Mass Reflection: Sunday - 1st November 2026

 

RV 7:2-4, 9-14; PS 24:1B-4B, 5-6; 1 JN 3:1-3; MT 5:1-12A

On this Solemnity of All Saints, we have the profound joy of celebrating our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints. Their lives remind us that holiness is not reserved for a select few. Through Baptism, each of us receives the call to holiness and discipleship. In other words, we are all called to become saints.

The stewardship way of life helps us answer that call in the ordinary circumstances of daily life, offering ourselves back to God with grateful hearts.

Our First Reading from Revelation gives us a glimpse of heaven: "a great multitude, which no one could count, from every nation, race, people and tongue." They stand before the throne of God, praising the Lamb who has redeemed them. Their joy did not come without sacrifice. They re-mained faithful through suffering and trials, trusting in God's grace until the end.

St. John offers us great encouragement in today's Second Reading: "See what love the Father has bestowed on us that we may be called the children of God. Yet so we are." Already we are God's children, but an even greater joy awaits us. "We do know that when it is revealed we shall be like him, for we shall see him as he is." That promise gives us hope and strengthens us to persevere.

In today's Gospel, Jesus proclaims the Beatitudes. These are not simply beautiful sayings or lofty ideals. They describe the heart of a disciple. The poor in spirit, the merciful, the pure of heart, the peacemakers, and those who remain faithful through persecution reveal lives transformed by God's grace.

These virtues run contrary to many of the values our culture celebrates. We cannot produce them by our own effort. They are the fruit of a life rooted in prayer, nourished by the sacraments, and shaped by an ever-deepening relationship with Christ.

As Christian stewards, we seek to grow in these virtues day by day, relying not on our own strength but on God's grace. May the witness and prayers of our brothers and sisters in Christ, the saints, encourage us as we continue our own journey toward the everlasting joy of heaven.

Mass Rerading: Sunday - 1st November 2026

 Entrance Antiphon

Let us all rejoice in the Lord,
as we celebrate the feast day in honour of all the Saints,
at whose festival the Angels rejoice
and praise the Son of God.

First reading
Apocalypse 7:2-4,9-14
I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language

    I, John, saw another angel rising where the sun rises, carrying the seal of the living God; he called in a powerful voice to the four angels whose duty was to devastate land and sea, ‘Wait before you do any damage on land or at sea or to the trees, until we have put the seal on the foreheads of the servants of our God.’ Then I heard how many were sealed: a hundred and forty-four thousand, out of all the tribes of Israel.

    After that I saw a huge number, impossible to count, of people from every nation, race, tribe and language; they were standing in front of the throne and in front of the Lamb, dressed in white robes and holding palms in their hands. They shouted aloud, ‘Victory to our God, who sits on the throne, and to the Lamb!’ And all the angels who were standing in a circle round the throne, surrounding the elders and the four animals, prostrated themselves before the throne, and touched the ground with their foreheads, worshipping God with these words, ‘Amen. Praise and glory and wisdom and thanksgiving and honour and power and strength to our God for ever and ever. Amen.’

    One of the elders then spoke, and asked me, ‘Do you know who these people are, dressed in white robes, and where they have come from?’ I answered him, ‘You can tell me, my lord.’ Then he said, ‘These are the people who have been through the great persecution, and they have washed their robes white again in the blood of the Lamb.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23(24):1-6

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

The Lord’s is the earth and its fullness,
    the world and all its peoples.
It is he who set it on the seas;
    on the waters he made it firm.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

Who shall climb the mountain of the Lord?
    Who shall stand in his holy place?
The man with clean hands and pure heart,
    who desires not worthless things.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

He shall receive blessings from the Lord
    and reward from the God who saves him.
Such are the men who seek him,
    seek the face of the God of Jacob.

Such are the men who seek your face, O Lord.

________

Second reading
1 John 3:1-3
We shall be like God because we shall see him as he really is

Think of the love that the Father has lavished on us,
    by letting us be called God’s children;
    and that is what we are.
Because the world refused to acknowledge him,
    therefore it does not acknowledge us.
My dear people, we are already the children of God
    but what we are to be in the future has not yet been revealed;
all we know is, that when it is revealed
    we shall be like him
    because we shall see him as he really is.
Surely everyone who entertains this hope
    must purify himself, must try to be as pure as Christ.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Mt11:28

Alleluia, alleluia!

