“Seek the
Lord while he is still to be found, call to him while he is still near,” says
the prophet. God himself goes out to seek you, says the message of today. May
the Lord find you and stay always with you.
R/ And
also with you.
Introduction
by the Celebrant
1.
An Unbelievably Good God
When you
come to think of it, often we cannot understand God’s goodness. Why is he so
patient with sinners? Why does he give his gifts to people who, in our opinion,
do not deserve them or waste them? But God’s ways are not our ways; his
thoughts are not always our thoughts. Let us ask the Lord Jesus in this
Eucharist that our thoughts and actions may become more like those of God.
2.
God Is Grace
God is
scandalously just and good, because God is grace. He is so good that at times
we cannot understand him. Why is he so lenient with notorious sinners? We
forget how lenient he is with us, sinners too. Let us open our hearts to his
mercy and goodness. He gives without our asking. He gives for free. He gives
more richly than we dare to expect. The first and the last receive his love.
The first and the last are invited to his table. Let us join Jesus in
thanksgiving.
Penitential
Act
We may have
questioned at times God’s generosity and merciful love and envied the gifts he
gave to others. Let us ask the Lord to forgive us. (pause)
Lord Jesus,
in your mercy you keep forgiving sinners: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord,
have mercy. Jesus Christ, in your generosity you keep giving rich gifts to
us and to others, knowing well that often we will not use them: Christ, have
mercy. R/ Christ, have mercy.
Lord Jesus,
in your patience you keep inviting us to think and act in your own inimitable
ways: Lord, have mercy. R/ Lord, have mercy.
Forgive us
Lord, that all too often we fail to understand your astonishing goodness. Be
patient with us, Lord, and lead us to everlasting life. R/ Amen.
Opening
Prayer
Let us pray
to God that he may attune our thoughts and actions to his own (pause)
Lord our
God, you say of yourself that you are good with a love that surpasses even
justice. Thank you for accepting the little ones as much as the great, those
who turn to you at the last hour as well as the laborers who have toiled all
their lives. Open us more to the free gifts of your grace, make us accept them
with gratitude and appreciate how liberally you give to others. Turn our ways
into your ways of love. We ask this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
First Reading: Isaiah 55:6-9
Seek
the Ways of the Lord: God is high above us, yet very
close to us. We should seek him and learn to think and act in God’s ways.
Second Reading; Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a
For
me, “Life” Means Christ: For Paul, it doesn’t matter
much whether he lives or dies. Alive, he serves Christ; by dying, he will be
with Christ. But he is willing to continue working in the service of the
Gospel.
Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16a;
God
Is Generous To All:
God’s generosity surpasses our human reasoning. He gives
everybody a chance to enter his kingdom; he lets us share in his life, not
because we deserve it but because he is good.
Prayers of the Faithful
Let us pray
to God our Father whose generosity is always greater than we expect or can
imagine. Let us say: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.
–
That the fresh faith of new converts may wake up and inspire those born in
Christian families, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.
–
That there may be more justice in our world but that justice may always be
imbued with much love, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.
–
That Christians may contribute to our world a sense of giving out of pure
generosity and goodness, and a sense of joyful celebration, let us pray: R/ Lord,
your love is everlasting.
–
That in our human community everyone may be accepted as he or she is; that we
may not exclude anyone from our love and that we may learn to forgive everyone,
let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.
– That
in our Christian communities we may not be jealous of each other’s gifts and
talents but use ours and let others use theirs in the service of the unity and
growth of all, let us pray: R/ Lord, your love is everlasting.
Lord, we
still have to learn much from you. Make us generous like you, that we may live
fully and bring others to life, through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Prayer over the
Gifts
Generous
Father, in these signs of bread and wine you give us, weak and tired as we are,
your Son as our companion. We open ourselves to his strength and love. May he
help us in the heat of the day to bear the burdens of our struggles and to seek
your will in all we do. Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Introduction
to the Eucharistic Prayer
Our own
hands are empty as we stand before God. But he is good and loves us. He has
given us his Son Jesus Christ who brought us God’s mercy. Through him we now
give thanks to our Father.
Introduction
to the Lord’s Prayer
We rely on
the generosity of our Father in heaven as we pray to him in the words of Jesus.
R/ Our Father...
Deliver
Us
Deliver us
Lord, from the evil of sin and keep us from applying to you our human thoughts
and norms. Enlarge our hearts to the dimensions of your own generosity without
limits, that we may prepare with hope and joy the full coming among us of our
Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. R/ For the kingdom...
Invitation
to Communion
This is
Jesus the Lord, who gives himself freely to the strong and the weak. Happy are
we that he is our life and joy. R/ Lord, I am not worthy...
Prayer
after Communion
Generous
Father, in this Eucharist we have experienced again that life and all that we
are is nothing else that a gift from you. May the challenging word of your Son stir
us to accept and serve our neighbor as you have accepted and loved us without
any merit on our part. And may the body of your Son give us the courage to put
his word into practice. Grant this through Christ our Lord. R/ Amen.
Blessing
In this
Eucharist, we have been with Jesus. He spoke to us, we sat with him at table, and
if we are open to him, he has filled us with his gifts of strength and
compassion and the power to forgive, he has made us capable of love. All for
free. Let us be thankful for these gifts and use them.
May
almighty God bless you, the Father, and the Son, and the Holy Spirit. R/ Amen.
Let us go
in peace and seek the ways of the Lord. R/ Thanks be to God.
REFLECTIONS; Matthew 20:1-16a
Called by grace, not measured by comparison
Jesus describes a landowner who goes out into the
marketplace all day, searching for workers. His question to the people in the
marketplace is not, “Why are you lazy?” but, “Why do you stand here idle?” He
sees people waiting and offers them purpose and belonging in his vineyard.
Nobody is useless in his eyes.
God wants to call everyone into his kingdom. No one is
excluded; each person has something to contribute. Some encounter Christ early.
Others hear his invitation after years of failure or exclusion. Yet the Lord
never tires of going out. It is never too late for grace.
The equal payment surprises us because we measure worth
through comparison. The first workers receive what was promised, yet the
generosity shown to others makes them resentful. Instead of rejoicing that
neighbours have found work, they calculate who deserves more. Envy prevents
them from celebrating another’s blessing.
The denarius is not payment for hours worked; it represents
salvation, the gift Christ won through his death and Resurrection. God does not
divide eternal life into portions or distribute love according to seniority.
All receive fullness, not because everyone’s labour is identical, but because
the Master is good.
This parable prompts us to reflect on our communities. Do
experienced members warmly welcome newcomers, or do they subtly remind them of
the order of arrival? Do we create space for converts, faithful who return to
the Church after years of wandering, young people, migrants, and individuals
with different journeys? Ultimately, the vineyard is God's, not owned by those
who have served the longest.
Today, let's reflect on whether we serve with gratitude or
find ourselves comparing our sacrifices to others' rewards. May Christ bless us
and heal any envy that might cloud our kindness. Let's approach the vineyard
with joy, welcoming every new worker, and working together without rivalry. By
the end of the day, we'll realise that the true reward isn't about being better
than others, but about sharing a close, loving connection with our generous
God, who calls us.
