Daily Catholic Mass Readings for March 22, 2019

First Reading: Genesis 37.3-4, 12-13a, 17b-28

³Now Israel loved Joseph above all his sons, because he had conceived him in his old age. And he made him a tunic, woven of many colors⁴Then his brothers, seeing that he was loved by his father more than all his other sons, hated him, and they were not able to say anything peacefully to him¹²And while his brothers were lodging at Shechem, pasturing their father’s flocks¹³Israel said to him: "Your brothers are pasturing the sheep at Shechem. Come, I will send you to them." And when he answered¹⁷And the man said to him: "They have withdrawn from this place. But I heard them saying, ‘Let us go to Dothan.’ " Therefore, Joseph continued on after his brothers, and he found them at Dothan¹⁸And, when they had seen him from afar, before he approached them, they decided to kill him¹⁹And they said one to another: "Behold, the dreamer approaches²⁰Come, let us kill him and cast him into the old cistern. And let us say: ‘an evil wild beast has devoured him.’ And then it will become apparent what his dreams will do for him.²¹But Reuben, on hearing this, strove to free him from their hands, and he said²²"Do not take away his life, nor shed blood. But throw him into this cistern, which is in the wilderness, and so keep your hands harmless." But he said this, wanting to rescue him from their hands, so as to return him to his father²³And so, as soon as he came to his brothers, they very quickly stripped him of his tunic, which was ankle-length and woven of many colors²⁴and they cast him into an old cistern, which held no water²⁵And sitting down to eat bread, they saw some Ishmaelites, travelers coming from Gilead, with their camels, carrying spices, and resin, and oil of myrrh into Egypt²⁶Therefore, Judah said to his brothers: "What will it profit us, if we kill our brother and conceal his blood²⁷It is better that he be sold to the Ishmaelites, and then our hands will not be defiled. For he is our brother and our flesh." His brothers agreed to his words²⁸And when the Midianite merchants were passing by, they drew him from the cistern, and they sold him to the Ishmaelites for twenty pieces of silver. And these led him into Egypt

Psalm 105

Psalms

Chapter 105

¹Alleluia. Confess to the Lord, and invoke his name. Announce his works among the nations²Sing to him, and sing psalms to him. Describe all his wonders³Be praised in his holy name. Let the heart of those who seek the Lord rejoice⁴Seek the Lord, and be confirmed. Seek his face always⁵Remember his miracles, which he has done, his portents and the judgments of his mouth⁶you offspring of Abraham his servant, you sons of Jacob his elect⁷He is the Lord our God. His judgments are throughout the entire earth⁸He has remembered his covenant for all ages: the word that he entrusted to a thousand generations⁹which he assigned to Abraham, and his oath to Isaac¹⁰And he stationed the same for Jacob with a precept, and for Israel with an eternal testament¹¹saying: To you, I will give the land of Canaan, the allotment of your inheritance¹²Though they may have been but a small number, very few and foreigners there¹³and though they passed from nation to nation, and from one kingdom to another people¹⁴he allowed no man to harm them, and he reproved kings on their behalf¹⁵Do not be willing to touch my Christ, and do not be willing to malign my prophets¹⁶And he called a famine upon the land, and he crushed every foundation of the bread¹⁷He sent a man before them: Joseph, who had been sold as a slave¹⁸They humbled his feet in shackles; the iron pierced his soul¹⁹until his word arrived. The eloquence of the Lord inflamed him²⁰The king sent and released him; he was the ruler of the people, and he dismissed him²¹He established him as master of his house and ruler of all his possessions²²so that he might instruct his princes as himself, and teach his elders prudence²³And Israel entered into Egypt, and Jacob became a sojourner in the land of Ham²⁴And he helped his people greatly, and he strengthened them over their enemies²⁵He turned their heart to hate his people, and to deal deceitfully with his servants²⁶He sent Moses, his servant, and Aaron, the one whom he chose²⁷He placed with them signs of his word, and portents in the land of Ham²⁸He sent darkness and made it conceal, and he did not afflict them with his speech²⁹He turned their waters into blood, and he slaughtered their fish³⁰Their land brought forth frogs, even in the inner chambers of their kings³¹He spoke, and there came forth common flies and gnats, in every region³²He gave them a shower of hail and a burning fire, in the same land³³And he struck their vineyards and their fig trees, and he crushed the trees of their region³⁴He spoke, and the locust came forth, and the caterpillar, of which there was no number³⁵And it devoured all the grass in their land, and it consumed all the fruit of their land³⁶And he struck all the first-born in their land, the first-fruits of all their labor³⁷And he led them out with silver and gold, and there was not an infirm one among their tribes³⁸Egypt was joyful at their departure, for the fear of them lay heavy upon them³⁹He spread a cloud for their protection, and a fire, to give them light through the night⁴⁰They petitioned, and the quail came; and he satisfied them with the bread of heaven⁴¹He ruptured the rock and the waters flowed: rivers gushed in the dry land⁴²For he had called to mind his holy word, which he kept near to his servant Abraham⁴³And he led forth his people in exultation, and his elect in rejoicing⁴⁴And he gave them the regions of the Gentiles, and they possessed the labors of the peoples⁴⁵so that they might observe his justifications, and inquire about his law

