I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. If you cry out to me in any trial, I will hear you and I will be your God forever.

 

I am the salvation of the people, says the Lord. If you cry out to me in any trial, I will hear you and I will be your God forever.

In this liturgy we seek the Lord, who is good and merciful and is always close to those who call upon him. Ready to welcome the invitation to be workers in his vineyard, we come together to receive his gifts and experience the love he dedicates equally to everyone. Let us celebrate with joy the day of the Bible, the Word that guides us to make Christ the greatest meaning of our lives.

First Reading: Isaiah 55.6-9

Reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah – 6Seek the Lord, while he may be found; invoke him while he is near. 7Forsake his wicked way, and the unrighteous man his schemes; return to the Lord, who will have mercy on him, return to our God, who is generous in forgiveness. 8My thoughts are not like your thoughts, and your ways are not like my ways, says the Lord. 9My ways are as high above your ways, and my thoughts as above your thoughts, as the heavens are above the earth. - Word of the Lord.

Responsorial Psalm: 144(145)

The Lord is close to the person who calls on him!

1. Every day I will bless you, / I will praise your name forever. / Great is the Lord and very worthy of praise, / and no one can measure his greatness. – R.

2. Mercy and mercy is the Lord, / he is love, he is patience, he is compassion. / The Lord is very good to everyone, / his tenderness embraces every creature. – R.

3. The Lord is righteous in his ways, / he is holy in every work he does. / He is close to the person who invokes him, / to everyone who invokes him loyally. – R.

Second Reading: Philippians 1:20-24:27

Reading of Saint Paul's letter to the Philippians – Brothers, 20Christ will be glorified in my body, whether by my life or by my death. 21For for me to live is Christ, and to die is gain. 22However, if living in the flesh means that my work will be fruitful, then I don't know what to choose. 23I feel drawn to both sides: I want to leave, to be with Christ - which for me would be by far the best -, 24but for you it is more necessary that I continue my life in this world. 27Only one thing matters: live up to the Gospel of Christ. - Word of the Lord.

Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16

Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah.

Come open our hearts, Lord; / O Lord, open our hearts, / and then the word of your Son / we will be able to welcome with great love! (Acts 16,14) – R.

Proclamation of the Gospel of Jesus Christ according to Matthew – At that time, Jesus told this parable to his disciples: 1 “The Kingdom of Heaven is like the story of the boss who went out early in the morning to hire workers for his vineyard. 2He agreed with the workers a silver coin a day and sent them to the vineyard. 3At nine o'clock in the morning, the master went out again, saw others who were unoccupied in the square 4and said to them: 'You too, go to my vineyard! And I will pay you what is fair’. 5And they went. The boss went out again at noon and three in the afternoon and did the same thing. 6Going out again at five o'clock in the afternoon, he found others who were in the square and said to them: 'Why have you been there all day idle?' 7They replied: 'Because no one hired us'. The master said to them: ‘You too go to my vineyard’. 8When the afternoon arrived, the boss said to the manager, 'Call the workers and pay them all a daily rate, starting from the last to the first!' 9Those who had been hired at five o'clock came and each received a silver coin. . 10Then came those who were hired first and thought they would receive more. However, each of them also received a silver coin. 11When they received their payment, they began to grumble against their boss: 12'These last ones worked for just one hour, and you made them equal to us, who endured the fatigue and heat all day'. 13Then the boss said to one of them, 'Friend, I wasn't unfair to you. Didn't we agree on a silver coin? 14Take what is yours and go home! I want to give the last person hired the same as I gave you. 15Do I not have the right to do what I want with what belongs to me? Or are you jealous because I am being good?’ 16So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” – Word of salvation.

Reflection:

Originally, the parable of the generous boss was applied to Jesus' Jewish compatriots, who closed themselves off in their religious world and repelled pagans (non-Jews). Afterwards, it served as catechesis for Christian communities, made up not only of people converted from Judaism, but also of foreigners or pagans. Those called in the first hour are the Pharisees who fulfill the Mosaic Law, the doctors of the Law and all the Jews, as the chosen people, heirs of divine promises. Those called in the later hours are all non-Jews. Belonging to the community of Jesus is not the privilege of a people.