Readings for
Sunday, September 19, 1999
Twenty Fifth Sunday of Ordinary Time

(From the Revised Standard Version English Bible
unless otherwise indicated)

First Reading

Isaiah 55:6-9

6
"Seek the LORD while he may be found, call upon him while he is near;
7
let the wicked forsake his way, and the unrighteous man his thoughts; let him return to the LORD, that he may have mercy on him, and to our God, for he will abundantly pardon.
8
For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neither are your ways my ways, says the LORD.
9
For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways and my thoughts than your thoughts.

Responsorial Psalm

Psalm 145:2-18

2
Every day I will bless thee, and praise thy name for ever and ever.
3
Great is the LORD, and greatly to be praised, and his greatness is unsearchable.
4
One generation shall laud thy works to another, and shall declare thy mighty acts.
5
On the glorious splendor of thy majesty, and on thy wondrous works, I will meditate.
6
Men shall proclaim the might of thy terrible acts, and I will declare thy greatness.
7
They shall pour forth the fame of thy abundant goodness, and shall sing aloud of thy righteousness.
8
The LORD is gracious and merciful, slow to anger and abounding in steadfast love.
9
The LORD is good to all, and his compassion is over all that he has made.
10
All thy works shall give thanks to thee, O LORD, and all thy saints shall bless thee!
11
They shall speak of the glory of thy kingdom, and tell of thy power,
12
to make known to the sons of men thy mighty deeds, and the glorious splendor of thy kingdom.
13
Thy kingdom is an everlasting kingdom, and thy dominion endures throughout all generations. The LORD is faithful in all his words, and gracious in all his deeds.
14
The LORD upholds all who are falling, and raises up all who are bowed down.
15
The eyes of all look to thee, and thou givest them their food in due season.
16
Thou openest thy hand, thou satisfiest the desire of every living thing.
17
The LORD is just in all his ways, and kind in all his doings.
18
The LORD is near to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in truth.

Second Reading

Philippians 1:20c-24,27a

20
as it is my eager expectation and hope that I shall not be at all ashamed, but that with full courage now as always Christ will be honored in my body, whether by life or by death.
21
For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain.
22
If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labor for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell.
23
I am hard pressed between the two. My desire is to depart and be with Christ, for that is far better.
24
But to remain in the flesh is more necessary on your account.

27
Only let your manner of life be worthy of the gospel of Christ, so that whether I come and see you or am absent, I may hear of you that you stand firm in one spirit, with one mind striving side by side for the faith of the gospel,

Gospel

Matthew 20:1-16a

1
"For the kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
2
After agreeing with the laborers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard.
3
And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place;
4
and to them he said, 'You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.' So they went.
5
Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same.
6
And about the eleventh hour he went out and found others standing; and he said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?'
7
They said to him, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You go into the vineyard too.'
8
And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, 'Call the laborers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.'
9
And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius.
10
Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius.
11
And on receiving it they grumbled at the householder,
12
saying, 'These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.'
13
But he replied to one of them, 'Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for a denarius?
14
Take what belongs to you, and go; I choose to give to this last as I give to you.
15
Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Or do you begrudge my generosity?'
16
So the last will be first, and the first last."