25th Sunday in Ordinary Time (year A)  [20 September 2026]

First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah (55:6–9)

‘Seek the Lord, for he is to be found.’ Isaiah’s message does not mean: ‘Hurry, for God might withdraw.’ On the contrary: God is always near and always allows himself to be found. It is we, in our freedom, who turn away from him, and sometimes we even lose the desire to seek him.

Isaiah speaks to a discouraged people, exiled to Babylon and convinced that God has abandoned them. The prophet urges them to reject this idea: God’s silence does not mean His absence, and God is not far away, inaccessible or incapable of forgiving. On the contrary, He is ‘abundant in forgiveness’. The fundamental theme is therefore that of return: when we think of God as a harsh, vengeful or indifferent judge, we turn away from Him. When, on the other hand, we turn back to Him, we discover His true face: a tender, merciful God, ready to forgive. This revelation runs throughout the Bible. Hosea presents God as the One who sets aside His anger because His heart is full of compassion. Jeremiah speaks of thoughts of peace, capable of bestowing a future and hope. In the Gospel, Jesus reminds us that God causes the sun to rise on the good and the bad and sends rain on the righteous and the unrighteous. Even Jonah rebukes God because his compassion towards Israel’s enemies is ‘tender and merciful’. God is the ‘Wholly Other’ and the ‘Wholly Near’. Isaiah declares: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, nor are my ways your ways.’ God is infinitely different from us, but it is precisely this difference that reveals something extraordinary: God loves and forgives without keeping score. We are often accustomed to the logic of give and take: we think that the good should be rewarded and the wicked punished; we tally up our merits and ask ourselves whether we are worthy of forgiveness. God, on the other hand, does not ask us to ‘earn’ his love. His forgiveness is grace; it is freely given. The real question, therefore, is not whether God is willing to forgive us, but whether we are willing to accept his forgiveness. As the text from Chronicles says: ‘If my people […] turn from their wicked ways, I will hear them, I will forgive their sin and heal them.’ It is not God who attaches a condition to his love: it is we who must open ourselves up in order to receive it. Finally, ‘my thoughts are not your thoughts’ also calls us to humility and tolerance. Since God infinitely transcends our understanding, no one can claim to possess the full truth about him. Speaking of God therefore requires humility and a willingness to listen. In short, God does not turn away from us: it is we who turn away from Him. And when we return, we do not find a stern God who holds us to account for our mistakes, but a Father who is ever near, tender, merciful and rich in forgiveness. His love cannot be bought or earned: it is received freely. 

Responsorial Psalm (144/145) 

‘The Lord is good to all.’ Psalm 144/145 harmonises perfectly with the message of the prophet Isaiah: God is full of mercy, rich in forgiveness, and continually invites humanity to return to Him. The psalm is the response of one who has rediscovered faith: ‘I will bless you every day; I will praise your name for ever.’ It is an ‘alphabetical’ psalm: from beginning to end, from A to Z, the whole of life is steeped in God’s covenant, His tenderness and His greatness. The psalm proclaims: ‘Great is the Lord and worthy of all praise; His greatness is without end.’ Isaiah expresses the same idea by saying that God’s thoughts and ways are infinitely superior to our own. But God’s greatness is not that of human power, wealth or success. God’s true greatness lies in his love and, above all, in his capacity to forgive. The same principle applies to human beings: true greatness does not lie in dominating others, but in knowing how to love. This is natural, for we are created in God’s image. A justice different from our own The psalm states: ‘The Lord is good to all; his compassion extends to all his creatures.’ God’s forgiveness is not reserved for a select few: it is offered to everyone, even to the sinner who returns to him. Our idea of justice leads us to think that those who have sinned greatly should receive a greater punishment. God, however, invites us to change our perspective: God’s justice is not that of the scales, but that of love. This is also shown in the parable of the labourers of the last hour: everyone receives the same wage, regardless of the number of hours worked. Jesus thus teaches us that God’s love does not operate according to our calculations of merit, seniority or reward. His generosity takes nothing away from anyone. God is close to everyone. The psalm concludes: ‘ The Lord is close to all who call upon him, to all who call upon him in sincerity’. God’s goodness is for everyone. His greatness is his love; his justice is mercy; and his forgiveness is not measured by our merits. And when we discover this logic, we are called not only to accept his forgiveness, but also to rejoice in the good he bestows upon others, without envy or judgement. 