Come to me, all you who labour and are overburdened
and I will give you rest, says the Lord.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 5:1-12a
How happy are the poor in spirit

    Seeing the crowds, Jesus went up the hill. There he sat down and was joined by his disciples. Then he began to speak. This is what he taught them:

‘How happy are the poor in spirit;
    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.
Happy the gentle:
    they shall have the earth for their heritage.
Happy those who mourn:
    they shall be comforted.
Happy those who hunger and thirst for what is right:
    they shall be satisfied.
Happy the merciful:
    they shall have mercy shown them.
Happy the pure in heart:
    they shall see God.
Happy the peacemakers:
    they shall be called sons of God.
Happy those who are persecuted in the cause of right:
    theirs is the kingdom of heaven.

    ‘Happy are you when people abuse you and persecute you and speak all kinds of calumny against you on my account. Rejoice and be glad, for your reward will be great in heaven.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 25th October 2026

Entrance Antiphon
Cf. Ps 104: 3-4

Let the hearts that seek the Lord rejoice;
turn to the Lord and his strength;
constantly seek his face.

________

First reading
Exodus 22:20-26
If you are harsh with the widow and orphan, my anger will flare against you

    The Lord said to Moses, ‘Tell the sons of Israel this:

    ‘“You must not molest the stranger or oppress him, for you lived as strangers in the land of Egypt. You must not be harsh with the widow, or with the orphan; if you are harsh with them, they will surely cry out to me, and be sure I shall hear their cry; my anger will flare and I shall kill you with the sword, your own wives will be widows, your own children orphans.

    ‘“If you lend money to any of my people, to any poor man among you, you must not play the usurer with him: you must not demand interest from him.

    ‘“If you take another’s cloak as a pledge, you must give it back to him before sunset. It is all the covering he has; it is the cloak he wraps his body in; what else would he sleep in? If he cries to me, I will listen, for I am full of pity.”’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 17(18):2-4,47,51

I love you, Lord, my strength.

I love you, Lord, my strength,
    my rock, my fortress, my saviour.
My God is the rock where I take refuge;
    my shield, my mighty help, my stronghold.
The Lord is worthy of all praise,
    when I call I am saved from my foes.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

Long life to the Lord, my rock!
    Praised be the God who saves me,
He has given great victories to his king
    and shown his love for his anointed.

I love you, Lord, my strength.

________

Second reading
1 Thessalonians 1:5-10
You broke with idolatry and became servants of God; you are now waiting for his Son

    You observed the sort of life we lived when we were with you, which was for your instruction, and you were led to become imitators of us, and of the Lord; and it was with the joy of the Holy Spirit that you took to the gospel, in spite of the great opposition all round you. This has made you the great example to all believers in Macedonia and Achaia since it was from you that the word of the Lord started to spread – and not only throughout Macedonia and Achaia, for the news of your faith in God has spread everywhere. We do not need to tell other people about it: other people tell us how we started the work among you, how you broke with idolatry when you were converted to God and became servants of the real, living God; and how you are now waiting for Jesus, his Son, whom he raised from the dead, to come from heaven to save us from the retribution which is coming.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
cf.Ac16:14

Alleluia, alleluia!

Open our heart, O Lord,
to accept the words of your Son.

Alleluia!

Or:
Jn14:23

Alleluia, alleluia!

If anyone loves me he will keep my word,
and my Father will love him, 
and we shall come to him.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:34-40
The commandments of love

    When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had silenced the Sadducees they got together and, to disconcert him, one of them put a question, ‘Master, which is the greatest commandment of the Law?’ Jesus said, ‘You must love the Lord your God with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind. This is the greatest and the first commandment. The second resembles it: You must love your neighbour as yourself. On these two commandments hang the whole Law, and the Prophets also.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 25th October 2026

 

EX 22:20-26; PS 18:2-4, 47, 51; 1 THES 1:5C-10; MT 22:34-40

Today's readings are all about love — God's faithful love for His people and the love we are called to return to Him and to one another. The stewardship way of life is simply the daily practice of these two greatest commandments.

From the beginning, God reveals Himself as a loving and compassionate Father who has a special concern for those most in need. He asks His people to show that same compassion in the way they treat one another.

