If you missed last week’s Thursday post, you’ll likely to be confused as to why I’m presenting the text of Sunday’s Gospel in a kind of continuous script. Please read the intro to last week’s presentation of the Gospel, or this article.
As I’ve already noted, it’s impossible to simulate the original experience of early monastic lectio and continuous script, but we can try. Sound out the passage below (Sunday’s Gospel) and continue mumbling the words in a repetitive manner. Go slow. As something stands out, take time with it, savor it, continue repeating it and allow it to speak to you. Meditate and pray. Then, mumble on.
To prime the pump for this exercise, I again want to highlight a beautiful description of lectio from Fr. Francis Martin:
Sit down with the Bible, in reverence, quiet before God, and begin to read. After a while, if something strikes you, reflect on it. Simply and naturally begin to speak to God, allowing what you have read to console you or free you from some attachment; or perhaps have a few moments of quiet praise. It may be that God’s presence will be so perceptibly though intangibly obvious that you simply rest in unreflective silence. This awareness may not last very long before there is distraction; so resume reading again in simplicity and peace. This is a simple, organic activity, a way of prayer—not a production-oriented function, but a way of lifting all of you as a human being, mind, imagination, emotions, spirit, quietly to God.1
Now for Sunday’s Gospel. Have fun!
THEKINGDOMOFHEAVENISLIKETHEFATHEROFAFAMILYWHOWENTOUTINEARLYMORNINGTOLEADWORKERSINTOHISVINEYARDTHENHAVINGMADEANAGREEMENTWITHTHEWORKERSFORONEDENARIUSPERDAYHESENTTHEMINTOHISVINEYARDANDGOINGOUTABOUTTHETHIRDHOURHESAWOTHERSSTANDINGIDLEINTHEMARKETPLACEANDHESAIDTOTHEMYOUMAYGOINTOMYVINEYARDTOOANDWHATIWILLGIVEYOUWILLBEJUSTSOTHEYWENTFORTHBUTAGAINHEWENTOUTABOUTTHESIXTHANDABOUTTHENINTHHOURANDHEACTEDSIMILARLYYETTRULYABOUTTHEELEVENTHHOURHEWENTOUTANDFOUNDOTHERSSTANDINGANDHESAIDTOTHEMWHYHAVEYOUSTOODHEREIDLEALLDAYTHEYSAYTOHIMBECAUSENOONEHASHIREDUSHESAIDTOTHEMYOUALSOMAYGOINTOMYVINEYARDANDWHENEVENINGHADARRIVEDTHELORDOFTHEVINEYARDSAIDTOHISMANAGERCALLTHEWORKERSANDPAYTHEMTHEIRWAGESBEGINNINGFROMTHELASTEVENTOTHEFIRSTANDSOWHENTHOSEWHOHADARRIVEDABOUTTHEELEVENTHHOURCAMEFORWARDEACHRECEIVEDASINGLEDENARIUSTHENWHENTHEFIRSTONESALSOCAMEFORWARDTHEYCONSIDEREDTHATTHEYWOULDRECEIVEMOREBUTTHEYTOORECEIVEDONEDENARIUSANDUPONRECEIVINGITTHEYMURMUREDAGAINSTTHEFATHEROFTHEFAMILYSAYINGTHESELASTHAVEWORKEDFORONEHOURANDYOUHAVEMADETHEMEQUALTOUSWHOWORKEDBEARINGTHEWEIGHTANDHEATOFTHEDAYBUTRESPONDINGTOONEOFTHEMHESAIDFRIENDICAUSEDYOUNOINJURYDIDYOUNOTAGREEWITHMETOONEDENARIUSTAKEWHATISYOURSANDGOBUTITISMYWILLTOGIVETOTHISLASTJUSTASTOYOUANDISITNOTLAWFULFORMETODOWHATIWILLORISYOUREYEWICKEDBECAUSEIAMGOODSOTHENTHELASTSHALLBEFIRSTANDTHEFIRSTSHALLBELAST
This text comes from the Catholic Public Domain Version. You can find the official lectionary readings for the 25th Sunday in Ordinary Time here. You could also look up the passage in your own Bible. It is from Matthew 20:1–16a.
On Saturday, I’ll offer some of my own reflections on this passage, and hopefully others will share their own in the comments section.
Martin, “Prayerful Reading,” 14.
Aftèr slowly reading & muttering the gospel, the word COMPARE in caps was flashing like a neon sign in my mind. The workers were comparing..it wasn't fair..those who worked all day did receive the wage promised. However it was unfair that those who worked less also received the same wage. Comparing seems to be second nature. Children & adults alike...a sibling has more toys, gets to stay up later, ...someone else got the promotion, has more money. ..& on & on & on. Makes me think comparison may be the root of much unhappiness.
Thanks Brad! I love this idea of being forced to gnaw/chew on the Gospel by using the continuous script. Now it’s no longer an idea but a reality.