Second Reading from the Letter of Saint Paul the Apostle to the Philippians 

‘For me, to live is Christ.’ The Letter to the Philippians is particularly moving because it combines Paul’s great passion for Christ and for his mission with his human and fraternal affection for the people he encountered. Paul writes whilst in prison and facing the threat of death. Yet he affirms with great serenity: ‘Christ will be glorified in my body, whether I live or die’, that is, in his person and in his life. If he is set free, he will be able to continue proclaiming the Gospel; if, on the other hand, he dies, even his martyrdom will become a testimony to faith in the Resurrection. For Paul, therefore, whatever happens can become an opportunity to make Christ known. Even his imprisonment has helped to encourage other Christians to proclaim the Word. ‘For me, to live is Christ’ When Paul says: ‘For me, to live is Christ and to die is gain’, he expresses the very heart of his existence: Christ is his reason for living. To live means to belong to Christ and to serve him; to die means to enter fully into communion with him. Paul does indeed long to depart so that he may be with Christ, yet he does not wish to shirk the mission entrusted to him. He is torn between two desires: on the one hand, he longs to be with Christ once and for all; on the other, he knows that his presence can be of service to others. Ultimately, what matters to him is not his own interest, but the good of the communities and the spread of the Gospel. The only thing that matters is the Gospel. Paul thus leaves us with a very important question: what do we live for? For him, the answer is clear: to live means to belong to Christ and to place one’s life at the service of the Gospel. He regards his own life as a gift to be spent on others. This is why he concludes by exhorting the Philippians: ‘Conduct yourselves, then, in a manner worthy of the Gospel of Christ’. It is not simply a matter of being morally upright people. It means taking the Gospel seriously and making it visible through one’s life, one’s words and one’s service. To live for Christ means transforming one’s whole life into a testimony to God’s love.  

From the Gospel according to Matthew (20:1–16a) 

Let us set aside our bookkeeper’s logic. This is the logic presented to us in the parable of the labourers in the vineyard. By our standards, it seems unfair: those who have worked all day receive the same pay as those who arrived at the last hour, but Jesus makes it clear straight away that he is not speaking of a normal business, but of the ‘Kingdom of Heaven’. And in the Kingdom of God, different criteria apply from our own: ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts,’ says the Lord. The central point of the parable is what it reveals about God: ‘I am good’. God’s goodness does not keep score, does not measure merits, and does not determine how much love each person has ‘earned’. In the Kingdom of God, there is no tally of merits. We, on the other hand, are often tempted to keep track of everything: sacrifices, sufferings, prayers, good works. We think that all this gives us ‘rights’ before God. Jesus invites us to completely change this mindset.

‘Are you envious because I am good?’ The workers hired at the first hour protest: ‘You treat them just like us!’, whilst thinking: ‘We deserve more.’ But love does not operate according to the logic of merit. Love cannot be bought or earned: it is received as a gift. God’s justice does not consist in distributing according to our calculations, but in loving each of his children fully and without measure. The same logic runs through the whole of the Bible: God forgives the people of Nineveh even though they are pagans; Jesus welcomes tax collectors and sinners; the father in the parable joyfully welcomes the prodigal son. And on the cross, the good thief, at the very last moment, turns to Jesus and receives the promise of Paradise. Who can call themselves a ‘worker of the first hour’? In reality, the parable should console us. Who amongst us can truly consider themselves a worker of the first hour? We are all, in some way, workers of the last hour. We all live by God’s mercy and free grace. The problem arises when we look at others with envy and think that God is too good to them. That is when our eyes become evil. The lesson, therefore, is an invitation to abandon the mindset of comparison, merit and calculation, and to enter into the logic of grace. In short, God does not love us according to our merits: he loves us freely, fully and without measure. True conversion consists in abandoning our ‘accountant’s logic’ and learning to see through God’s eyes. We must not ask ourselves who deserves more, but rejoice because God is good to everyone. ‘My thoughts are not your thoughts, and my ways are not your ways’ (Isaiah). God’s justice is, ultimately, the justice of love and mercy.

+Giovanni D’Ercole

(Unique Coin and smart working: Love)

(Mt 20:1-16)

In the atrium of the Temple in Jerusalem, the climbing vine of the portal was a symbol of the gifts that people were called to present to God: mutual acceptance, understanding, sharing... for the happiness of all.

Obviously, entering at the beginning of the day (that is, of our existence) into this logic of love is better, than entering at the last hour.

Being in communion with God, being in his Vineyard and having had the grace not to lose even a moment of life without his Presence, is a «bearing the burden» or vice versa a pleasure?

Believers of the first hour feel deeply offended, because they identify the "advantage" with what they have always denied themselves.

They think the "enjoy life" in the same way as the pagans! The work is indeed... «endured» [v.12: notice the verb!].

Well, God has no wage workers: only sons; no subordinate. And none of us is negligible for "inefficiency".

That of the Models is a blocking effect; tied to insignificant comparisons.

Not in deep synchrony with oneself [vv.6-7].

The Gospel according to Mt originated from Syro-Palestinian communities, which were beginning to experience pagans and sinners flocking in large numbers and becoming a numerical majority.

The attitude of the newcomers who turned up at the gates of the communities was far more relaxed than the (stiff) demeanour of the embarrassed veterans.

The new mentality, dissolved from constraints, provoked jealousy among those who were accustomed to scrutinizing the lives of others - almost out of religious duty.

After all, the story of the beginners and ‘half-breeds’ who wished to embark on a journey of love was nothing more than reflection of that sublime, overflowing fluidity, of those magnanimous divine blessings.