Our First Reading from Exodus illustrates this beautifully. God commands His people not to oppress the foreigner, the widow, or the orphan. He even instructs them to return a poor person's cloak before sunset, explaining, "If he cries out to me, I will hear him; for I am compassionate." God's mercy is never meant to stop with us. It is meant to flow through us to others.

Jesus brings this teaching to its fulfillment in today's Gospel. When asked which commandment is the greatest, He answers, "You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind." Then He immediately adds, "The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself."

These two commandments cannot be separated. The more deeply we love God, the more naturally we begin to love the people He places in our lives. And the way we love our neighbor becomes one of the clearest expressions of our love for God.

Living this out will look different for each of us. God may be inviting one person to deepen a daily habit of prayer, another to spend more time before Him in the Eucharist, and someone else to be more attentive to a family member, friend, or neighbor who needs encouragement. He may be calling us to serve in a parish ministry or simply to become more generous with our time and attention in the ordinary moments of each day.

The stewardship way of life is how each of us lives these two greatest commandments according to the vocation God has given us. In the end, stewardship is about one thing above all else — love.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 18th October 2026

Entrance Antiphon
Cf. Ps 16: 6, 8

To you I call; for you will surely heed me, O God;
turn your ear to me; hear my words.
Guard me as the apple of your eye;
in the shadow of your wings protect me.

First reading
Isaiah 45:1,4-6
I have taken Cyrus by his right hand to subdue nations before him

Thus says the Lord to his anointed, to Cyrus,
whom he has taken by his right hand
to subdue nations before him
and strip the loins of kings,
to force gateways before him
that their gates be closed no more:

‘It is for the sake of my servant Jacob,
of Israel my chosen one,
that I have called you by your name,
conferring a title though you do not know me.
I am the Lord, unrivalled;
there is no other God besides me.
Though you do not know me, I arm you
that men may know from the rising to the setting of the sun
that, apart from me, all is nothing.’

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 95(96):1,3-5,7-10

Give the Lord glory and power.

O sing a new song to the Lord,
    sing to the Lord all the earth.
Tell among the nations his glory
    and his wonders among all the peoples.

Give the Lord glory and power.

The Lord is great and worthy of praise,
    to be feared above all gods;
    the gods of the heathens are naught.
It was the Lord who made the heavens,

Give the Lord glory and power.

Give the Lord, you families of peoples,
    give the Lord glory and power;
    give the Lord the glory of his name.
Bring an offering and enter his courts.

Give the Lord glory and power.

Worship the Lord in his temple.
    O earth, tremble before him.
Proclaim to the nations: ‘God is king.’
    He will judge the peoples in fairness.

Give the Lord glory and power.

________

Second reading
1 Thessalonians 1:1-5
We constantly remember your faith, your love and your hope

    From Paul, Silvanus and Timothy, to the Church in Thessalonika which is in God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ; wishing you grace and peace from God the Father and the Lord Jesus Christ.

    We always mention you in our prayers and thank God for you all, and constantly remember before God our Father how you have shown your faith in action, worked for love and persevered through hope, in our Lord Jesus Christ.

    We know, brothers, that God loves you and that you have been chosen, because when we brought the Good News to you, it came to you not only as words, but as power and as the Holy Spirit and as utter conviction.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn17:17

Alleluia, alleluia!

Your word is truth, O Lord:
consecrate us in the truth.

Alleluia!

Or:
Ph2:15-16

Alleluia, alleluia!

You will shine in the world like bright stars
because you are offering it the word of life.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:15-21
Give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar

The Pharisees went away to work out between them how to trap Jesus in what he said. And they sent their disciples to him, together with the Herodians, to say, ‘Master, we know that you are an honest man and teach the way of God in an honest way, and that you are not afraid of anyone, because a man’s rank means nothing to you. Tell us your opinion, then. Is it permissible to pay taxes to Caesar or not?’ But Jesus was aware of their malice and replied, ‘You hypocrites! Why do you set this trap for me? Let me see the money you pay the tax with.’ They handed him a denarius, and he said, ‘Whose head is this? Whose name?’ ‘Caesar’s’ they replied. He then said to them, ‘Very well, give back to Caesar what belongs to Caesar – and to God what belongs to God.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 18th October 2026

 

IS 45:1, 4-6; PS 96:1, 3-5, 7-10; 1 THES 1:1-5B; MT 22:15-21

Today's readings remind us to be mindful not only of who we are, but also Whose we are.

