Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 20, 2026 (EPISODE:603)

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 20, 2026
(EPISODE:603)

Readings for Sunday, 

FIRST READING: Isa 55:6-9
Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18. "The Lord is near to all who call him."
SECOND READING: Phil 1:20c-24, 27a
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Act 16:14b). Alleluia, alleluia! Open our hearts, O Lord. To listen to the words of your Son.
GOSPEL: Matt 20:1-16a

Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/mTmpFBWZY71D7FvdpbJG/first-century-palestine-workers-in-the-vineyard-the-landlord-pays-the-workers-one-denarius-coin?ru=Paul-Evangelion 

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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass – (Readings, prayers and homily) for the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 20, 2026 by clicking this link here: https://on.soundcloud.com/tXDym5HYKb1m4rvBwm    

(EPISODE:603)
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Prologue:
In the readings this weekend, we have
Isaiah 55:6 and following …..
"For my thoughts are not your thoughts, my ways, not your ways - the Lord speaks."
"Yes, the heavens are as high above earth as my ways are above your ways, my thoughts above your thoughts."
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Responsorial Psalm
Ps 144:2-  ff
The Lord is just in all his ways and loving in all his deeds. He is close to all who call him,
who call on him from their hearts.

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Philippians 1:20-ff
St paul : 
"For me to stay alive in this body is a more urgent need, for God's sake." (not for his own sake) .
Good practical advice then follows, with Saint Paul saying:-
"Avoid anything in your everyday lives that would be unworthy of the gospel of Christ."
(NRSV adds an extra line), "whether I come and see you or am absent and hear about you, I will know that you are standing firm in one spirit, striving side by side with one mind for the faith of the gospel."

Matthew 20:v one ff
Parable of the grumbling workers in the vineyard…..
Note:
He made an agreement with the workers for one denarius a day, ……………….
(which they later grumbled about… when comparing themselves with others….   With no way of knowing the true situation of the others….   Comparisons are odious is that well-known saying, and it is likely inspired by situations such as this.,…   the lord reminds us ……
"My friend, I am not being unjust to you; did we not agree on one denarius? ………………………………….. Why be envious because I am generous?"   -envy, comparisons,  grumbling…. Perhaps too….   Once we agree to something – let that be that…  no grumbling after the event…….
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HOMILY:

[ some of the gospel values that shine out this weekend are the universal brotherhood and sisterhood of all humans; and also, God is generous and loving and gives people what they need. Meanwhile, Envy and resentment are corrosive in any community.

When people decide what activities to put their energies and priorities into, it seems familiar to ask the question....."What's in it for me?" ...... "What will I get out of this?"  However, this only works for some people.


In our world, there are many people who are severely disadvantaged and in need. And all things are sadly not equal.  In a world where far too many people only receive something if they can give something of equal value back, there are those who are in a dire situation because they are so poor, so disadvantaged, that they cannot benefit anyone else – They have nothing valued by others –(in a monetary sense),  that they can give, and so they miss out.
They do not fit into a system based on near-equal "give and take" and are left precariously dangling on the edge.

I heard someone on the news the other week:
.."After all, we are not merely an economy, we are a community," ....

We owe something to each other beyond what we can get from one another.

That is a very timely reminder!

Jesus went out to the margins, searched for these people, and made a special effort to ensure that they were very much included in his Kingdom.  This is what the generous landowner is doing.   The workers who were left without any day's work, at the eleventh hour (still a term we use today), these people still needed to eat and feed their families. If no one had employed them that day, they and their families would have gone without a day's food. The landowner knew this and was compassionate and kind. He also knew that his harvest was urgent and plentiful and the labourers few, so he gave them what they needed -- a day's food. Not that they 'earned' a day's pay, but that they NEEDED a day's pay – living as they were on just enough to get them by, one day at a time.  And in any case, when it comes to God's gifts, none of us have really EARNED God's favour and love; it is freely and generously given and offered to all.

Jesus wants us to have that same generosity and welcome to others around us. They are also welcome because God is loving, forgiving and generous to them, just as God treats us.

What a wonderful and quite revolutionary attitude.  A world-changing attitude.

