They answered: 'Because no one has hired us.' The master said: 'Go and work in my vineyard.'

When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his manager: 'Call the workers and pay them their wage, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' Those who had come to work at the eleventh hour turned up and were given a denarius each (a silver coin). When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. But they, too, received a denarius each. So, on receiving it, they began to grumble against the landowner.

They said: 'These last hardly worked an hour, yet you have treated them the same as us who have endured the day's burden and heat.' The owner said to one of them: 'Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on a denarius a day? So take what is yours and go. I want to give to the last the same as I give to you. Don't I have the right to do as I please with my money? Why are you envious when I am kind?'

So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last."

Commentary  •  Gospel Reflections by Fr. Gerry Pierse, CSsR

General Intercessions

Let us pray to God our Father whose generosity is always greater than we expect or can imagine. Let us say: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

- That the fresh faith of new converts may wake up and inspire those born in Christian families, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

- That there may be more justice in our world but that justice may always be imbued with much love, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

- That Christians may contribute to our world a sense of giving out of pure generosity and goodness, and a sense of joyful celebration, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

- That in our human community everyone may be accepted as he or she is;
that we may not exclude anyone from our love and that we may learn to forgive everyone, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

- That in our Christian communities we may not be jealous of each other's gifts and talents but use ours and let others use theirs in the service of the unity and growth of all, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.

Lord, we still have to learn very, very much from you. Make us generous like you, that we may live fully and bring others to life, through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Prayer Over the Gifts

Generous Father,
in these signs of bread and wine
you give us, weak and tired as we are,
your Son as our companion.
We open ourselves to his strength and love.
May he help us in the heat of the day
to bear the burdens of our struggles
and to seek your will in all we do.
Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Introduction to the Eucharistic Prayer

Our own hands are empty as we stand before God. But he is good and loves us. He has given us his Son Jesus Christ who brought us God's mercy. Through him we now give thanks to our Father.
Introduction to the Lord's Prayer
We rely on the generosity of our Father in heaven
as we pray to him in the words of Jesus. R/ Our Father...

Deliver Us

Deliver us, Lord, from the evil of sin
and keep us from applying to you
our human thoughts and norms.
Enlarge our hearts to the dimensions
of your own generosity without limits,
that we may prepare with hope and joy
the full coming among us
of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...

Invitation to Communion

This is Jesus the Lord,
who gives himself freely
to the strong and the weak.
Happy are we
that he is our life and joy. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...

Prayer after Communion

Generous Father,
in this eucharist we have experienced again
that life and all that we are
is nothing else that a gift from you.
May the challenging word of your Son
stir us to accept and serve our neighbor
as you have accepted and loved us
without any merit on our part.
And may the body of your Son
give us the courage to put his word into practice.
Grant us through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.

Blessing

In this eucharist we have been with Jesus.
He spoke to us,
we sat with him at table,
and if we are open to him,
he has filled us with his gifts of strength
and compassion and the power to forgive,
he has made us capable of love.
All for free.
Let us be thankful for these gifts and use them.
May almighty God bless you,
the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.

Let us go in peace
and seek the ways of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.

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Gospel Commentary (Sunday)

The reign of God is not something we can merit and have a right to. People from Jesus' times and even up to ours find it hard to understand this. God's dealings with us humans go beyond human justice, which is basic for order and peace in our churches and societies. Without doubt, much is to be desired of justice in the unjust relations obtaining in this globalized world. Justice is the minimum for authentic human living. But our calling to belong to God's reign demands something over and beyond this. And so, in the alternative opening prayer of today's liturgy we pray: "Father in heaven, the perfection of justice is found in your love and all humankind is in need of your law. Help us to find this love in each other that justice may be attained through obedience to your law."

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