‘Gratis’: given without conditions or exclusions; not on the basis of past merits.

A Gift free from any requirement for reciprocity – and based solely on need.

Therefore, today’s passage remains a strong Call.

The importance of work induces the Master not to send his factor (!) whom he unfortunately knows he cannot fully trust.

He himself goes out repeatedly and does not want dirigistic interference, in personally calling the workers.

Because He is the Unique who understands: it is never too late!

This teaching is precisely for community leaders, who often do not take on the burden of bothering themselves from home in the continuous search for everyone, and adapting themselves to people and events.

The Father wants a Family (Vineyard) that presents to the world the sweet and sugary fruit of the Feast - the only really important thing, non-negotiable principle.

Thus, to the always morbids top of the class the Lord continues to do a very educational "spite".

From now on they must discover that He does not discriminate on the basis of external profitable percentages, nor other negative mental states.

He “pays” everyone unreservedly and with a unique single «currency»: his Person. No automatic pilot is enabled to disturb our breathing.

The soul counts, not the curriculum [CV] or performance.

[25th Sunday in O.T. (year A)  September 20, 2026]

It's never too late (unique Coin and smart working: Love)

(Mt 20:1-16)

In the atrium of the temple in Jerusalem, the portal creeper was a symbol of the gifts that the people were called upon to present to God: mutual acceptance, understanding, sharing... for the happiness of all.

Obviously, entering at the beginning of the day (that is, of our existence) into this logic of love is better than entering at the last hour.

Instead: "Is your eye bad because I am good?" [v.19 Greek text].

But is being in communion with God, being in his Vineyard and having had the grace not to lose a single moment of life without his Presence a 'burden-bearing' or vice versa a pleasure?

But what a naive question... of course, the issues at stake are these and they are profound, but also others. So let us ask ourselves: in what we do, how much does external theatre count? So much?

The believers of the 'first hour' feel deeply offended, because underneath they identify 'pleasure' or 'advantage' with what they have always forcibly denied themselves. Perhaps out of a matter of social respectability, or out of a misunderstood sense of God; either way, artificially.

They think of 'enjoying life' in the same way as pagans! Work is indeed ... 'endured' [v.12: note the verb!].

Their unspoken sentiments are equally ungodly... but the first of the class remain more adept than others at exploiting the screen of long-certified membership to mask themselves behind the zeal of renunciations, works, sweats, procedures, prescriptions, performances, and better performances.

Well, God has no wage labourers: only children; no underlings. 

None of us are negligible for 'inefficiency' - based on the old idea of proven belonging: the inhuman pace, the production volumes, the effort, the performance... the extra overtime...

That of patterns is a blocking effect; linked to meaningless comparisons, stressful, rushed (and overworked) life - all under external influence.

Not in deep synchrony with oneself [vv.6-7: ""Why do you stand here all day idle?" They say to him, "Because no one has taken us for a day. He says to them, 'You also go into the Vineyard'"].

The Father is only interested in personal Happiness and the Joy of Love: the only tasty Fruit; not the heap of external works, not the great volume of the many and many 'fruits' - often unfortunately inedible.

It is the outcome of the new, inverted world.

We are all equally protagonists and leaders, even if to some 'internal' regulars our contribution appears fragmentary, inefficient - and assesses us as not very 'involved' (perhaps in 'customs'); not at all 'regular' - with a grim and presumptuous eye.

The recent experience of smart working during the health crisis has brought out the specific weight of the 'late-comers': people who are less tied to production, less extroverted and less able to lead, but perhaps more thoughtful and profound, more respectful of the preciousness of their own work; less outward-looking or exhibitionist, more collaborative.

The unfavourable has become favourable!

The Gospel of Mt originated from Syro-Palestinian communities, which were beginning to experience pagans and sinners flocking in large numbers and becoming a numerical majority.

All this, to the great scandal of both Pharisaic and Judeo-Christian circles - who were now showing themselves to be opponents of the newcomers.

In short, the veterans were beginning to behave as if they were returning 'Pharisees', bound to the works of the law and the old ethnic-cultural baggage.

This is how the Master treats them - because they stubbornly refused to listen to the tide of people once far away, who were now bringing new things. And [they, without much practice of pious works] opened up to the veterans a path of Exodus, of Liberation from the convictions of the fathers.

The attitude of the outsiders and "intermarriers" who presented themselves at the fraternities' doors was much freer and fiercer than that of the community elders, Judaizers.

Their unencumbered mentality began to provoke jealousy among those who - almost out of religious duty - were used to scrutinising the lives of others with suspicion.

After all, that of the beginners and 'half-breeds' who wanted to begin a journey of love was but a reflection of the superabundant fluidity of the divine Gifts.

'Free' communicated without mistrust or exclusion: not on the basis of previous merits, but freely and by virtue of need alone.

We can experience live today the identical dynamics of confrontation, between new blood relatives on the basis of Faith and the customary ones [more concerned with their fixed places and 'laboriously' won positions of supremacy].

