Reading 1 Ez 18:25-28
Thus says the LORD:
You say, “The LORD’s way is not fair!”
Hear now, house of Israel:
Is it my way that is unfair, or rather, are not your ways unfair?
When someone virtuous turns away from virtue to commit iniquity, and dies,
it is because of the iniquity he committed that he must die.
But if he turns from the wickedness he has committed,
he does what is right and just,
he shall preserve his life;
since he has turned away from all the sins that he has committed,
he shall surely live, he shall not die.
Responsorial Psalm Ps 25:4-5, 8-9, 10, 14.
R. (6a) Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Your ways, O LORD, make known to me;
teach me your paths,
guide me in your truth and teach me,
for you are God my savior.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Remember that your compassion, O LORD,
and your love are from of old.
The sins of my youth and my frailties remember not;
in your kindness remember me,
because of your goodness, O LORD.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Good and upright is the LORD;
thus he shows sinners the way.
He guides the humble to justice,
and teaches the humble his way.
R. Remember your mercies, O Lord.
Reading 2 Phil 2:1-11
Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.
Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus,
Who, though he was in the form of God,
did not regard equality with God
something to be grasped.
Rather, he emptied himself,
taking the form of a slave,
coming in human likeness;
and found human in appearance,
he humbled himself,
becoming obedient to the point of death,
even death on a cross.
Because of this, God greatly exalted him
and bestowed on him the name
which is above every name,
that at the name of Jesus
every knee should bend,
of those in heaven and on earth and under the earth,
and every tongue confess that
Jesus Christ is Lord,
to the glory of God the Father.
or Phil 2:1-5
Brothers and sisters:
If there is any encouragement in Christ,
any solace in love,
any participation in the Spirit,
any compassion and mercy,
complete my joy by being of the same mind, with the same love,
united in heart, thinking one thing.
Do nothing out of selfishness or out of vainglory;
rather, humbly regard others as more important than yourselves,
each looking out not for his own interests,
but also for those of others.
Have in you the same attitude
that is also in Christ Jesus.
Gospel Mt 21:28-32
Jesus said to the chief priests and elders of the people:
“What is your opinion?
A man had two sons.
He came to the first and said,
‘Son, go out and work in the vineyard today.’
He said in reply, ‘I will not, ‘
but afterwards changed his mind and went.
The man came to the other son and gave the same order.
He said in reply, ‘Yes, sir, ‘but did not go.
Which of the two did his father’s will?”
They answered, “The first.”
Jesus said to them, “Amen, I say to you,
tax collectors and prostitutes
are entering the kingdom of God before you.
When John came to you in the way of righteousness,
you did not believe him;
but tax collectors and prostitutes did.
Yet even when you saw that,
you did not later change your minds and believe him.”
Catholic Fundamentalism Interpretation:
The Loving Programmer lets the human programs know that He, Who Programmed them, knows best. He makes it clear that His Operating Instructions are valid and best for them and mere human programs have no business questioning Him.
The Loving Programmer makes it clear: if someone disobeys His Operating Instructions, he will be erased.
But, if one turns from disobedience and obeys the Operating Instructions, he will not be erased since he has turned from error (and ignored the viruses trying to corrupt his system). He (and his soul forever) will remain in operation. He (and his soul) will not be erased.
R. Remember Your mercies, O Loving Programmer
Please, download Your Operating Instructions within me, show me how to follow them, teach me to obey them better, for You have programmed me and can have my program be with You forever in joy.
R. Remember your mercies, O Loving Programmer.
Remember that you have always loved us. Do not remember the times I disobeyed Your Operating Instructions, out of youth and weakness. In Your kindness, keep my program running because of how good You are.
R. Remember Your mercies, O Loving Programmer.
The Loving Programmer is good and upright. He shows those who have disobeyed His instructions the way to obey and be saved. He guides those who are humble (before Him) and teaches them how to be with Him forever.
R. Remember Your mercies, O Loving Programmer.
Fellow downloaders of God’s Operating System:
If Jesus Christ (The Creation Program Who took perfect, obedient, human form and came among us) provides encouragement, solace, and joins us with The Holy Wireless Connector (Who joins God and believers in Christ’s Holy Body), compassion, and mercy, please complete my joy by operating according to His instructions, being united in thought, love, feeling, and focus on one thing, obeying Him.
Don’t let yourselves do anything out of selfishness or vanity. Instead, think of others as more important than your own selves, each more concerned with others than with self.
Be like Jesus. He was God, but loved us so much that He did not regard that power as something He grasped.
Instead, He erased His Power, and took on the form of a slave. The Creation Program took human form and came among us, just like one of us human programs. He made Himself so powerless that He humbly accepted being painfully erased.
Because He was so obedient, The Loving Programmer greatly exalted Him, and gave Him the name (access code to regain equality with The Loving Programmer and Holy Wireless Connector) which is above every name, that at the name of Jesus, every knee (of those who would be admitted into His Kingdom?) would bend, of those in Heaven, on earth, and beneath the earth (freed when He descended into Hades), and every tongue confess that Jesus Christ is over all, to the glory of The Loving Programmer.
Download and duplicate everything you know of Jesus Christ as you operate your human program on earth.
Obey The Operating Instructions as humbly as did The Program, Who gave up His infinite power to come among us and save us from our willful disobedience.
Jesus Christ, (The Program, Who took perfect, obedient, human form and came among us.) said to the important religious and social leaders, “What do you think? The Loving Programmer has two types of programs written and downloaded in His Image.
He said to the first, “Today, my beloved human program, do the work I’ve assigned you.” That human program refused. Then, he changed his mind and went and did his assigned work.
The Loving Programmer went to the other type of human program, and told him to do the same thing.
He said, ‘Yes sir!’ But, he did not go and do his work.
Which of the two human programs did the will of He Who brought them into being?”
The leaders answered, “The First”.
The Program then downloaded this knowledge to them: “The truth is what I am telling you. The worst sinners, tax collectors and prostitutes, have given up their sins and begun to obey The Loving Programmer. As a result, they are being admitted into Programming HQ before you are. (Now listen carefully) When John the Baptists came to you in obedience to The Operating Instructions, (and you could tell that he was obeying them) you refused to download and operate with those instructions. But, those who had disobeyed the operating instructions were humble enough to make the new download from John and have their souls escape erasure.
You say that, and were too proud and arrogant to humbly accept The Loving Programmer’s Operating Instructions. (You better get with The Program!)
