Reading 1
Ezekiel 34:1-11
The word of the Lord came to me:
Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel,
in these words prophesy to them to the shepherds:
Thus says the Lord GOD: Woe to the shepherds of Israel
who have been pasturing themselves!
Should not shepherds, rather, pasture sheep?
You have fed off their milk, worn their wool,
and slaughtered the fatlings,
but the sheep you have not pastured.
You did not strengthen the weak nor heal the sick
nor bind up the injured.
You did not bring back the strayed nor seek the lost,
but you lorded it over them harshly and brutally.
So they were scattered for the lack of a shepherd,
and became food for all the wild beasts.
My sheep were scattered
and wandered over all the mountains and high hills;
my sheep were scattered over the whole earth,
with no one to look after them or to search for them.
Therefore, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
As I live, says the Lord GOD,
because my sheep have been given over to pillage,
and because my sheep have become food for every wild beast,
for lack of a shepherd;
because my shepherds did not look after my sheep,
but pastured themselves and did not pasture my sheep;
because of this, shepherds, hear the word of the LORD:
Thus says the Lord GOD:
I swear I am coming against these shepherds.
I will claim my sheep from them
and put a stop to their shepherding my sheep
so that they may no longer pasture themselves.
I will save my sheep,
that they may no longer be food for their mouths.
For thus says the Lord GOD:
I myself will look after and tend my sheep.
Responsorial Psalm
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (1) The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
Beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
He guides me in right paths
for his name’s sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
With your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
You anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Only goodness and kindness will follow me
all the days of my life;
And I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. The Lord is my shepherd; there is nothing I shall want.
Alleluia
Hebrews 4:12
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
The word of God is living and effective,
able to discern the reflections and thoughts of the heart.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel
Matthew 20:1-16
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,
he 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,
he 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. »
Meditation
Brothers and sisters in the Lord Jesus Christ,
Let us give thanks to God for His infinite goodness and His boundless love, manifested through His Only Son, our Saviour.
Through the prophet Ezekiel, the Lord addresses a particularly stern message to the shepherds of Israel. Those who had been entrusted with the mission of leading, protecting, feeding, and caring for the flock had abandoned their responsibility. Instead of caring for the sheep, they exploited them. But God does not remain indifferent. He sees the suffering of His sheep. He sees those who are weak, wounded, sick, lost, scattered, abandoned, and exploited. He sees those whom no one defends and those whom no one cares for. And in the face of the unfaithfulness of these bad shepherds, God makes an extraordinary promise: “I myself will take care of my sheep.”
When we hear the word “shepherds,” we immediately think of political leaders, religious leaders, or anyone who exercises authority. But the Word of God also invites us to look at our own lives. For each of us is, in one way or another, a shepherd to someone. Our society suffers deeply when those who are supposed to protect become those who exploit. The Church itself can give a poor witness when ministers of the Lord forget their vocation, seek their own personal interests, or use their authority to dominate, manipulate, or harm others.
Families suffer when parents, instead of protecting their children, abandon, exploit, abuse, or use them as instruments for their own interests. Society suffers when those who govern stop serving the common good and instead serve themselves, accumulate privileges, and live in luxury at the expense of the people. In the face of all this, God reassures us that He never ceases to care for us. When people abandon their mission, God does not abandon us. When those in authority disappoint us, God remains faithful. When people stop caring for their brothers and sisters, God continues to seek His children.
Even when we have been hurt by false shepherds, even when we have been disappointed by those who should have protected us, the Lord continues to seek us. He also continues to call those who have strayed away to return to the path of service and to work in His vineyard. It is never too late to repent, to abandon an attitude of domination, and to rediscover an attitude of service. Let us therefore take a moment of silence and honestly ask ourselves: What kind of shepherd am I to the people God has placed around me? Do I know how to care for and help others, or am I sometimes the one who hurts them?
Let Us Pray
Lord our God, You are the true Shepherd of Your people. You know each one of Your sheep—their wounds, their weaknesses, and their moments of wandering—and You never cease to seek them. Forgive me for all the times when I have sought my own interests instead of serving others. Forgive me when I have been indifferent to the suffering of others. Lord, give me the heart of a good shepherd, so that I may care for Your sheep as You care for me. Give me gentleness in the exercise of my responsibilities. May no one be crushed by my words, abandoned because of my indifference, or wounded by my behaviour.
Amen.
Intercession
Let us pray for all those who have abandoned their responsibilities. May the fire of the Holy Spirit consume within them everything that is not of God. May the Lord touch their hearts, grant them the grace of conversion, give them the courage to acknowledge their faults, and the strength to repair the harm they have caused. Let us also pray for all victims of abuse, exploitation, injustice, and indifference. May the Lord heal their wounds, restore their hope, and place on their path true shepherds who are capable of welcoming, protecting, and lifting them up.
Virgin Mary, Mother of the Good Shepherd, intercede for them and for us.
Spiritual Exercise
Today, let us take a moment of silence and honestly examine our role in society and in our families. Then, let us think of someone who may be tired, lonely, sick, discouraged, or wounded. Think of one concrete action you can take or one attitude you can adopt in order to do exactly what God expects of you.
Bebissi Stéphanie
Community of the Disciples of the Living Christ
