＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊

Isaiah 5:1-7

 Let me sing for my beloved

My love-song about his Vineyard. My beloved has a vineyard on a fertile hillside. He dug it up, cleared the stones, and planted the choicest binrd. He built there a watchtower and hewed out a wine press as well.

Then he looked for a crop of good grapes, but it yielded only wild grapes. Now inhabitants of Jeruaalem and people of Judah, Judah, judge between me and my vineyard.

What more was there to do that I have not done for my vineyard? Good grapes was the yield I expected. Why did it yield only sour grapes? Now I will let you know what I am going to do with my vineyard: I will remove its hedge and it will be burned; I will break downits wall and it will be trampled on.

I will make it a wasteland, I will neither prune nor hoe it, and briers and thorns will grow there. I command the clouds, as well, not to send rain on it. The vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the people of Israel; and the people of Judah are his pleasant Vine.

 

Ps 80:9, 12, 13-14, 15-16, 19-20

The Vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

 

＊＊＊ 2nd Reading ＊＊＊

Philippians 4:6-9

 Do not be anxious about anything. In everything resort to prayer and supplication together with thanksgiving and bring your requests before God.  Then the peace of God, which surpasses all understanding, will keep your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.

Finally, brothers and sisters, fill your minds with whatever is truthful, holy, just, pure, lovely and noble. Be mindful of whatever deserves praise and admiration.  Put into practice what you have learned from me, what I passed on to you, what you heard from me or saw me doing, and the God of peace will be with you.

 

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊

Matthew 21:33-43

 Listen to another example: There was a landowner who planted a vineyard. He put a fence around it, dug a hole for the winepress, built a watchtower, leased the vineyard to tenants and then went to a distant country.

 When harvest time came, the land­owner sent his servants to the tenants to collect his share of the harvest.  But the ten­ants seized his servants, beat one, killed another and stoned another.

Again the owner sent more servants, but they were treated in the same way. Finally, he sent his son, thinking: ‘They will respect my son.’   But when the tenants saw the son, they thought: ‘This is the one who is to inherit the vineyard.

Let us kill him and his inheritance will be ours.’   So they seized him, threw him out of the vineyard and killed him.  Now, what will the owner of the vineyard do with the tenants when he comes?”  They said to him, “He will bring those evil to an evil end, and lease the vineyard to others who will pay him in due time.”

 And Jesus replied, “Have you never read what the Scriptures say? The stone which the build­ers rejected has become the cornerstone. This was the Lord’s doing; and we marvel at it.   Therefore I say to you: the kingdom of heaven will be taken from you and given to a people who will yield a harvest.

 

Gospel Reflection：

Read:

We can consider this Sunday as part of the “initial preparation”for the great feast of Christ the king on the last Sunday of Ordinary time. The context of the Gospel of Matthew, Jesus has already entered Jerusalem as the Messiah.

With this parable Jesus speaks about his mission. First he speaks about his relationship with the Father, then second, about his desire to be welcomed by his subjects, and third, about his fate-his death.

Reflect:

Jesus, the Son of the Father, came to save sinners. All who welcome him and give him what is due to the Father – submission to the son-can be members of the kingdom. Refusal to submit and accept the Son can only mean judgment!

Pray:

O God, you send us many missionaries to remind us of your call to holiness (refer to the 2^nd reading) and you shower us with graces again and again. Grant that we may not ignore your invitation to accept you as our Lord and Master.

Act:

We have been blessed abundantly! Have we acknowledged the source of our blessings? Is Jesus the Lord in my life? My lord looks for “good fruit” from me. What can I offer my Lord?

May we not earn the ire of our Lord for failing to bear “good fruit.”