The grumbling workers have lost sight of the point. The work of the Kingdom is urgent and important, and the labourers are very few, the harvest plentiful… in fact, it's more than plentiful…. The harvest God intends is that everyone (absolutely everyone) be included as part of God's kingdom…. so there is no time for hesitation….  Everyone is needed……... all are called….

How many of life's daily hurts, disappointments and turmoils really come from harbouring wrong assumptions, unreal expectations and flawed ways of thinking? ……  How many arguments have resulted from envy and resentment and not from true need?

To summarise this gospel…  a writer once said…. "The world asks, HOW MUCH did the landowner give?   But Jesus invites us to ask a much better and far more important question: "WHY did the landowner give as he did?"

The answer is, because God is generous and caring. As the parable asks, are we envious because our God is extremely generous?  Surely, God can deal as he wants with his own. Why can we not give others what they need, not what they "deserve?"

God gives us what we NEED, not so much what we WANT (and often, - to be honest-, there is a huge difference between wants and needs). And Jesus asks us to do the same for others.  This parable invites us to see not with the eyes of a day labourer who, in this example, has no real concern for the project they were working on but rather to live as an invested partner, embracing and owning the vision of the landowner, who wants to achieve a rich harvest and share it with everyone.

Fr Paul W. Kelly

Mark Link.  Vision. Praying Scripture in a contemporary way. Year a

Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/mTmpFBWZY71D7FvdpbJG/first-century-palestine-workers-in-the-vineyard-the-landlord-pays-the-workers-one-denarius-coin?ru=Paul-Evangelion
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Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A  (Sunday, September 20, 2026)  (EPISODE:603)
Grace to you and peace from God our Father and the Lord Jesus Christ. (or/ The Lord be with You)
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{{May God's Spirit of Counsel and Fortitude abide in you.}} Welcome everyone, we gather -  Praise and Worship of our God. On this Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A

Our God's love and mercy know no bounds, and so let us recall our sins to celebrate this Holy Sacrifice worthily.
Lord Jesus, you healed the sick: Lord, have mercy// Lord Jesus, you forgave sinners: Christ, have mercy// Lord Jesus, you give us yourself to heal us and bring us strength: Lord, have mercy.
May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.
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Memorial Acclamation
2. When we eat this Bread and drink this Cup, we proclaim your Death, O Lord, until you come again.
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Ps 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18. "The Lord is near to all who call him."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (cf. Act 16:14b). Alleluia, alleluia! Open our hearts, O Lord. To listen to the words of your Son.
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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary II
Various Needs and Occasions . I
Communion side.  pwk:
(theme variation: 4 )

(post version: v2-long)

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{Thank you for your company as we have given thanks and praise to our God.}

Go forth; the Mass is ended.

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au
To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W. Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and Editing - P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.

Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)

[ Production -  KER -  2026]

May God bless and keep you.
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Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 13, 2026 (EPISODE: 602)​

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 13, 2026 (EPISODE: 602)

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 13, 2026 (EPISODE:602)

Readings for Sunday, 13 September 2026

FIRST READING: Sir 27:30—28:7

Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12. "The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger and rich in compassion."

SECOND READING: Rom 14:7-9

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 13:34). Alleluia, alleluia! I give you a new commandment. Love one another as I have loved you.

GOSPEL: Matt 18:21-35

Image Credit- https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/iAP8LYANxaP0bdfCfX8v/a-thoughtless-servant-in-first-century-palestine-is-unforgiving-to-a-poor-colleague-even-though-his-?ru=Paul-Evangelion 

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Please listen to the audio recordings of the Mass (Readings, prayers and homily) for the Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A - Sunday, September 13, 2026, by clicking this link here: https://on.soundcloud.com/wXVmGM4aoh4O5FraUC  (EPISODE: 602 )
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Prologue:

This weekend, the scriptures include

The first reading from the book of Sirach chapter 27 v 30 and following. This book is also known as the Book of Ecclesiasticus

"Forgive your neighbour the wrong he has done, and then your sins will be pardoned when you pray."

This text also points out the hypocrisy of us bearing a grudge against a neighbour yet expecting forgiveness and mercy for our own sins and transgressions.

