FOR THE TWENTY-FIFTH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME :20th September 2020, FOR FRIENDS AT HOLY TRINITY, WINCHESTER AND OTHER FRIENDS UNABLE TO ATTEND MASS THIS DAY.
✠In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit. Amen.
Our Gospel reading today reminds us that God's ways are not our ways.
God does not judge us by years of believing in Him,
but from the fullness of a Divine Heart.
Lord Jesus, I come to you in sorrow for breaking your Heart,
and confess to you my failings.
I confess to almighty God, that I have greatly sinned, in my thoughts and in my words, in what I have done and in what I have failed to do, through my fault, through my fault, through my most grievous fault; therefore I ask blessed Mary ever-Virgin, all the Angels and Saints, to pray for me to the Lord our God.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins,
and bring us to everlasting life. Amen.
THE GLORIA
Glory to God in the highest,
and on earth peace to people of good will.
We praise you, we bless you,
we adore you, we glorify you,
we give you thanks for your great glory,
Lord God, heavenly King,
O God, almighty Father.
Lord Jesus Christ, Only Begotten Son,
Lord God, Lamb of God, Son of the Father,
you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us;
you take away the sins of the world,
receive our prayer;
you are seated at the right hand of the Father,
have mercy on us.
For you alone are the Holy One,
you alone are the Lord,
you alone are the Most High, Jesus Christ,
with the Holy Spirit, in the glory of God the Father. Amen.
THE COLLECT FOR THE DAY
O God, who founded all the commands of your sacred Law
upon love of you and of our neighbour,
grant that, by keeping your precepts,
we may merit to attain eternal life.
Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son,
who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever.
FIRST READING - Isaiah 55: 6-9
Seek the Lord while he is still to be found,call to him while he is still near.
Let the wicked man abandon his way,
the evil man his thoughts. Let him turn back to the Lord who will take pity on him, to our God who is rich in forgiving; for my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways not your ways – it is the Lord who speaks.
Yes, the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways,
my thoughts above your thoughts.
RESPONSORIAL PSALM Ps. 145:2-3,8-9,17-18;
The Lord is close to all who call him.
I will bless you day after day
and praise your name for ever.
The Lord is great, highly to be praised,
his greatness cannot be measured.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
The Lord is kind and full of compassion,
slow to anger, abounding in love.
How good is the Lord to all,
compassionate to all his creatures.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
The Lord is just in all his ways
and loving in all his deeds.
He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.
The Lord is close to all who call him.
SECOND READING - Philippians 1: 20c-24,27a.Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. Life to me, of course, is Christ,
but then death would bring me something more; but then again, if living in this body means doing work
which is having good results – I do not know what I should choose.
I am caught in this dilemma: I want to be gone and be with Christ, which would be very much the better, but for me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need for your sake.
Avoid anything in your everyday lives
that would be unworthy of the
gospel of Christ.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION cf.John 6:68
Alleluia, alleluia! Blessings on the King who comes,
in the name of the Lord! Peace in heaven
and glory in the highest heavens! Alleluia!
GOSPEL - Matthew 20:1-16
Jesus said to his disciples:
‘The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner going out at daybreak
to hire workers for his vineyard.
He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day,
and sent them to his vineyard. Going out at about the third hour
he saw others standing idle in the market place and said to them,
“You go to my vineyard too and I will give you a fair wage.”
So they went.
At about the sixth hour
and again at about the ninth hour,
he went out and did the same.
Then at about the eleventh hour
he went out and found more men standing round, and he said to them,
“Why have you been standing here
idle all day?”
“Because no one has hired us”
they answered.
He said to them,
“You go into my vineyard too.”
In the evening, the owner of the vineyard said to his bailiff,
“Call the workers
and pay them their wages,
starting with the last arrivals
and ending with the first.”
So those who were hired
at about the eleventh hour
came forward and received one denarius each.
When the first came,
they expected to get more,
but they too received
one denarius each.
They took it,
but grumbled at the landowner.
“The men who came last”
they said “have done only one hour,
and you have treated them
the same as us, though we have done
a heavy day’s work in all the heat.”
He answered one of them and said,
“My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? Take your earnings and go. I choose to pay the last comer as much as I pay you. Have I no right to do what I like with my own? Why be envious because I am generous?” Thus the last will be first, and the first, last.’
HOMILY – thoughts from Fr John Foley and Fr.Ron Rolheiser.
Take a good look at the parable in today’s Gospel and let the story lead you.
Imagine the landowner hiring laborers for his vineyard
as he shakes their rough hands and invites them to work.
You can see their satisfied smiles,
since they know they will get the usual daily wage.
The day gets hotter and hotter.
High noon has come and the owner walks back to town
to go shopping for this and that.
He glances around.
Men are leaning on buildings, loitering really, bored but still hopeful.