In our First Reading, the prophet Isaiah proclaims one of the great truths of our faith: "I am the LORD and there is no other, there is no God besides me." Those words remain just as important today as they were centuries ago. In a world filled with competing priorities and constant distractions, we are called to place God first in every area of our lives.

Christian stewardship helps us do exactly that. It challenges us to use our time, talents, and treasure in ways that proclaim not only with our words, but also with our lives, that we belong to the Lord.

St. Paul encourages the Christians in Thessalonica by reminding them that the Gospel came to them "not in word alone, but also in power and in the Holy Spirit and with much conviction." Those same gifts have been given to us. Through Baptism, the Eucharist, Reconciliation, Sacred Scripture, and the life of the Church, God supplies every grace we need to live as faithful disciples.

That truth comes into sharp focus in today's Gospel. The Pharisees try to trap Jesus by asking whether it is lawful to pay the tax to Caesar. They believe they have presented Him with an impossible choice. If He approves the tax, He risks losing the support of the people. If He rejects it, He risks the wrath of the Roman authorities.

Jesus answers with divine wisdom. Holding up the coin, He asks whose image it bears. When they reply, "Caesar," He tells them, "Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God."

The coin bears Caesar's image, so it belongs to Caesar. We bear the image and likeness of God. We belong to Him.

Everything we have comes from the Lord, and through Baptism we have become His sons and daughters. Our lives are not our own.

They are gifts entrusted to us so that, in gratitude, we may know Him, love Him, serve Him, and help others do the same.

May we joyfully give thanks to God each day by living as people who never forget Whose we are.

Mass Reading: Sunday -11th October 2026

Entrance Antiphon
Ps 129: 3-4

If you, O Lord, should mark iniquities,
Lord, who could stand?
But with you is found forgiveness,
O God of Israel.

________

First reading
Isaiah 25:6-10
The Lord will prepare a banquet for every nation

On this mountain,
the Lord of hosts will prepare for all peoples
a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines,
of food rich and juicy, of fine strained wines.
On this mountain he will remove
the mourning veil covering all peoples,
and the shroud enwrapping all nations,
he will destroy Death for ever.
The Lord will wipe away
the tears from every cheek;
he will take away his people’s shame
everywhere on earth,
for the Lord has said so.
That day, it will be said: See, this is our God
in whom we hoped for salvation;
the Lord is the one in whom we hoped.
We exult and we rejoice
that he has saved us;
for the hand of the Lord
rests on this mountain.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 22(23)

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

The Lord is my shepherd;
    there is nothing I shall want.
Fresh and green are the pastures
    where he gives me repose.
Near restful waters he leads me,
    to revive my drooping spirit.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

He guides me along the right path;
    he is true to his name.
If I should walk in the valley of darkness
    no evil would I fear.
You are there with your crook and your staff;
    with these you give me comfort.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

You have prepared a banquet for me
    in the sight of my foes.
My head you have anointed with oil;
    my cup is overflowing.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

Surely goodness and kindness shall follow me
    all the days of my life.
In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell
    for ever and ever.

In the Lord’s own house shall I dwell for ever and ever.

________

Second reading
Philippians 4:12-14,19-20
With the help of the One who gives me strength, there is nothing I cannot master

    I know how to be poor and I know how to be rich too. I have been through my initiation and now I am ready for anything anywhere: full stomach or empty stomach, poverty or plenty. There is nothing I cannot master with the help of the One who gives me strength. All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. In return my God will fulfil all your needs, in Christ Jesus, as lavishly as only God can. Glory to God, our Father, for ever and ever. Amen.

The word of the Lord.

________

Gospel Acclamation
Jn1:14,12

Alleluia, alleluia!

The Word was made flesh and lived among us:
to all who did accept him 
he gave power to become children of God.

Alleluia!

Or:
cf.Ep1:17,18

Alleluia, alleluia!

May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our mind,
so that we can see what hope his call holds for us.

Alleluia!

