August 19, 2026 Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time or Saint John Eudes, Priest (Optional Memorial) Gospel: Matthew 20:1-16
Today is Wednesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. The Church celebrates the Optional Memorial of Saint John Eudes, Priest. According to the recently published Roman Missal: St John Eudes (1601-1680) was born in the Norman village of Ri (France). He joined the Oratory in Paris and was ordained in 1625. He went on to found the Congregation of Jesus and Mary (Eudists) and the Sisters of Our Lady of Charity of the Refuge. A popular preacher, he promoted devotion to the Hearts of Jesus and Mary. He was canonized in 1925.
Today, the passage from the Gospel of Matthew presents us with a parable spoken by Jesus. Through the parable of the landowner hiring workers for his vineyard, He teaches us. Let us now endeavor to reflect. The changing world in which we live is marked not only by bonds of family affection but also by relationships between employers and employees. The employees spoken of here are those hired by employers from the job market, or those who, for various reasons, are unemployed. They search for job openings matching their career aspirations via the internet, offline job fairs, or internal referrals, submitting their resumes through online platforms, email, or postal mail, hoping to finally enter their desired company. The employers spoken of here are those who post job openings; like the landowner in the parable Jesus told His disciples (cf. Matt 20:1-7), they recruit various talents from the job market to meet the needs of production and operations.
The landowner spoken of by Jesus today is God. He invites those “created in his own image” (cf. Gen 1:27-28) to engage in various tasks within His vineyard. Those who receive this invitation are those in this changing world who, through rigorous penance and prayer, or at a particular moment, hear God’s call to them. When they accept this invitation, they generously responding to their vocation. When they enter the vineyard to work, they are fulfilling the mission God has given them in the way they deem correct.
O God, who wonderfully chose the Priest Saint John Eudes to proclaim the unfathomable riches of Christ, grant us, by his example and teachings, that, growing in knowledge of you, we may live faithfully by the light of the Gospel. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever.
August 18, 2026 Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Mt 19:16–22
Today is Tuesday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. The passage taken from the Holy Gospel according to Saint Matthew presents to us a parable that Jesus spoke to His disciples. Let us reflect upon it.
In today’s Gospel at Holy Mass, we see a landowner who goes out to hire laborers for his vineyard. Jesus says: He went out to hire at dawn, at mid-morning, at the third hour, and at the eleventh hour. Now, who is this landowner? Clearly, Jesus Himself is that landowner. And what is this vineyard of which Jesus speaks? Evidently, this vineyard signifies the Church of God. Today, the master of the vineyard hires workers to labor in his vineyard (cf. Mt 20:1, 3, 5–7), and this brings to mind the vocation of each one of us.
I wish to speak about what many Christians understand by vocation and the reward they believe they ought to receive. Each of us, at different stages of life, receives God’s call. Some have received the sacrament of Baptism from birth. Others receive the sacraments of initiation in adulthood. When we come to the end of this earthly life and stand before God’s throne, those who received the sacraments of initiation from birth consider that God called them first, rather than those who received the sacraments of initiation in adulthood, and that they have done more to fulfill God’s holy will. Therefore, if God does not grant them a greater reward, they feel this is unjust. Likewise, those who received the sacraments of initiation in adulthood, if they see that God does not reward them according to His justice, will also feel unjustly treated. Their reason for deeming God unjust is that they follow the logic of this world—a logic which teaches that the more one gives, the more one receives.
Today, Jesus asks us not to view the gracious God according to the logic of this world, but to regard Him according to the logic of God’s Kingdom. God calls us out of love; He does so as He wills, by His own free will. We are called by the Lord at various stages of life, chosen because of God’s love, to act according to His divine will. And God will reward us according to all that we have done. For in God’s sight, we are all made in His own image; He always grants us the portion He knows is best. He will never treat us unjustly. For He makes His sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the just and on the unjust (cf. Mt 5:45).
O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
August 17, 2026 Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time Gospel: Matthew 19:16-22
Today is Monday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time. The Gospel passage from Saint Matthew presents a dialogue between Jesus and a young man. I would like to offer some reflections on this text.
First, Matthew tells us that a young man approached Jesus and asked, “Teacher, what good must I do to gain eternal life?” Jesus answered him, “Why do you ask me about the Good? There is only One who is Good. If you wish to enter into life, keep the commandments.” He asked Him, “Which ones?” (cf. Matt 19:16-18a). From this exchange, we see that this young man belongs entirely to this world. And what sort of world is this? It is a world where money endures and possessions remain secure. In his view, God is supremely just, rewarding good and punishing evil. He believes that as long as his conduct aligns with the divine will, he will attain eternal life.
Next, Matthew presents the continuation of the dialogue between Jesus and this young man (cf. Matt 19:18b-20). This very dynamic is what we often observe in the Church today. Within our community, many brothers and sisters resemble this youth. On the surface, they keep the commandments; they attend Mass daily and exhibit a zeal and devotion that sometimes surpass even that of the clergy. They do all this because they firmly believe that such practices will merit them eternal life. Consequently, they seek further instructions from Jesus on what more they must observe.
So, how can we become truly beautiful, conformed to Jesus? To be conformed to Christ, we must embrace the worldview, values, and anthropology that Jesus came to establish for this passing world. We must acknowledge that all we possess is a gift from God. Guided by the inspiration of the Holy Spirit, we must wisely steward all that God has given us. In this way, through our actions, this passing world may experience God’s mercy and goodness. Thus, like us, others may come to trust in the Divine Word, longing for the Heavenly Homeland. They will cease storing up treasures on earth and instead seek to lay up for themselves treasures in the Kingdom of Heaven—treasures that neither moth nor rust destroys, and where thieves do not break in and steal.
O God, who have prepared for those who love you good things which no eye can see, fill our hearts, we pray, with the warmth of your love, so that, loving you in all things and above all things, we may attain your promises, which surpass every human desire. Through our Lord Jesus Christ, your Son, who lives and reigns with you in the unity of the Holy Spirit, God, for ever and ever
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