Daily Readings - Sun Sep 24 2023

⁶Seek the Lord, while he is able to be found. Call upon him, while he is near⁷Let the impious one abandon his way, and the iniquitous man his thoughts, and let him return to the Lord, and he will take pity on him, and to our God, for he is great in forgiveness⁸For my thoughts are not your thoughts, and your ways are not my ways, says the Lord⁹For just as the heavens are exalted above the earth, so also are my ways exalted above your ways, and my thoughts above your thoughts

Philippians

Chapter 1

²⁰by means of my own expectation and hope. For in nothing shall I be confounded. Instead, with all confidence, now just as always, Christ shall be magnified in my body, whether by life or by death²¹For to me, to live is Christ, and to die is gain²²And while I live in the flesh, for me, there is the fruit of works. But I do not know which I would choose²³For I am constrained between the two: having a desire to be dissolved and to be with Christ, which is the far better thing²⁴but then to remain in the flesh is necessary for your sake²⁷Only let your behavior be worthy of the Gospel of Christ, so that, whether I return and see you, or whether, being absent, I hear about you, still you may stand firm with one spirit, with one mind, laboring together for the faith of the Gospel

Matthew

Chapter 20

¹"The kingdom of heaven is like the father of a family who went out in early morning to lead workers into his vineyard²Then, having made an agreement with the workers for one denarius per day, he sent them into his vineyard³And going out about the third hour, he saw others standing idle in the marketplace⁴And he said to them, ‘You may go into my vineyard, too, and what I will give you will be just.⁵So they went forth. But again, he went out about the sixth, and about the ninth hour, and he acted similarly⁶Yet truly, about the eleventh hour, he went out and found others standing, and he said to them, ‘Why have you stood here idle all day?⁷They say to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You also may go into my vineyard.⁸And when evening had arrived, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager, ‘Call the workers and pay them their wages, beginning from the last, even to the first.⁹And so, when those who had arrived about the eleventh hour came forward, each received a single denarius¹⁰Then when the first ones also came forward, they considered that they would receive more. But they, too, received one denarius¹¹And upon receiving it, they murmured against the father of the family¹²saying, ‘These last have worked for one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who worked bearing the weight and heat of the day.¹³But responding to one of them, he said: ‘Friend, I caused you no injury. Did you not agree with me to one denarius¹⁴Take what is yours and go. But it is my will to give to this last, just as to you¹⁵And is it not lawful for me to do what I will? Or is your eye wicked because I am good?¹⁶So then, the last shall be first, and the first shall be last. For many are called, but few are chosen.

Sermon

In today's readings, we are invited to reflect on God's boundless generosity and the call to live with faith and trust in His plan. The first reading from Isaiah urges us to seek the Lord while He is near, emphasizing His mercy and the higher ways of God. This call to repentance reminds us that turning away from sin opens us to receive His forgiveness and grace. The second reading from Philippians finds Paul expressing a deep longing to be with Christ while acknowledging the importance of his mission. He encourages the Philippians to live in a manner worthy of the Gospel, standing firm in their faith. This passage highlights the balance between desiring eternal life and faithfully serving God's purpose here on earth. The Gospel parable in Matthew challenges our notions of fairness and reward. The landowner's generosity to all workers, regardless of their hours, illustrates God's grace and the truth that the last shall be first. This parable teaches us to trust in God's plan, which often surpasses our understanding, and to be open to His unexpected ways of bestowing blessings. In our daily lives, these readings encourage us to embrace God's ways, live faithfully, and trust in His generosity. Let us seek the Lord with repentant hearts, live out our faith with courage, and remain open to the surprising ways God works in our lives. May we find joy in His plan and trust in His abundant grace.