But thanks to the Word (v.15b) we now recognise the latter: by their judgement and manners. Nor do they ever want to let go of a finished past, or their 'new' sophisticated world of fashionable brain hypotheses.When the 'good' God unmasks them, exposing their prejudice, they remain with the slanted, evil eye of false paternalism.

But it is a malicious gaze only for intimidation purposes - for envy and 'lese majesty', not to educate us.

Thus they delude themselves not to be understood and continue to sterilise or pilot, ridiculing Love [also to get us out of the way - to avoid the danger of being overshadowed] by ineptitude, and by the very normal unfolding of life.

Therefore, today's passage remains, after so many centuries, a powerful reminder.

The importance of the work induces the Master not to send his factor (!) whom he unfortunately knows he cannot fully trust.

He himself repeatedly goes out and does not want dirigiste interference in calling the workers personally.

He is the only one who understands: it is never too late!

The teaching is precisely for community leaders, who often do not take on the burden of constantly searching for everyone from home, and adapting themselves to people and events.

Instead, the Father wants a Family (Vineyard) that presents the world with the sweet, sugary fruit of the Feast - the only truly important, non-negotiable principle.

Thus, to the ever morbid top of the class, the Lord continues to do a very educational 'spite'.

Already in life, they must discover that He does not discriminate on the basis of external profitable percentages, or others' negative mental states.

He "pays" everyone without reservation and with a single "currency": His Person. No autopilot is enabled to disturb our breathing.

The soul counts, not the CV or performance.

To internalise and live the message:

In what do you find God's Will incomprehensible, or rather the commercial, gloomy and square mentality (covered with duties, sadness, fatigue and pain) of his investigators?

Dear Brothers and Sisters, 

You may remember that when I addressed the crowd in St Peter's Square on the day of my election it came naturally to me to introduce myself as a labourer in the vineyard of the Lord. Well, in today's Gospel (cf. Mt 20: 1-16), Jesus recounted the very same parable of the owner of the vineyard who at different hours of the day hires labourers to work in it. And in the evening he gives them all the same wages, one denarius, provoking protests from those who began work early. That denarius clearly represents eternal life, a gift that God reserves for all. Indeed those who are considered the "last", if they accept, become the "first", whereas the "first" can risk becoming the "last". The first message of this parable is inherent in the very fact that the landowner does not tolerate, as it were, unemployment: he wants everyone to be employed in his vineyard. Actually, being called is already the first reward: to be able to work in the Lord's vineyard, to put oneself at his service, to collaborate in his work, is in itself a priceless recompense that repays every effort. Yet only those who love the Lord and his Kingdom understand this: those who instead work only for the pay will never realize the value of this inestimable treasure. 

[…] I like to emphasize that Matthew lived this experience in the first person (cf. Mt 9: 9). Indeed, before Jesus called him he worked as a tax collector and was therefore seen as a public sinner, excluded from "the Lord's vineyard". But everything changed when Jesus passed by his table, looked at him and said to him: "Follow me". Matthew rose and followed him. From a publican he immediately became a disciple of Christ. From being "last" he found himself "first", thanks to God's logic, which - for our good fortune! - is different from the logic of the world. "My thoughts are not your thoughts", the Lord says, speaking through the mouth of Isaiah, "neither are your ways my ways" (Is 55: 8). St Paul, for whom we are celebrating a special Jubilee Year, also experienced the joy of feeling called by the Lord to work in his vineyard. And what a lot of work he accomplished! Yet, as he himself confessed, it was God's grace which worked in him, that grace which from persecutor of the Church transformed him into an Apostle to the Gentiles, to the point of saying: "For to me to live is Christ, and to die is gain" However he immediately added: "If it is to be life in the flesh, that means fruitful labour for me. Yet which I shall choose I cannot tell" (Phil 1: 21-22). Paul clearly understood that working for the Lord is already a reward on this earth. 

The Virgin Mary […] is the perfect branch of the Lord's vine. In her germinated the blessed fruit of divine love: Jesus, our Saviour. May she help us to respond constantly and joyously to the Lord's call and to find our happiness in toiling for the Kingdom of Heaven.

[Pope Benedict, Angelus, 21 September 2008]

6. Another parable helps us to understand that it is never too late to join the Church. God’s invitation can be extended to a person right up until the very last moment of their life. It is the well-known parable of the labourers in the vineyard: “The kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out at daybreak to hire labourers for his vineyard” (Mt 20:1). He then went out several more times at various hours of the day, right up to the last hour. And all were given a wage in which, going beyond the bounds of strict justice, the landowner wished to show all his generous love.
In this regard, one is reminded of the moving episode, recounted by the evangelist Luke, concerning the ‘good thief’ crucified alongside Jesus on Golgotha. To him, the invitation appeared as a merciful act on God’s part, as he said, almost with his last breath: ‘Jesus, remember me when you come into your kingdom’. He heard from the lips of the Redeemer-Bridegroom, condemned to death on the cross: ‘Truly, I say to you, today you will be with me in paradise’ (Lk 23:42–43).
[Pope John Paul II, General Audience, 18 September 1991]

In today’s Gospel reading (cf Mt 20:1-16) there is the parable of the day labourers in the vineyard, which Jesus recounts in order to explain two aspects of the Kingdom of God: the first is that God wants to call everyone to work for his Kingdom; the second is that, in the end, he wants to give everyone the same reward, that is, salvation, eternal life.