Responsorial Psalm

Ps 102:1-4, 9-12 (JB)  R. The Lord is (by nature) - kind and merciful;  slow to anger and rich in compassion.

"He does not treat us according to our sins  - nor repay us according to our faults. R.

And when God forgives us,... he removes our sins from us as "far as the east is from the west." That is to say, an infinite distance!

the second reading - Romans 14: verse 7, and following

We are reminded that "The life and death of each of us has its influence on others;

(we are all united as brothers and sisters in Christ....there is no such thing as a solo Christian....

...and in this very short two-sentence passage... it says wonderfully....

"If we live, we live for the Lord; and if we die, we die for the Lord, so that alive or dead we belong to the Lord."

surely one of the most beautiful statements in the scriptures...

Our Gospel today is from Matthew 18:21-35

Peter asks  Jesus  ' how often must I forgive my brother if he wrongs me? As often as seven times?

' Jesus answered, 'Not seven, I tell you, but seventy-seven times.

Seven is, of course, the perfect number in the Hebrew mindset - ... so by saying seven times seven, it means "a perfect number of perfect times!".....It is a saying that really means, don't bother to count.. forgive as many times as needed ..."

And then Our Lord follows with the wonderful parable of the "unforgiving servant …" -  We have been forgiven more than we could possibly repay, and we owe it to pay that mercy forward to those who wrong us...

(FHL)

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GOSPEL THIS WEEKEND

The gospel value, "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you!" "The Golden Rule," and the principle on which Our Lord's parable is based, has profoundly affected Christianity and secular legal and ethical systems throughout the world.

In many ways, the Golden Rule is common sense and simply about consistency, justice and fairness, and yet, even now, the world cries out for this principle to be applied evenly and fully.

Our Lord gives this gospel as a warning that we must be constantly on our guard. God has forgiven us for things we could not possibly hope to repay, and we are duty-bound in gratitude and compassion to share that graciousness, forgiveness, and charity that God gives to us and others around us.

The other major problem is that some people don't seem to see those around them as their brothers and sisters in Christ or (at the very least), fellow citizens in the same "commonwealth for the common good of all," … so they act with disregard for anyone but themselves and their nearest-and-dearest.

Jesus rejects this approach. He reminds us that if we do good to those who love us, what difference does that make? Even the pagans and the sinners do that. Our Lord is preaching universal fraternity and goodwill to all…. Because we are truly ALL God's children…

In an act of astounding generosity….. the master, in this parable, not only gives the wicked servant time to start to repay the impossible debt, but he forgives the debt entirely out of compassion and mercy. Based on the value of the debt mentioned in this parable, He wipes 16,000 years or so of debt from the face of the earth. The master hopes that this act of kindness will sink deep into the debtor's heart and be passed on in a new way of acting and living. But then this sad and miserable servant, with an astoundingly hard heart, goes out and does not do the same to a fellow servant who has a debt to him that was possible to repay. It might take 100 days of pay, but it is manageable given an extended amount of time…. It is pathetic. This servant shows no empathy and no connection to others. He does not identify himself with the feelings and plight of others. He does not see this poor fellow servant as brothers in similar need. He cannot see that he himself was just like the person (so much worse), bowing before him, begging for time to repay a debt.

It is sad and, quite frankly, bewildering.  This kind of attitude makes the world a meaner and nastier place and is the cause of so much suffering. It is so unnecessary and opposite to the essence of the gospel.

Do unto others as you would have them do unto you is such a central quality in the Kingdom of God that Our Lord even incorporates it into the Great Prayer he taught his disciples to recite: "Forgive us our sins, according to how we forgive others." (Or to put it another way, "Lord, don't forgive us our sins unless we forgive others who hurt us." It is sobering stuff that we pray every day.

Saint Paul confirms this in the second reading. We live now for God and not for ourselves. Ego, hurt pride, and moral outrage are barriers to reconciliation, understanding, and healing. We must let go of pride, entitlement, and a sense of moral outrage and open our hearts generously and "self-forgettingly." Then, we begin to think and feel the love that is God's very nature.