________

Gospel
Matthew 22:1-14
Invite everyone you can to the wedding

    Jesus began to speak to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables: ‘The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants. “Tell those who have been invited” he said “that I have my banquet all prepared, my oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.” But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, “The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the crossroads in the town and invite everyone you can find to the wedding.” So these servants went out on to the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, “Bind him hand and foot and throw him out into the dark, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Mass Reflection: Sunday -11th October 2026

 

IS 25:6-10A; PS 23:1-6; PHIL 4:12-14, 19-20; MT 22:1-14 or 22:1-10

Life has a way of pulling our attention toward immediate concerns, making it easy to lose sight of what matters most — our call to live for the Kingdom of Heaven. The stewardship way of life helps us keep our priorities in order, teaching us to live each day with eternity in view.

In our First Reading, Isaiah paints a beautiful picture of the joy awaiting those who remain faithful to God. The Lord prepares "a feast of rich food and choice wines" for His people and promises to remove every sorrow. "The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face." It is a powerful reminder that God desires everlasting joy for each of His children.

Yet our attention is often drawn elsewhere. Prayer can be crowded out by busy schedules. The sacraments can become routine or neglected. We can become so focused on today's demands that we lose sight of the eternal life God is preparing for us.

St. Paul shows us how to keep the right perspective. In today's Second Reading from Philippians, he writes, "I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance." Whether he experienced hardship or prosperity, Paul's confidence rested in Christ rather than in changing circumstances.

His secret is simple: "I can do all things in him who strengthens me." And he reminds us why that confidence is well placed: "My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus."

Jesus returns to the image of a great feast in today's Gospel. He compares the Kingdom of Heaven to a king who prepares a wedding banquet for his son. Many of those invited refuse to come. Some simply ignore the invitation, choosing their farms, businesses, and daily concerns instead.

It is a question worth asking ourselves. How often do we allow ordinary responsibilities, worthwhile though they may be, to crowd out the Lord's invitation to deeper communion with Him?

God continues to invite us every day through prayer, the sacraments, His Word, and the people He places in our lives. As Christian stewards, we respond by placing Him first and allowing every other part of life to find its proper place in Him.

When we live this way, we begin to experience the joy of His Kingdom even now while looking forward to its fullness in heaven.

Mass Reflection: Sunday - 04th October 2026

 

IS 5:1-7; PS 80:9, 12-16, 19-20; PHIL 4:6-9; MT 21:33-43

We have been given so many gifts and blessings by our Heavenly Father. Yet, in our fallen state it is all too easy to take them for granted. Our readings today teach us that we must live with an intentional awareness of our many blessings and use them gratefully to glorify God.

Our First Reading, from Isaiah, foreshadows today’s Gospel passage. Both passages employ images of a landowner and his vineyard. The First Reading tells the story of a landowner who, with great love and care, creates the perfect vineyard and fills it with the choicest vines. Yet, it fails to produce good fruit. As a result, the landowner allows the vineyard to go to ruin. This is a reminder that while Our Heavenly Father is merciful and kind, He is also just. As Christian stewards, we must continuously fight the tendency towards complacency and instead use our blessings to produce good fruit.

Our Second Reading, from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, is a reminder of one key blessing that is surprisingly easy to take for granted — the gift of our thought life. Our intellect is a gift from God and we are called to steward it well. Lack of discipline in our thoughts can easily lead us down a path of discontentment and fear. St. Paul instructs us rather to “have no anxiety at all.” How are we to do this? He tells us, “In everything, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, make your requests known to God.” And as it turns out, by turning our thoughts towards God with gratitude, we will be blessed immediately. Paul continues, “Then the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will guard your hearts and minds in Christ Jesus.”

Paul gives specific advice for intentionally maintaining an attitude of gratitude in our thought life. “Whatever is true, whatever is honorable, whatever is just, whatever is pure, whatever is lovely, whatever is gracious, if there is any excellence, and if there is anything worthy of praise” these are the things we should focus on. As we develop this habit we will discover a powerful way to navigate life with peace and joy despite the troubles that surround us.

In our Gospel passage from Matthew, we return to the image of a vineyard in a parable Jesus uses to teach the importance of using our blessings well. It is the story of a landowner who plants a vineyard and leases it to tenants before he goes on a journey. Instead of tending the vineyard, the tenants mistreat the servants in the vineyard and even the son of the landowner, whom they kill. When the landowner realizes what the tenants have done, he puts them to death and leases his vineyard to tenants who “will give him the produce at the proper times.”