The owner of the vineyard who represents God, goes out at dawn and hires a group of workers, agreeing with them on the day’s wages. It was a fair wage. Then he goes out again [several times] later in the day — he goes out five times on that day — until the late afternoon to hire other unemployed labourers whom he sees. At the end of the day, the landowner orders that a denarius be paid to everyone, even to those who had only worked for a few hours. Naturally, the labourers who were hired first complain because they see that they are paid as much as those who worked for fewer hours. The landowner however, reminds them about what had been agreed; if he then wants to be generous with the others, they should not be envious.

In reality, this “injustice” of the owner serves to provoke in those listening to the parable a qualitative leap because here Jesus does not want to speak about the issue of work or of a fair wage, but about the Kingdom of God! And this is the message: there are no unemployed people in the Kingdom of God. Everyone is called to do their part; and there will be a reward from divine justice for everyone in the end — not from human [justice], luckily! —, but the salvation that Jesus Christ acquired for us with his death and Resurrection, a salvation which is not deserved, but donated — salvation is free — thus, “the last will be the first and the first last” (Mt 20:16).

With this parable, Jesus wants to open our hearts to the logic of the Father’s love which is free and generous. It is about allowing oneself to be astonished and fascinated by the “thoughts” and the “ways” of God which, as the Prophet Isaiah recalls, are not our thoughts and not our ways (cf Is 55:8). Human thoughts are often marked by selfishness and personal advantages, and our narrow and contorted paths are not comparable to the wide and straight streets of the Lord. He uses mercy — do not forget this: He uses mercy —, he forgives broadly, is filled with generosity and kindness which he pours forth on each of us. He opens for everyone the boundless territory of his love and his grace, which alone can give the human heart the fullness of joy.

Jesus wants to make us contemplate the gaze of that landowner: the gaze with which he looks upon each of the labourers searching for work and calls them to go to his vineyard. It is a gaze which is filled with attention, kindness. It is a gaze which calls, invites one to get up and begin a journey because he wants life for each of us; he wants a full, committed life, safe from emptiness and inertia. God excludes no one and wants each of us to achieve his or her fullness. This is the love of our God, of our God who is Father.

May Mary Most Holy help us welcome into our lives the logic of love which frees us from the presumption of deserving God’s reward and from the critical judgement of others.

[Pope Francis, Angelus, 24 September 2017]

In the difference between common religiosity and Faith

(Lk 8:4-15)

The parables compare the lived reality and the world of the Spirit:

«And another part fell on the earth the beautiful one, and sprouted it bore fruit a hundredfold» (v.8).

Palestine’ stony terrain and scorching climate did not make it easy for the workers who lived on agriculture.

The lack of rain and the intrusion into the fields of those who wanted to shorten the path, destroyed the plants.

Tiring action and few tangible results.

Despite the enormous difficulties, every year the peasant threw grains with a wide hand, generously - and ploughed, animated by confidence in the inner life force of the seed and in the bounty of nature.

Ploughing was after sowing, to avoid that the soils turned over dried immediately under the powerful heat, and did not allow the grains to take root thanks to a minimum of moisture.

So the sower did not select the different types of ground prematurely.

The Seed already works: the new ‘Kingdom that Comes’ is not glorious, but here and there it takes root and produces - even where you do not expect.

According to the ancient religious mentality it seems a madness, but the divine Farmer does not choose the type of "land", nor discriminates on the basis of the percentage of production - although it would seem easy to predict.

The Sower even accepts that his ‘grain’ fallen on the ground «beautiful», fruits in differently: one hundred, sixty, thirty for one [Mt 13:8.23; Mk 4:8.20; the text of Lk does not speak of percentages].

The term «beautiful» (in the Eastern sense) means the full and fruitful land [the soul and work of the most intimate, even anonymous ones].

The Lord means that a wise commitment to evangelization cannot be measured with fussiness.

His Word remains as a Beginning thrown into the human heart by the One who is neither stingy nor exclusive - but magnanimous.

In this way, the Church, his new People, is a small alternative world to both the Empire and selective religions.

The new Rabbi did not intend to carve out better disciples than others - isolated from the reality of the human family.

He was proposing a new lifestyle, cohabiting.

In short, God does not force the growth of the ‘seed’ in each of us, in an abstract way; He waits patiently.

Even accepts that it is born badly or that it does not arise at all. He knows where to go.

Since overflowingly spreads on all kinds of hearts (even on asphalt), He foresees already that will be accused of being unwise.

