Wednesday, Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1 - Memorial, St Bernard, Abbott and Doctor

Send us Fan MailWednesday, 20 August 2025Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1Memorial, St Bernard, Abbott and DoctorAntiphons on p 1727 and readings on p 1179 of the Daily MissalFirst Reading: Judges 9:6-15At that time: All the citizens of Shechem came together, and all Beth-millo and they went and made Abimelech king, by the oak of the pillar at Shechem. When it was told to Jotham, he went and stood on the top of Mount Gerizim, and cried aloud and said to them, “Listen to me, you people of Shechem, that God may listen to you. The trees once went forth to anoint a king over them; and they said to the olive tree, ‘Reign over us.’ But the olive tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my fatness, by which gods and people are honoured, and go to sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the fig tree, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ But the fig tree said to them, ‘Shall I leave my sweetness and my good fruit, and go to sway over the trees?’ And the trees said to the vine, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ But the vine said to them, ‘Shall I leave my wine which cheers gods and people, and go to sway over the trees?’ Then all the trees said to the bramble, ‘Come you, and reign over us.’ And the bramble said to the trees, ‘If in good faith you are anointing me, king, over you, then come and take refuge in my shade; but if not, let fire come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.’Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 21:2-3.4-5.6-7 (R. 2a)R/. In your strength, O Lord, the king rejoices.In your strength, O Lord, the king rejoices;how greatly your salvation makes him glad!You have granted him his heart’s desire;you have not withheld the prayer of his lips.You came to meet him with blessings of prosperity;you have set on his head a crown of pure gold.He asked you for life and this you have given:days that will last from age to age.By your saving help great is his glory;you have bestowed upon him majesty and splendour;you have granted him blessings forever,made him rejoice with the joy of your presence.R/. In your strength, O Lord, the king rejoices.Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16aAt that time: Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The kingdom of heaven is like a householder who went out early in the morning to hire labourers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the labourers for a denarius a day, he sent them into his vineyard. And going out about the third hour he saw others standing idle in the market place; and to them, he said, ‘You go into the vineyard too, and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went. Going out again about the sixth hour and the ninth hour, he did the same. 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?’ They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’ He said to them, ‘You go into the vineyard too.’ And when evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his steward, ‘Call the labourers and pay them their wages, beginning with the last, up to the first.’ And when those hired about the eleventh hour came, each of them received a denarius. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received a denarius. An