Gospel: Matthew 21.33-43, 45-46

Matthew

Chapter 21

³³Listen to another parable. There was a man, the father of a family, who planted a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a press in it, and built a tower. And he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out to sojourn abroad³⁴Then, when the time of the fruits drew near, he sent his servants to the farmers, so that they might receive its fruits³⁵And the farmers apprehended his servants; they struck one, and killed another, and stoned yet another³⁶Again, he sent other servants, more than before; and they treated them similarly³⁷Then, at the very end, he sent his son to them, saying: ‘They will revere my son.³⁸But the farmers, seeing the son, said among themselves: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him, and then we will have his inheritance.³⁹And apprehending him, they cast him outside the vineyard, and they killed him⁴⁰Therefore, when the lord of the vineyard arrives, what will he do to those farmers?⁴¹They said to him, "He will bring those evil men to an evil end, and he will loan out his vineyard to other farmers, who shall repay to him the fruit in its time.⁴²Jesus said to them: "Have you never read in the Scriptures: ‘The stone that the builders have rejected has become the cornerstone. By the Lord has this been done, and it is wonderful in our eyes?⁴³Therefore, I say to you, that the kingdom of God will be taken away from you, and it shall be given to a people who shall produce its fruits⁴⁵And when the leaders of the priests, and the Pharisees had heard his parables, they knew that he was speaking about them⁴⁶And though they sought to take hold of him, they feared the crowds, because they held him to be a prophet

Sermon

In today's readings, we encounter stories of jealousy, rejection, and the profound consequences of human actions. The first reading from Genesis tells the story of Joseph, the favored son of Jacob, whose brothers, driven by envy, conspire against him. Their jealousy leads them to abandon Joseph in a cistern and later sell him into slavery. This narrative is part of the larger story of Joseph's eventual rise in Egypt and his forgiveness of his brothers, highlighting themes of betrayal, mercy, and divine providence. The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a parable that mirrors the dynamics of rejection and betrayal. Jesus speaks of a vineyard owner who sends his servants and eventually his son to the tenant farmers, only to have them rejected and killed. This parable is a critique of the religious leaders of Jesus' time, who fail to recognize God's messengers and reject His Son. The parable ends with the warning that the kingdom of God will be taken from those who reject it and given to those who will bear its fruits. Both readings invite us to reflect on how we respond to God's presence in our lives. Joseph's brothers allowed jealousy to consume them, leading to division and harm. Similarly, the tenant farmers in the parable reject the vineyard owner's representatives out of greed and a desire for power. These stories remind us that our choices have consequences and that rejecting God's will can lead to spiritual blindness and separation from Him. Yet, amidst these stories of rejection, there is hope. Joseph's story ultimately reveals God's ability to transform suffering into blessing. Similarly, the parable of the vineyard points to the enduring nature of God's kingdom, which will be given to those who are faithful. As we navigate our own lives, may we learn to recognize and overcome jealousy and pride, trusting in God's plan and seeking to bear fruit in His kingdom. Let us strive to be people who receive God's messengers with open hearts and live in a way that reflects His love and mercy.