But He does not worry about the quantity, nor about the immediate outward fruits of His ‘grain’.

He does not care that the work is "effective in departure"!

Such is the amiable, humanizing and divine (parental) Tolerance that saves. Loveableness that does not kidnap us every moment, to plan.

Rather, all this is to make us understand that He is not a calculating and miserly God, external, tight and biased; but a munificent and conciliatory Father.

Lord of the Kingdom who does not wait first for our little ‘perfections’.

The metaphor that follows the initial parable is intended to emphasize that any lack of result is not to be attributed to the lack of vitality of the Seed, nor to the divine Work, but to man’s freedom; to his condition of limit or incoherence.

Unfortunately, from the earliest generations of believers, the positive Call of Jesus has been reinterpreted somewhat backwards: with moralistic and individualistic overtones (vv.11-15) that have undermined its genuineness.

In this way, the initial proposal of personal Faith became contaminated with the customary purist and fall-back [guilt-ridden] outlook typical of the surrounding philosophies and religions, as well as common thought.

Certain configurations of ecclesial order subsequently normalized the same exceptional power of the Message; so unprecedented. In particular, the new sense of adequacy, confidence and self-esteem that the Son of God intended to communicate to His friends, and to the world of the least.

[Saturday 24th wk. in O.T.  September 19, 2026]

The difference between common religiosity and personal Faith

(Lk 8:4-15)

The stony soil and scorching climate of Palestine did not make life easy for farmers. The scarcity of rain and the intrusion into the fields of those who wanted to shorten their journey destroyed the plants. It was hard work with few tangible results.

Despite the enormous difficulties, every year the farmer sowed his seed generously and ploughed, animated by his faith in the seed's inner vitality and in the munificence of nature.

Ploughing followed sowing, to prevent the turned soil from drying out immediately under the intense heat and preventing the seed from taking root thanks to a minimum of moisture. Therefore, the sower did not select the different types of soil in advance.

The parable (vv. 5-8) that precedes the allegory (vv. 11-15) compares lived reality with the world of the Spirit. The seed is already at work: the new 'Kingdom to Come' is not glorious, but here and there it takes root and produces - even where you least expect it.

According to conventional thinking, this seems crazy, but the divine 'farmer' does not choose the type of 'soil', nor does he discriminate on the basis of its productive potential - which would seem easy to predict.

The Sower even accepts that his 'grain' fallen on 'good' soil (v. 8) will bear fruit in time 'with perseverance' (v. 15). Unlike Mark and Matthew, Luke speaks only of 'fruit a hundredfold' (v. 8).

Jesus means that the work of evangelisation cannot be measured with pedantry. His Word remains as a Seed sown in the human heart by the One who is neither stingy nor exclusive - but magnanimous.

His Church is a small world alternative to both the Empire and immediately selective religions: the Lord has no intention of carving out disciples who are immediately better than others and isolated from the reality of the human family. A new way of life.

God does not force the growth of the 'seed' in each of us, but waits patiently. He also accepts that it may grow badly or not sprout at all.

Since he scatters abundantly on all kinds of hearts [even on the asphalt], he knows that he will be accused of being unwise: he is not concerned with the immediate external fruits (!) of his 'seed' - he does not care whether the work is 'effective from the outset' (!).

But he is interested in making us understand that he is a Father, not the calculating God of ancient beliefs: miserly, superficial, stingy, aloof, prejudiced.

The metaphor that follows the initial parable emphasises that any lack of results is not attributable to the seed's lack of vitality, nor to God's work, but to human freedom; to our limited or inconsistent nature.

God is generous, especially in the age of rebirth from crisis: it is also a time of generous sowing by the Father, the 'farmer' of his seedlings - more adventurous and less respectable than traditionalists.

Obviously, the Word of the Master and Lord warns against anything that could prevent a new genesis - above all because we often wait to mechanically return to old roles and the old system of things, which is habitual, external and dirigiste.

Are we perhaps still too attached to previous desires and economic levels that have now been overwhelmed by events... not accepting the emergence of opposites that we had never experienced or planned for?

We still think we can return to 'everything as it was before'; to the superficiality of a society based on appearances, not rooted in conviction, immediately enthusiastic and unable to look beyond.

Instead, the changing tide is coming so that we can learn to look within, elsewhere and beyond - to focus on our own and others' unique figures, in the conviviality of differences.

It is likely that the knowledge or lifestyle we would like to reaffirm is still linked to old models that are welcome but now inadequate to provide new answers to new questions. And perhaps all this has led us to imitate too much the disqualified having-appearing, instead of the precious being at the centre of our Calling by Name.

It is not impossible that we have allowed ourselves to become accustomed to decision-making nomenclatures or to hastiness due to performance anxiety, which do not take into account the beautiful terrain of character and vocational gift [which would lead to better contact with the unfulfilled energies of our true inclination - nestled among inconsistencies].

