"The Porter's Gate - Little Things With Great Love"

As we continue our Sunday celebration, I offer this version of "The Porter's Gate - Little Things With Great Love":

 

Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time

Today the Church celebrates the Twenty-fifth Sunday in Ordinary Time. The assigned readings for the Mass during the day are Isaiah 55:6-9; Philippians 1:20c-24, 27a; and Matthew 20:1-16a. The Responsorial Psalm is from Psalm 145 (Psalm 145:2-3, 8-9, 17-18).

For one version of the Responsorial Psalm set to music, please visit:

YouTube: Spirit & Psalm - 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time, 2023 - Year A - Psalm 145 - Manibusan

The Gospel reading is as follows:

Jesus told his disciples this parable: "The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at dawn to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with them for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. Going out about nine o'clock, the landowner saw others standing idle in the marketplace, and he said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard, and I will give you what is just.' So they went off. And he went out again around noon, and around three o'clock, and did likewise. Going out about five o'clock, the landowner found others standing around, and said to them, 'Why do you stand here idle all day?' They answered, 'Because no one has hired us.' He said to them, 'You too go into my vineyard.' When it was evening the owner of the vineyard said to his foreman, 'Summon the laborers and give them their pay, beginning with the last and ending with the first.' When those who had started about five o'clock came, each received the usual daily wage. So when the first came, they thought that they would receive more, but each of them also got the usual wage. And on receiving it they grumbled against the landowner, saying, 'These last ones worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us, who bore the day's burden and the heat.' He said to one of them in reply, 'My friend, I am not cheating you. Did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what is yours and go. What if I wish to give this last one the same as you? Or am I not free to do as I wish with my own money? Are you envious because I am generous?' Thus, the last will be first, and the first will be last."

Reflections related to these readings:

Community in Mission: Don’t Ask for Fairness, Ask for Mercy! - A Homily for the 25th Sunday of the Year (19 SEP 26) 

Benedictine College: This Sunday, Christianity Is Like Work Before It Is Like a Party (17 SEP 26)

Word on Fire: Love God - Not His Benefits (Cycle A * Ordinary Time * 25th Week)

The Pilot: Echoes: Scott Hahn: First and last (18 SEP 26)

The Pilot: Echoes: Father Joshua J. Whitfield: In heaven as it isn't on earth (16 SEP 26) 

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord, for the blessing of hummingbirds.

Msgr. Pope on Spiritual Truths According to St. John of the Cross

". . . A person can spend his whole life being resentful that life isn't perfect, forgetting all the while that we are all in exile. We are making a difficult journey to a life in which, one day, every sorrow and difficultly will be removed and death and sorrow will be no more - but not now.

"There is a kind of unexpected serenity in living in the world as it is rather than resenting it for not being the way we want it to be. For now, the journey is hard and we have to be sober about our obtuse desires and destructive tendencies. That is why there is value in calling these insights 'hard truths that will set us free.'"

In a recent commentary, Msgr. Charles Pope (pastor of Holy Comforter-Saint Cyprian Parish, Washington, DC) reflected on the importance of paying attention to the teaching of St. John of the Cross regarding "hard truths, " including being aware of our obligations and being aware that life is short 

To access Msgr. Pope's complete post, please visit:

Community in Mission: Sobering Spiritual Truths According to St. John of the Cross (13 SEP 26)

Reflection Starter from Pope Leo XIV

"God has different ways and fresh ideas even for those who consider themselves to be first and believe they have earned what they have, that they deserved the results they have achieved. Instead, we all gain joy, wisdom and a better future when the law of love interrupts that of calculation, when the experience of mercy broadens that of merit, and when the gift of peace suspends rivalries and brings us closer together in gratitude. Gospel of the Day (Mt 20:1-16)" - Pope Leo XIV

"There's Gonna Be a Great Day"

As this blessed week draws to a close, I offer this version of "There's Gonna Be a Great Day":

 

Birthday Blessings, Paula!!!

Birthday greetings to sister Paula, whose birthday is today!!! May this day, and each day of the upcoming year, be filled with the Lord's choicest blessings!!!

Thank You, Lord

Thank you, Lord,, for the blessing of the season of autumn.

Fr. Joe Newman, OSFS,, on the Maple Tree and the Dumpster

"The most beautiful tree on campus at St. Francis de Sales School during the fall is this red maple tree.  Its leaves turn that stunning scarlet, almost merlot, color.  It is tall, reaching toward the light.  Its roots are deep into the soil.

"And, it sits behind the dumpster."

In a recent commentary, Father Joe Newman, OSFS, reflected on the beauty of the tree, the functional dumpster, and the need for both to exist.

To access Fr. Newman's complete post, please visit:

De Sales Weekly: Provincial Reflection: The Maple Tree and the Dumpster (17 SEP 26)

Reflection Starter from St. Francis de Sales

"Nothing is so strong as gentleness, nothing so gentle as real strength." - Saint Francis de Sales

"Unto the House of the Lord"

As we continue to live this week, I offer this version of "Unto the House of the Lord""

 

Congratulations Marc!!!

Congratulations to nephew Marc James (Fedoras), who recently named the inaugural Event Photographer of the Year at the Event Photography Awards 2026 in the United Kingdom. In addition, he also won the Best Portfolio award and was Overall Runner-up.

Well done, Marc!!! 

Media report:

Conference News: Event Photography Awards winners revealed – with first-time entrant taking Event Photographer of the Year (8 SEP 26)