The owner crosses over to them and offers to hire them.
They come to life and hurry off to his vineyard
to earn just half a day’s wages. It is better than nothing.
Then the workday is about over.
The owner is still in town for whatever reason,
and what should he see but strong men lolling about in doorways,
wet with sweat from the heat and from their dejection.
To their surprise, he hires them too.
Day ends and “just wages” are handed out.
It is the exact same amount for every worker,
no matter how many or how few hours anyone had worked.
Look at the faces!
Anger in the ones who had slaved all day This is not fair!
We demand our rights! We put in the time and these oafs did nothing!
The late ones smiling sheepishly.
What does the story mean?
Let your imagination see the kindness in the owner’s face.
Call to mind the gloom of the ones hired so late.
See their amazement now.
Obviously these wages are not a strict remuneration for hours worked.
They are more like a gift from a fond heart.
How does this feel to you?
Didn’t Jesus tell his parable to show how God’s caring heart works,
how he gives a depth of love equally to each person in this world?
John Foley, SJ
This parable was addressed to Peter in answer to a question.
Peter, on behalf of the other disciples, had just asked Jesus
what reward they were going to receive for their fidelity to him.
I sometimes try to highlight this point rather graphically
when I give retreats to priests and religious.
I have them consider this scenario:
imagine you live out your life in fidelity to your vow of celibacy,
metaphorically, and otherwise bearing the heat of the day and,
when you get to heaven, the first person you meet there is Hugh Hefner,
the founder of Playboy.
In shock you protest to God: “How did he get in here? It’s not fair,
given the life he lived and the life that I was asked to live!”
And God, the over-generous landowner, gently replies:
“Friend, didn’t you agree to a life of celibacy,
and isn’t heaven a wonderful place?
Are you envious and angry because I’m generous?”
And, how different this reaction is to that of a true saint who,
upon meeting someone like this in heaven, would,
like the father of the prodigal son, rush over in joy, embrace the person,
and say: “I’m overwhelmed with joy that you made it!”
Father Ron Rolheiser.
NICENE CREED
I believe in one God, the Father almighty,
maker of heaven and earth,
of all things visible and invisible.
I believe in one Lord Jesus Christ,
the Only Begotten Son of God,
born of the Father before all ages.
God from God, Light from Light,
true God from true God,
begotten, not made, consubstantial with the Father;
through him all things were made.
For us men and for our salvation he came down from heaven,
(All bow)
and by the Holy Spirit was incarnate of the Virgin Mary,
and became man.
For our sake he was crucified under Pontius Pilate,
he suffered death and was buried,
and rose again on the third day
in accordance with the Scriptures.
He ascended into heaven
and is seated at the right hand of the Father.
He will come again in glory
to judge the living and the dead
and his kingdom will have no end.
I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Lord, the giver of life,
who proceeds from the Father and the Son,
who with the Father and the Son is adored and glorified,
who has spoken through the prophets.
I believe in one, holy, catholic and apostolic Church.
I confess one Baptism for the forgiveness of sins
and I look forward to the resurrection of the dead
and the life of the world to come. Amen.
THE PRAYER OF THE FAITHFUL (Bidding Prayers)
In the power of the Spirit
let us pray to the Father
through Christ the Saviour
of the world.
For all who have lost hope
or who are isolated
from family and friends:
that they may experience
God’s presence with them today
and recognize someone’s love
for them
Lord, hear us.
For all who are working to aid those in need,
particularly firefighters and rescue workers:
that God will give them strength, wisdom, and protection from harm
Lord, hear us.
For all who have been cheated out of their wages:
that God will bring justice for those who have been defrauded
and help them in their attempts to reclaim what they are justly owed
Lord, hear us.
For all who are unemployed or underemployed:
that God will open opportunities for them to use their gifts and talents
for the good of society, and not allow their time and energy to be idled away
Lord, hear us.
For all who are suffering persecution for their faith:
that God will protect them from harm and help them
to give faithful witness to the Gospel
Lord, hear us.
For all who are approaching death, those with terminal illness,
and those who care for them:
Lord, hear us.
For all who have been impacted by the wildfires in North America and
in Brazil: that God will comfort and equip those who have lost homes
and livelihoods.
Lord, hear us.
For safe and honest elections in the United States: that God will guide those
who are organizing this, and motivate all to fulfil their civic responsibilities
by voting.
Lord, hear us.
For greater stewardship of creation: that God will impel our hearts
to oppose the misuse of earth's resources and empower us to work tirelessly
to protect the magnificence of nature for future generations.
Lord, hear us.
For those for whom joy seems far away; the lonely, for bereaved people
hurting from the death of someone they have loved;
…for wives, husbands and children, whose lives have been broken
by family break-up, divorce and the dismantling of their hopes.
…for older people now living on their own;
Lord, hear us.
