Jesus, what made You so small? LOVE!
                                      - Bernard of Clairvaux

 

I have leaned on the wisdom of men; O Lord, forgive me;
instead of Your light and Your mercy.

 

St. Bernard, abbot and doctor

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊     

Judges 9:6-15 

Then all the lords of Shechem and the whole council assembled together by the oak at the pillar in Shechem, and proclaimed Abimelech king.

When Jotham was told about this, he went to the top of Mount Gerizim. There he cried out to them, "Listen to me, lords of Shechem, that God may listen to you!

The trees once set out to find and anoint a king. They said to the olive tree, 'Be our king. The olive tree answered, 'Am I going to renounce the oil by which thanks to me gods and people are honored, to hold sway

over the trees?'

The trees said to the fig tree: 'Come and reign over us. The fig tree answered them, 'Am I going to renounce my sweetness and my delicious fruit, to hold sway over the trees? The trees said to the vine: 'Come and reign over us. The vine answered, 'Am I going to renounce my juice which cheers gods and people to hold sway over the trees?'

Then the trees said to the bramble bush: 'Come, reign over us. The bramble bush answered the trees, "If you come in sincerity to anoint me as your king, then come near and take shelter in my shade; but if not, let fire break out of the bramble bush to devour even the cedars of Lebanon.

 

Ps 21:2-3, 4-5, 6-7

Lord, in your strength the king is glad.

 

＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊      

Matthew 20:1-16

This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven: A landowner went out early in the morning, to hire workers for his vineyard. He agreed to pay each worker the usual daily wage, and sent them to his vineyard. He went out again, at about nine in the morning, and, seeing others idle in the town square, he said to them, 'You also, 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 made the same offer. Again he went out, at the last working hour the eleventh and he saw others standing around. So he said to them, 'Why do you stand 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 gone to work at the eleventh hour came up, and were each given a silver coin. When it was the turn of the first, they thought they would receive more. But they, too, received one silver coin. 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 heavy work of the day and the heat. The owner said to one of them, 'Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin per 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 what is mine? Why are you envious when I am kind?' So will it be: the last will be first, the first will be last."

 

 

Gospel Reflection ：

"He is rich in Mercy."

Today's parable expresses the generous love of God. The vineyard workers who have worked all day think they have been treated unfairly because they have done more work but received the same pay. However, this is looking at things from the wrong perspective. "Friend, I have not been unjust to you. Did we not agree on one silver coin per day?" So the landowner is not being unfair. Instead, he is treating the first fairly and being generous to the latecomers. Charity is not the opposite of justice. Rather, charity goes beyond justice, beyond what is fair, to enter the realms of generosity and compassion. This is how God treats his children. He is rich in mercy. Saint Bernard of Clairvaux frequently reflected on the mercy of God, pointing out that the justice and mercy of God go together rather than contradict each other. In his justice he sees our sins; in his mercy he pardons them. This healing mercy is poured out upon us like oil, says Bernard, not only to pardon us, but to enable us to pour the oil of mercy on others and to warm their hearts with the fire of charity.