Twenty Sixth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Ezekiel 18:25-28 (JB)

A reading from the prophet Ezekiel

The sinner who decides to turn against sinfulness deserves to live.

The word of the Lord was addressed to me as follows: ‘You object, “What the Lord does is unjust.” Listen, you House of Israel: is what I do unjust? Is it not what you do that is unjust? When the upright man renounces his integrity to commit sin and dies because of this, he dies because of the evil that he himself has committed. When the sinner renounces sin to become law- abiding and honest, he deserves to live. He has chosen to renounce all his previous sins; he shall certainly live; he shall not die.’

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ezekiel 18:25-28 (NRSV)

A reading from the book of the prophet Ezekiel

The Lord says this:

“You object, O House of Israel!

You say, ‘The way of the Lord is unfair.’

Hear now, O house of Israel:

Is my way unfair? Is it not your ways that are unfair?

“When the righteous turn away from their righteousness

and commit iniquity, they shall die for it;

for the iniquity that they have committed they shall die.

“Again, when the wicked turn away

from the wickedness they have committed

and do what is lawful and right,

they shall save their life.

Because they considered and turned away

from all the transgressions that they had committed,

they shall surely live; they shall not die.”

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Ps 24:4-9 (JB)

R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.

Lord, make me know your ways.

Lord, teach me your paths.

Make me walk in your truth, and teach me:

for you are God my saviour. R.

Remember your mercy, Lord,

and the love you have shown from of old.

Do not remember the sins of my youth.

In your love remember me,

because of your goodness, O Lord. R.

The Lord is good and upright.

He shows the path to those who stray,

he guides the humble in the right path;

he teaches his way to the poor. R.

Philippians 2:1-11 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians

In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus:

His state was divine,

yet he did not cling

to his equality with God

but emptied himself

to assume the condition of a slave,

and became as men are;

and being as all men are,

he was humbler yet,

even to accepting death,

death on a cross.

But God raised him high

and gave him the name

which is above all other names

so that all beings

in the heavens, on earth and in the underworld,

should bend the knee at the name of Jesus

and that every tongue should acclaim

Jesus Christ as Lord,

to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Philippians 2:1-5 (JB)

A reading from the letter of St Paul to the Philippians

In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.

If our life in Christ means anything to you, if love can persuade at all, or the Spirit that we have in common, or any tenderness and sympathy, then be united in your convictions and united in your love, with a common purpose and a common mind. That is the one thing which would make me completely happy. There must be no competition among you, no conceit; but everybody is to be self-effacing. Always consider the other person to be better than yourself, so that nobody thinks of his own interests first but everybody thinks of other people’s interests instead. In your minds you must be the same as Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Philippians 2:1-11 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

If there is any encouragement in Christ,

any consolation from love,

any sharing in the Spirit,

any compassion and sympathy,

then make my joy complete:

be of the same mind, having the same love,

being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,

but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

Let each of you look not to your own interests,

but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus,

who, though he was in the form of God,

did not regard equality with God

as something to be exploited, but emptied himself,

taking the form of a slave,

being born in human likeness.

And being found in human form, he humbled himself

and became obedient to the point of death-

even death on a cross.

Therefore God highly exalted him and gave him the name

that is above every name, so that at the name of Jesus

every knee should bend,

in heaven and on earth and under the earth,

and every tongue should confess

that Jesus Christ is Lord, to the glory of God the Father.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

Philippians 2:1-5 (NRSV)

A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians

If there is any encouragement in Christ,

any consolation from love,

any sharing in the Spirit,

any compassion and sympathy,

then make my joy complete:

be of the same mind, having the same love,

being in full accord and of one mind.

Do nothing from selfish ambition or conceit,

but in humility regard others as better than yourselves.

Let each of you look not to your own interests,

but to the interests of others.

Let the same mind be in you that was in Christ Jesus.

The word of the Lord.

Thanks be to God.

John 10:27 (JB)

Alleluia, alleluia!

My sheep listen to my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

Alleluia!

John 10:27 (NRSV)

Alleluia, alleluia!

My sheep listen to my voice, says the Lord;

I know them, and they follow me.

Alleluia!

Matthew 21:28-32 (JB)

A reading from the holy Gospel according to Matthew

He went out moved by regret. The tax collectors and prostitutes will precede you into the kingdom of God.

Jesus said to the chief priests and the elders of the people, ‘What is your opinion? A man had two sons. He went and said to the first, “My boy, you go and work in the vineyard today.” He answered, “I will not go”, but afterwards thought better of it and went. The man then went and said the same thing to the second who answered, “Certainly, sir”, but did not go. Which of the two did the father’s will?’ ‘The first’ they said. Jesus said to them, ‘I tell you solemnly, tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you. For John came to you, a pattern of true righteousness, but you did not believe him, and yet the tax collectors and prostitutes did. Even after seeing that, you refused to think better of it and believe in him.’

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you, Lord Jesus Christ.

Matthew 21:28-32 (NRSV)

A reading from the holy gospel according to Matthew

When Jesus entered the temple,

the chief priests and elders of the people came to him

as he was teaching, and challenged his authority.

So Jesus asked them this question.

“What do you think?

A man had two sons;

he went to the first and said,

‘Son, go and work in the vineyard today.’

He answered, ‘I will not’;

but later he changed his mind and went.

The father went to the second and said the same;

and he answered, ‘I am going, sir’;

but he did not go.

“Which of the two did the will of his father?”

They said, “The first.”

Jesus said to them,

Truly I tell you,

the tax collectors and the prostitutes

are going into the kingdom of God ahead of you.

For John came to you in the way of righteousness

and you did not believe him,

but the tax collectors and the prostitutes believed him;

and even after you saw it,

you did not change your minds and believe him.”

The Gospel of the Lord.

Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.