Here we are, caught up in concerns about restoring 'business as usual' or 'how we should be'... Despite the fact that the current traumas are clear signs to broaden our awareness, which has been stifled until now (as if by brambles). These contemporary appeals are eloquent calls to launch every side towards the Exodus, to conquer renewed freedoms and territories of the soul, in essence.

All the influence of an empty and formal spirituality that we carry with us still inhibits a good perception of today, and unnerves us, taking away our inner strength. It does not allow us to follow our own impulse in harmony with the inner world - or the same tendencies in listening to the incessant Call of the Gospels, which is still disseminated by non-conformist prophets, to announce the truth and the creation of a new world.

Well, something - or our whole life - could end up confused; more than ever, we may not be going in the right and clear direction: we may not be making ourselves special as the Sower would like - precisely because of the clichés or emotional voids that steal the Seed, or suffocate the plant, or because of the usual presumption that wants to rise to the top immediately and thus prevents us from putting down deep roots.

We will then have to put aside our mental turmoil and unilateral volitional turmoil; leave space and give in to the new current of quality that is carrying us. And surrender to the proposals of the tide of grains that come to guide us beyond the old disputes: to the natural, original energy of Providence, which knows more than we do.

To the Wind of the Spirit that unfolds beyond the 'grains' - where you least expect it - it does not even matter how immediate the results are - but our 'good' harmony (v.8) - which helps to bring us up to speed with the reality of far-sighted combinations. They will reorder everything in a different way: beyond habitual mental systems - and every result will be more prudent, in favour of the peripheries.

Without too much disposition and calculation in the choice of terrain - once pretentiously removed and sanitised upstream - we will realise that the Sower will finally have crumbled many worldly pedestals, not to humiliate anyone, but to give surprises of astonishing fruitfulness, even for the growth of every creed [all denominations].

His is always and everywhere a generous and uniquely creative Action, put in place to regenerate and empower convictions - not to make us repeat the usual actions or liturgies from the manual [or more glamorous ones]. Then resume playing with the performance or narrow confines of approved patterns.

If we want to synchronise ourselves with the movement of the Sower, we must move with Him and like Him towards the poverty of the various soils [existential situations].

A special narrowness - even more acute in times of global emergency - that forces us to 'move', to become itinerant, to scatter everywhere... and not just to reap a hundredfold (vv. 8.15) in the usual protected centre.

Parables and the mystery of blindness: Narration and transmutation

Getting lost, for transformation

(Lk 8:9-10, 18; cf. Mt 13:10-17; Mk 4:10-12, 25)

St Paul expresses the meaning of the 'mystery of blindness' that contrasts with his journey with the famous expression 'thorn in the side': wherever he went, enemies were already waiting for him, as well as unexpected disagreements.

So it is for us too: disastrous events, catastrophes, emergencies, the disintegration of old reassuring certainties - all external and murky; until recently considered permanent.

Perhaps in the course of our existence, we have already realised that misunderstandings have been the best ways to reactivate ourselves and introduce the energies of renewed Life.

These are resources or situations that we might never have imagined would be allies in our own and others' fulfilment.

Erich Fromm says:

'To live means to be born at every moment. Death occurs when we cease to be born. Birth is therefore not an act; it is an uninterrupted process. The purpose of life is to be born fully, but the tragedy is that most of us die before we are truly born'.

Indeed, in a climate of unrest or absurd differences [that force us to regenerate], the most neglected inner virtues sometimes come to the fore.

New energies - seeking space - and external powers. Both malleable; unusual, unimaginable, unorthodox.

But they find solutions, the real way out of our problems; the path to a future that is not simply a reorganisation of the previous situation, or of how we imagined 'things should have been and done'.

Once a cycle is over, we start a new phase; perhaps with greater righteousness and frankness - brighter and more natural, humanising, closer to the 'divine'.

Authentic and engaging contact with our deepest states of being is generated acutely by detachments.

They lead us to a dynamic dialogue with the eternal reserves of transmuting forces that inhabit us and belong to us.

A primordial experience that goes straight to the heart.

Within us, this path 'fishes' for the creative, fluctuating, unprecedented option.

In this way, the Lord transmits and opens his proposal using 'images'.

An arrow of Mystery that goes beyond the fragments of consciousness, culture, procedures, and what is common.

For a knowledge of oneself and of the world that goes beyond that of history and current events; for the active awareness of other contents.Until the turmoil and chaos itself guides the soul and compels it to a new beginning, to a different perspective (completely shifted), to a new understanding of ourselves and the world.

Well, the transformation of the universe cannot be the result of cerebral or dirigiste teaching; rather, it is the result of a narrative exploration - one that does not distance people from themselves.

And Jesus knows this.

New interpretation of the different Soils

Evolution of the Covenant in times of crisis: the same flaws, different harmonisations

(Mt 13:18-23)

God is generous, especially in the age of rebirth from crisis: it is also a time of generous sowing on the part of the Father.

He remains the Farmer of his seedlings - more adventurous and less respectable than traditionalists or fashionable people.