Let us continue to promote that awareness that we are all in communion with one another with the One God… What we do to others, we are taken as doing to God himself….

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References:

Homily:  Fr Paul W. Kelly

Bergant, D. and Fragomeni, R. (2001). Preaching the new lectionary. Year A. Collegeville, Minn.: Liturgical Press.

DeBona, G. (2013). Between the Ambo and the Altar. Year A. 1st ed. Collegeville, Minnesota: Liturgical Press, pp.246-249

Image Credit: https://creator.nightcafe.studio/creation/iAP8LYANxaP0bdfCfX8v/a-thoughtless-servant-in-first-century-palestine-is-unforgiving-to-a-poor-colleague-even-though-his-?ru=Paul-Evangelion   

Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A  (Sunday, September 13, 2026)  (EPISODE: 602 )

The Lord be with you.

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{{May God's Spirit of Wisdom and understanding abide in you.}} welcome everyone, we gather -  To take time to reflect upon the meaning of God's word for our everyday lives. On this Twenty-fourth Sunday in Ordinary Time. Year A

My brothers and sisters, trusting in God's mercy and love, let us call to mind our sins.

Lord Jesus, you raise us to new life: Lord, have mercy

Lord Jesus, you forgive us our sins: Christ, have mercy

Lord Jesus, you feed us with your body and blood: Lord, have mercy

May almighty God have mercy on us, forgive us our sins, and bring us to everlasting life.  Amen.

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Memorial Acclamation

1. We proclaim your Death, O Lord, and profess your Resurrection until you come again.

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Ps 103:1-2, 3-4, 9-10, 11-12. "The Lord is kind and merciful; slow to anger and rich in compassion."

GOSPEL ACCLAMATION (John 13:34). Alleluia, alleluia! I give you a new commandment. Love one another as I have loved you.

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PREFACE: Sundays Ordinary I

Eucharistic Prayer III

Communion side.  pwk:

(theme variation: 3 )

(post version: v1-short)

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{Thanks for joining us for this time of prayer and reflection}

Go in peace.(glorifying the Lord by your life)

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Archive of homilies and reflections:  http://homilycatholic.blogspot.com.au

To contact Fr. Paul, please email:  paulwkelly68@gmail.com

To listen to the weekly homily audio podcast, please click this link here:  https://soundcloud.com/user-633212303/tracks

Further information relating to the audio productions linked to this Blog:

"Faith, Hope and Love - Christian worship and reflection" - Led by Rev Paul Kelly

Prayers and chants — Roman Missal, 3rd edition, © 2010, The International Commission on English in the liturgy. (ICEL)

Scriptures - New Revised Standard Version: © 1989, and 2009 by the NCC-USA. (National Council of Churches of Christ - USA)

"The Psalms" ©1963, 2009, The Grail - Collins publishers.

Prayers of the Faithful - " Together we pray" by Robert Borg'. E.J. Dwyer, Publishers, (1993). (Sydney Australia).

Sung "Mass in Honour of St. Ralph Sherwin" - By Jeffrey M. Ostrowski. The Gloria,  Copyright © 2011 ccwatershed.org.

"Faith, Hope and Love" theme hymn - In memory of William John Kelly (1942-2017) - Inspired by 1 Corinthians 13:1-13. Music by Paul W. Kelly. Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

"Quiet Time."  Instrumental Reflection music. Written by Paul W Kelly. 1988, 2007. & This arrangement: Stefan Kelk, 2020.

"Today I Arise" - For Trisha J Kelly.  Original words and music by Paul W. Kelly. Inspired by St Patrick's Prayer.  Arranged and sung, with additional lyrics by Stefan Kelk. 2019.

Sound Engineering and editing - P.W. Kelly.

Microphones: - Shure Motiv MV5 Digital Condenser.

Editing equipment: -- MixPad Multitrack Studio Recording Software v10.49 (NCH Software).

NCH – WavePad Audio Editing Software. Masters Edition v 17.63 (NCH Software)

Sound Processing:  iZotope RX 10 Audio Editor (Izotope Inc.)

[ Production -  KER -  2026]

May God bless and keep you.

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