Daily Catholic Mass Readings for June 5, 2017
First Reading: Tobit 1.1ad, 2a, 3, 17; 2.1-8
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Psalm 112
1Praise the LORD. Blessed is the man who fears the LORD, who finds great delight in his commands.2His children will be mighty in the land; the generation of the upright will be blessed.3Wealth and riches are in his house, and his righteousness endures forever.4Even in darkness light dawns for the upright, for the gracious and compassionate and righteous man.5Good will come to him who is generous and lends freely, who conducts his affairs with justice.6Surely he will never be shaken; a righteous man will be remembered forever.7He will have no fear of bad news; his heart is steadfast, trusting in the LORD.8His heart is secure, he will have no fear; in the end he will look in triumph on his foes.9He has scattered abroad his gifts to the poor, his righteousness endures forever; his horn will be lifted high in honor.10The wicked man will see and be vexed, he will gnash his teeth and waste away; the longings of the wicked will come to nothing.
Gospel: Mark 12.1-12
1He then began to speak to them in parables: "A man planted a vineyard. He put a wall around it, dug a pit for the winepress and built a watchtower. Then he rented the vineyard to some farmers and went away on a journey.2At harvest time he sent a servant to the tenants to collect from them some of the fruit of the vineyard.3But they seized him, beat him and sent him away empty-handed.4Then he sent another servant to them; they struck this man on the head and treated him shamefully.5He sent still another, and that one they killed. He sent many others; some of them they beat, others they killed.6"He had one left to send, a son, whom he loved. He sent him last of all, saying, 'They will respect my son.'7"But the tenants said to one another, 'This is the heir. Come, let's kill him, and the inheritance will be ours.'8So they took him and killed him, and threw him out of the vineyard.9"What then will the owner of the vineyard do? He will come and kill those tenants and give the vineyard to others.10Haven't you read this scripture: "'The stone the builders rejected has become the capstone;11the Lord has done this, and it is marvelous in our eyes'?"12Then they looked for a way to arrest him because they knew he had spoken the parable against them. But they were afraid of the crowd; so they left him and went away.
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on faith, perseverance, and the ultimate justice of God. In the first reading from Tobit, we encounter a man who, despite living in exile and hardship, remains steadfast in his commitment to God and His laws. Tobit’s actions—burying the dead, caring for his fellow exiles, and trusting in God’s providence—show us a life lived in faith and compassion, even in the face of suffering and criticism. His story reminds us that our faith is not just about belief but about how we live it out in concrete acts of love and mercy.
The Gospel parable from Mark offers a stark contrast to Tobit’s fidelity. The vineyard owner, who represents God, entrusts his land to tenants who repeatedly reject and harm those he sends, including his own son. This parable is a powerful allegory for Israel’s history and humanity’s tendency to reject God’s messengers. Yet, even in the face of such rejection, the parable assures us that God’s justice will prevail. The “stone rejected by the builders” becomes the cornerstone, a reference to Jesus, who is rejected by some but exalted by God. This reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His plan is always greater than our limited understanding.
Together, these readings call us to live with unwavering faith and trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems to reject or oppose what is good. Like Tobit, we are called to act with compassion and integrity, even in difficult circumstances. And like the parable, we are reminded that our ultimate hope lies not in human approval but in God’s justice and mercy. Let us strive to be faithful stewards of the vineyard entrusted to us, trusting that God will bring His plan to fulfillment in His time.