Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time (II)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Ezekiel 34:1-11

The word of the Lord came to me saying,
“Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
prophesy, and tell them, the shepherds,
‘Thus says the Lord God:
“Woe to the shepherds of Israel who feed themselves!
Should not shepherds feed the sheep?
You eat the fat, and you clothe yourself with the wool,
you kill the fatlings, but you do not feed the sheep.
You have not strengthened the diseased,
nor have you healed what was sick,
nor have you bound up what was broken,
nor have you brought back what was driven away,
nor have you sought what was lost;
but with force and brutality you have ruled over them.

They were scattered, because there was no shepherd,
and they became food to all the animals of the field.
My sheep were scattered and wandered
through all the mountains and on every high hill.
My sheep were scattered over all the surface of the earth,
and there was no one who looked after them or for them.”

Therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord,
“As I live”, says the Lord God, “because my sheep became prey,
and my sheep became food to all the animals of the field,
because there was no shepherd,
nor did my shepherds search for my sheep,
and though the shepherds fed themselves,
they did not feed my sheep,
therefore, you shepherds, hear the word of the Lord.”
Thus says the Lord God, “Behold, I am coming against the shepherds,
and I will claim my sheep from their hands,
and cause them to cease feeding the sheep,
nor shall the shepherds feed themselves anymore,
and I will deliver my sheep from their mouth, from being food for them.”
For thus says the Lord God,
“Behold, I, myself, will look after and for my sheep.”’”

Responsorial - Psalm 23.1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6 Resp. 1

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He has me lie down in green pastures.
He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.
Yea though I walk through the valley of the shadow of death
I will fear no evil, for you are with me.
Your rod and your staff –
they comfort me.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

You prepare a table before me,
in the presence of my foes.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Gospel – Matthew 20.1-16

Jesus told his disciples this parable:
“The Kingdom of Heaven is like a human master of a household,
who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard.
When he had agreed with the laborers for a denarius for the day,
he sent them into his vineyard.
He went out around the third hour
and saw others standing idle in the marketplace.
He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard,
and whatever is right I will give you.’ So they went their way.
Again he went out around the sixth and the ninth hour, and did likewise.
Around the eleventh hour, he went out, and found others standing idle.
He said to them, ‘Why do you stand here all day idle?’
“They said to him, ‘Because no one has hired us.’
“He said to them, ‘You also go into the vineyard,
and you will receive whatever is right.’
When evening had come, the lord of the vineyard said to his manager,
‘Call the laborers and pay them their wages,
beginning with the last to the first.’
When those who were hired around the eleventh hour came,
they each received a denarius.
When the first came, they supposed that they would receive more,
but they likewise each received a denarius.
When they received it,
they murmured against the master of the household, saying,
‘These last have spent one hour, and you have made them equal to us,
who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat!’

But he answered one of them, ‘Friend, I am doing you no wrong.
Did you not agree with me for a denarius?
Take what is yours, and go your way.
It is my desire to give to this last just as much as to you.
Is it not lawful for me to do what I want to with what I own?
Or is it bad in your eyes that I am good?’
So the last will be first, and the first last.
For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Solemnity of Our Lord Jesus Christ The King (A)

Official Translation

Reading 1 – Ezekiel 34.11-12, 15-17

For thus says the Lord GOD:
“Behold, I myself will search for my sheep and seek them out.
As a shepherd seeks out his flock
on the day that he is among his sheep that are scattered;
so will I seek out my sheep and will deliver them
out of all places where they have been scattered
on the dark and cloudy day.
I myself will feed my flock,
and I myself will cause them to lie down”, says the Lord God.
“I will seek what was lost
and bring back again what was driven away
and bind up what was broken
and strengthen what was sick,
but I will destroy the fat and the strong;
I will feed them with justice.”
“As for you, O my flock”, says the Lord GOD,
“Behold, I judge between sheep and sheep,
between the rams and the goats.”

Responsorial – Psalm 23.1-2, 2-3, 5-6 Resp. 1

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.
He has me lie down in green pastures.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

He leads me beside still waters.
He restores my soul.
He leads me in the paths of righteousness
for his name’s sake.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

You prepare a table before me,
in the presence of my foes.
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Surely goodness and mercy shall follow me
all the days of my life,
and I will dwell in the house of the Lord
forever.

R. The Lord is my shepherd; I shall not want.

Reading 2 – 1 Corinthians 15.20-26, 28

Brothers and Sisters:
Now Christ is risen from the dead,
and is the firstfruits of those who fell asleep.
For since through a human came death,
the resurrection of the dead also came through a human.
For as in Adam all die,
even so in Christ all will be made alive.
But each in their own order:
Christ the firstfruits.
Afterward, at his coming, those who are Christ’s.
Then comes the end,
when he will deliver the kingdom to his God and Father,
when he will tear down all government and all authority and power.
For it is necessary that he reign,
until he has put all enemies under his feet.
The last enemy to be destroyed is death.
And when all is subjected to him,
then the Son will himself be subject
to him who subjected all things under him,
so that God may be all in all.

Gospel – Matthew 25.31-46

Jesus said to his disciples,
“When the Son of human comes in his glory,
and all the holy angels with him,
then he will sit upon the throne of his glory.
Before him shall be gathered all the Gentiles,
and he will separate them, one from another,
as a shepherd separates his sheep from the goats.
He will make the sheep stand at his right hand
and the goats at his left.

Then the King will say to those on his right hand,
‘Come, blessed of my Father,
inherit the kingdom prepared for you
from the foundation of the world.
For I was an hungry, and you gave me to eat.
I was thirsty, and you gave me to drink.
I was a stranger and you brought me in.
I was naked, and you clothed me.
I was sick, and you visited me.
I was in prison, and you came to me.’

Then the righteous will answer him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you?
Or thirsty, and gave you drink?
When did we see you a stranger, and brought you in?
Or naked, and clothed thee?
When did we see you sick, or in prison, and came to you?’

And the King shall answer and say to them,
‘Amen, I say unto you,
inasmuch as you have done it
for one of the least of these brothers and sisters of mine,
you have done it for me.’

Then he will say also to those at his left hand,
‘Depart from me, you cursed,
into the everlasting fire, prepared for the devil and his angels.
For I was an hungry, and you did not give me to eat.
I was thirsty, and you did not give me to drink.
I was a stranger and you did not bring me in.
I was naked, and you did not clothe me.
I was sick and in prison and you did not visit me.’

Then they will also answer him, saying,
‘Lord, when did we see you
hungry or thirsty or a stranger or naked or sick or in prison,
and did not minister to you?’
Then he will answer them, saying,
‘Amen, I say unto you,
inasmuch as you did it not
for one of the least of these,
you did not do it for me.’

And they will go away to everlasting punishment,
but the righteous to life eternal.”