We ask Mary to pray with us,
as we with her
bring our care and concern
for the present situation
in which we find ourselves
Hail Mary, full of grace,
the Lord is with thee,
blessed art thou among women,
and blessed is the fruit
of thy womb, Jesus.
Holy Mary, Mother of God,
pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death.
Be with us all, Lord:
in all our daily struggles as we seek to follow you.
Be with us all, Lord:
in our periods of doubt and despair;
and in our times of happiness, health and loving.
Be with us all, Lord:
until that time when in your in your Kingdom of Love
our joy will know no end:
Merciful Father,
accept these prayers for the sake of your Son,
our Saviour, Jesus Christ. Amen.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Let us give thanks to the Lord our God.
It is right to give him thanks and praise.
It is truly right and just, our duty and our salvation,
always and everywhere to give you thanks,
Lord, holy Father, almighty and eternal God,
through Christ our Lord. For by his birth he brought renewal
to humanity's fallen state,
and by his suffering, cancelled out our sins;
by his rising from the dead,
he has opened the way to eternal life,
and by ascending to you, O Father,
he has unlocked the gates of heaven.
And so, with the company of Angels and Saints,
we sing the hymn of your praise,
as without end we acclaim:
Holy, Holy, Holy Lord God of hosts.
Heaven and earth are full of your glory.
Hosanna in the highest.
Blessed is he who comes in the name of the Lord.
Hosanna in the highest.
At the Saviour’s command
and formed by divine teaching, we dare to say:
Our Father, who art in heaven,
hallowed be thy name;
thy kingdom come,
thy will be done
on earth as it is in heaven.
Give us this day our daily bread,
and forgive us our trespasses,
as we forgive those who trespass against us;
and lead us not into temptation,
but deliver us from evil.
Deliver us, Lord, we pray, from every evil,
graciously grant peace in our days,
that, by the help of your mercy,
we may be always free from sin
and safe from all distress,
as we await the blessed hope
and the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ.
For the kingdom, the power and the glory are yours
now and for ever.
Lord Jesus Christ, who said to your Apostles:
Peace I leave you, my peace I give you,
look not on our sins, but on the faith of your Church,
and graciously grant her peace and unity
in accordance with your will.
Who live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
have mercy on us.
Lamb of God, you take away the sins of the world,
grant us peace.
SPIRITUAL COMMUNION
Lord Jesus Christ, eternal Son of God;
I believe that You are truly present in the most Blessed Sacrament of the altar.
I worship Your unseen sacramental presence with all the powers of my soul.
I love You above all things, and I earnestly desire
to receive Your life-giving, healing grace.
Since I am not now about to receive You sacramentally in Holy Communion,
I ask You to come spiritually into my soul,
and to bestow on me all the graces which flow from Your Sacred Heart.
I unite myself to You, as fully as I am able,
and I ask that with the help of Your grace I may remain united to You,
my greatest good, my final end.
I ask You to sustain me in this life with Your presence,
and then, when this life is over, to receive me into the joys of Your Kingdom,
where with the Father and the Holy Spirit,
You live and reign for ever and ever. Amen.
A Time of quiet reflection, in which to receive the Lord’s Presence spiritually.
THE ANIMA CHRISTI
Soul of Christ, sanctify me;
Body of Christ, save me;
Blood of Christ, inebriate me;
Water from the side of Christ, wash me;
Passion of Christ, strengthen me;
O good Jesus hear me;
Within your wounds hide me;
separated from you, let me never be;
From the evil one protect me;
At the hour of my death, call me;
And close to you bid me;
That with your saints,
I may praise you for ever and ever.
THE BLESSING
Eternal light shine in our hearts.
Eternal goodness deliver us from evil.
Eternal power be our support.
Eternal wisdom scatter the darkness of our ignorance.
Eternal pity have mercy on us
that with all our heart and mind and soul and strength
we may seek Your face
and be brought by Your infinite mercy
into Your holy presence;
and the blessing of almighty God,
the Father, and the Son, ✠ and the Holy Spirit,
come down on us and remain with us for ever. Amen.
THE ANGELUS
The angel of the Lord brought tidings unto Mary. And she conceived by the Holy Ghost.
Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with thee. Blessed art thou amongst women
and blessed is the fruit of thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners now,
and at the hour of our death. Amen.
Behold the handmaid of the Lord. Be it unto me according to thy word. Hail Mary. Holy Mary.
And the Word was made flesh. And dwelt amongst us. Hail Mary. Holy Mary.
Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ.
Let us pray. We beseech thee, O Lord, pour thy grace into our hearts,
that as we have known the Incarnation of thy Son Jesus Christ
by the message of an angel, so by his Cross and Passion
we may be brought unto the glory of his Resurrection;
through the same Christ our Lord. Amen.
Let us bless the Lord. Thanks be to God.
Comments