By Baptism, we have received the gift of salvation and membership in the Kingdom of God — we are now “tenants” called to work in the “vineyard” and produce fruit for its owner, our Heavenly Father. This calling is a gift from God to be treasured above all other gifts. Jesus makes it clear that if we squander the gift of salvation, we will lose it. It is a sobering truth.

So, let us live each day with a profound awareness of all that we have been given by God. Let us use our intellect to think on these gifts throughout the day and resolve to use all our gifts for God’s glory. We will find peace, joy, and purpose as we do.

Mass Reading: Sunday - 04th October 2026

First reading
Isaiah 5:1-7
Against the Lord’s vineyard

Let me sing to my friend
the song of his love for his vineyard.

My friend had a vineyard
on a fertile hillside.
He dug the soil, cleared it of stones
and planted choice vines in it.
In the middle he built a tower,
he dug a press there too.
He expected it to yield grapes,
but sour grapes were all that it gave.

And now, inhabitants of Jerusalem
and men of Judah,
I ask you to judge
between my vineyard and me.
What could I have done for my vineyard
that I have not done?
I expected it to yield grapes.
Why did it yield sour grapes instead?

Very well, I will tell you
what I am going to do to my vineyard:
I will take away its hedge for it to be grazed on,
and knock down its wall for it to be trampled on.
I will lay it waste, unpruned, undug;
overgrown by the briar and the thorn.
I will command the clouds
to rain no rain on it.
Yes, the vineyard of the Lord of Hosts
is the House of Israel,
and the men of Judah
that chosen plant.
He expected justice, but found bloodshed,
integrity, but only a cry of distress.

The word of the Lord.

________

Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 79(80):9,12-16,19-20

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

You brought a vine out of Egypt;
    to plant it you drove out the nations.
It stretched out its branches to the sea,
    to the Great River it stretched out its shoots.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

Then why have you broken down its walls?
    It is plucked by all who pass by.
It is ravaged by the boar of the forest,
    devoured by the beasts of the field.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

God of hosts, turn again, we implore,
    look down from heaven and see.
Visit this vine and protect it,
    the vine your right hand has planted.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

And we shall never forsake you again;
    give us life that we may call upon your name.
God of hosts, bring us back;
    let your face shine on us and we shall be saved.

The vineyard of the Lord is the house of Israel.

________

Second reading
Philippians 4:6-9
If there is anything you need, pray for it.

There is no need to worry; but if there is anything you need, pray for it, asking God for it with prayer and thanksgiving, and that peace of God, which is so much greater than we can understand, will guard your hearts and your thoughts, in Christ Jesus. Finally, brothers, fill your minds with everything that is true, everything that is noble, everything that is good and pure, everything that we love and honour, and everything that can be thought virtuous or worthy of praise. Keep doing all the things that you learnt from me and have been taught by me and have heard or seen that I do. Then the God of peace will be with you.

The word of the Lord.

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Gospel Acclamation
Jn15:15

Alleluia, alleluia!

I call you friends, says the Lord,
because I have made known to you
everything I have learnt from my Father.

Alleluia!

Or:
cf.Jn15:16

Alleluia, alleluia!

I chose you from the world
to go out and bear fruit,
fruit that will last,
says the Lord.

Alleluia!

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Gospel
Matthew 21:33-43
This is the landlord's heir: come, let us kill him

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘Listen to another parable. There was a man, a landowner, who planted a vineyard; he fenced it round, dug a winepress in it and built a tower; then he leased it to tenants and went abroad. When vintage time drew near he sent his servants to the tenants to collect his produce. But the tenants seized his servants, thrashed one, killed another and stoned a third. Next he sent some more servants, this time a larger number, and they dealt with them in the same way. Finally he sent his son to them. “They will respect my son” he said. But when the tenants saw the son, they said to each other, “This is the heir. Come on, let us kill him and take over his inheritance.” So they seized him and threw him out of the vineyard and killed him. Now when the owner of the vineyard comes, what will he do to those tenants?’ They answered, ‘He will bring those wretches to a wretched end and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will deliver the produce to him when the season arrives.’ Jesus said to them, ‘Have you never read in the scriptures:

It was the stone rejected by the builders
that became the keystone.
This was the Lord’s doing
and it is wonderful to see?

‘I tell you, then, that the kingdom of God will be taken from you and given to a people who will produce its fruit.’

The Gospel of the Lord.