Reading 1 Ez 34:1-11
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Alleluia Heb 4:12
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel Mt 20:1-16
Jesus told his disciples this parable:“The Kingdom of heaven is like a landowner
who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard.
After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage,
he sent them into his vineyard.
Going out about nine o’clock,
he saw others standing idle in the marketplace,
and he said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard,
and I will give you what is just.’
So they went off.
And he went out again around noon,
and around three o’clock, and did likewise.
Going out about five o’clock,
he found others standing around, and said to them,
‘Why do you stand here idle all day?’
They answered, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
He said to them, ‘You too go into my vineyard.’
When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman,
‘Summon the laborers and give them their pay,
beginning with the last and ending with the first.’
When those who had started about five o’clock came,
each received the usual daily wage.
So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more,
but each of them also got the usual wage.
And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying,
‘These last ones worked only one hour,
and you have made them equal to us,
who bore the day’s burden and the heat.’
He said to one of them in reply,
‘My friend, I am not cheating you.
Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage?
Take what is yours and go.
What if I wish to give this last one the same as you?
Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money?
Are you envious because I am generous?’
Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last.”
SHEPHERDING AND SUFFERING
"Woe to the shepherds...who have been pasturing themselves." –Ezekiel 34:2
Ezekiel prophesied against the secular and religious leaders in Israel, who had been fattening their bank accounts by exploiting those they were supposed to be serving (Ez 34:3ff). As a result, the people suffered brutally, while the "shepherds" profited. Today, it's not unusual to see a CEO walking away with a multimillion dollar settlement while leaving his former company in ruins and many former employees out of work.
It's easy to see the crass exploitation in these examples. In contrast, in today's Gospel, Jesus addresses those who worked hard for Him all day (Mt 20:12). At the end of the day, however, they were focused on what they would get, not what Jesus would get (Mt 20:10). Despite working for God, they were "busy seeking [their] own interests rather than those of Christ Jesus" (Phil 2:21). Jesus, "the Good Shepherd" (Jn 10:14), calls both bad and good shepherds to repentance and greater maturity.
Often working for Jesus involves working "a full day in the scorching heat" of God's vineyard (Mt 20:12). Fulfilling your call to shepherd those He has entrusted to your care can be "a great contest of suffering" (Heb 10:32). When you suffer for God's sake, "it is a test for you, but it should not catch you off guard" (1 Pt 4:12). God's will is that you rejoice when you suffer for Him (1 Pt 4:13; Col 1:24).
Give a wholehearted "Yes" to Jesus' invitation to work in God's vineyard. Let the Good Shepherd use you, and use you up.
| PRAYER: | Jesus, You are my Shepherd; there is nothing I shall want (Ps 23:1). I abandon my wants and desires to You. |
| PROMISE: | "You are at my side with Your rod and Your staff that give me courage." –Ps 23:4 |
| PRAISE: | Louise worked for the Lord right up until her final illness. |
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