Weekly Readings

5 “This is what the Lord says:

Cursed is the person who trusts humans,

who makes flesh and blood his strength

and whose heart turns away from the Lord.

6 He will be like a bush in the wilderness.

He will not see when something good comes.

He will live in the dry places in the desert,

in a salty land where no one can live.

7 Blessed is the person who trusts the Lord.

The Lord will be his confidence.

8 He will be like a tree that is planted by water.

It will send its roots down to a stream.

It will not be afraid in the heat of summer.

Its leaves will turn green.

It will not be anxious during droughts.

It will not stop producing fruit.

Therefore, to keep me from becoming conceited, I am forced to deal with a recurring problem. That problem, Satan’s messenger, torments me to keep me from being conceited. 8 I begged the Lord three times to take it away from me. 9 But he told me: “My kindness is all you need. My power is strongest when you are weak.” So I will brag even more about my weaknesses in order that Christ’s power will live in me. 10 Therefore, I accept weakness, mistreatment, hardship, persecution, and difficulties suffered for Christ. It’s clear that when I’m weak, I’m strong.

“The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at daybreak to hire workers for his vineyard. 2 After agreeing to pay the workers the usual day’s wages, he sent them to work in his vineyard. 3 About 9 a.m. he saw others standing in the marketplace without work. 4 He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard, and I’ll give you whatever is right.’ So they went.

5 “He went out again about noon and 3 p.m. and did the same thing. 6 About 5 p.m. he went out and found some others standing around. He said to them, ‘Why are you standing here all day long without work?’

7 “ ‘No one has hired us,’ they answered him.

“He said to them, ‘Work in my vineyard.’

8 “When evening came, the owner of the vineyard told the supervisor, ‘Call the workers, and give them their wages. Start with the last, and end with the first.’

9 “Those who started working about 5 p.m. came, and each received a day’s wages. 10 When those who had been hired first came, they expected to receive more. But each of them received a day’s wages. 11 Although they took it, they began to protest to the owner. 12 They said, ‘These last workers have worked only one hour. Yet, you’ve treated us all the same, even though we worked hard all day under a blazing sun.’

13 “The owner said to one of them, ‘Friend, I’m not treating you unfairly. Didn’t you agree with me on a day’s wages? 14 Take your money and go! I want to give this last worker as much as I gave you. 15 Can’t I do what I want with my own money? Or do you resent my generosity towards others?’

16 “In this way the last will be first, and the first will be last.”