Obviously, the Word of the Master and Lord warns against anything that could prevent a new Genesis - above all because we often wait to mechanically return to old roles and the old system of things; to the habitual, external, dirigiste model.

Are we perhaps still too attached to desires and previous economic levels (v. 22) now overwhelmed by things... not accepting the emergence of opposites that we had never experienced or planned for (v. 19)?

We still think we can return to 'everything as before'; to the superficiality of a society based on appearances rather than convictions; to an immediately enthusiastic exterior (vv. 20-21) that does not shift our gaze.

Instead, the different tide comes so that we learn to fix our gaze within, elsewhere, and beyond - to focus on our own and others' 'unique figure' in the conviviality of differences.

It is likely that the knowledge or lifestyle we would like to reaffirm is still linked to standards, whether welcome, old-fashioned or à la page - now inadequate to provide new answers to new questions.

And perhaps all this has led us too much to follow and imitate the disqualified 'having-appearing', instead of being, and that precious character at the centre of our Calling by Name.

It is not impossible that we have allowed ourselves to become accustomed to decision-making nomenclatures or to rushing due to performance anxiety.

These do not take into account the 'beautiful terrain' of uniqueness, of the unprecedented gift of vocation [which would lead to better contact with the unfulfilled energies of our genuine inclination - nestled among inconsistencies].

Instead, we are all preoccupied with concerns about restoring things 'as they were' or 'as they should be'...

This is despite the fact that the current traumas are explicit signals to broaden the awareness that has been stifled until now (as if by 'brambles': v.22).

Eloquent appeals - even contemporary ones - to launch every side towards the Exodus, for the conquest of renewed freedoms; territories of the soul, though hidden, at the core of our essence.

All the influence of an empty and formal spirituality that we carry with us still inhibits a good perception of today, and unnerves us, taking away our inner strength.

It does not allow us to follow our own impulse in harmony with the inner world - or the same tendencies in listening to the incessant Call of the Gospels [which is still disseminated by non-approved prophets, to proclaim the truth and the creation of an alternative world].

Well, something or our whole life could be confused; more than ever, we are not going in the right and clear direction: we are not making ourselves special as the Sower would like - precisely because of the stereotypes or emotional voids that steal the Seed, or suffocate the plant, or because of the usual presumption that wants to return to towering immediately and thus prevents us from putting down deep 'roots'.

We will then have to put aside our mental turmoil and unilateral volitional turmoil; make room and give in to the new current of quality that is carrying us.

And surrender to the proposals of the tide of 'grains that come' to guide us beyond the old disputes: to the natural, original energy of Providence, which knows more than we do.

To the Wind of the Spirit that unfolds beyond, the grains - where you least expect them - it does not matter what percentage is productive (v.23b) but our 'beautiful' harmony (v.23a Greek text) that helps to bring us back to the reality of far-sighted mixtures.

They will reorder everything in a different way: beyond habitual mental systems - and every result will be more prudent, in favour of the Peripheries.

Without too much disposition and calculation in the choice of terrain [once pretentiously removed and sanitised upstream], we will realise that the Sower will have finally crumbled many worldly pedestals; not to humiliate anyone, but to give surprises of astonishing fertility, even for the growth of every creed (all denominations).

His is always and everywhere a generous and exceptionally creative Action, put in place to regenerate and empower convictions.

Not to make us repeat the usual actions or clichés from the manual [and start playing with performance again, or with the narrow confines of widely approved patterns].If we want to synchronise ourselves with the movement of the Sower, we must move with Him and like Him towards the poverty of the various soils (existential situations).

A special narrowness - even more acute in times of global emergency - that forces us to 'move', to become itinerant, to scatter everywhere.

And not just to gather the 'hundred' (v. 23) in the usual protected 'centre'.

The Lord scatters the seed of the word of God freely and with abundance but knowing that it may fall on poor soil, which will not allow a seed to mature because of dryness, or that its vital force may be extinguished, choked by thorn bushes. Yet the sower does not lose heart, for he knows that part of this seed is destined to find "good soil", namely, ardent hearts capable of receiving the word with willingness to help it mature through perseverance and yield fruit generously for the benefit of many. 

The image of the soil can evoke the reality of the family, on the whole good; the sometimes arid and harsh environment of work; the days of suffering and tears. The earth is above all the heart of every person, especially of youth, to whom you address your service of listening and guidance: a heart that is often confused and disoriented, yet capable of containing unimaginable powers of generosity. It is like a bud ready to open to a life spent for the love of Jesus, able to follow him with the totality and the certainty that comes from having found the greatest treasure that exists. It is always and only the Lord who sows in human hearts. Only after the abundant and generous sowing of the word of God can one progress further along the paths of companionship and education, of formation and discernment. All this is linked to that tiny seed, the mysterious gift of divine Providence which releases from within an extraordinary force. In fact, it is the Word of God who brings about in himself what he says and desires.

[Pope Benedict, to participants at the European conference on vocational pastoral care, 4 July 2009]