Daily Readings - Mon Jun 05 2017

First Reading - Tobit 1.1ad, 2a, 3, 17; 2.1-8

¹Tobit was from the tribe and city of Naphtali (which is in the upper parts of Galilee above Asher, after the way, which leads to the west, that has on its left the city of Sephet)²Although he had been taken captive in the days of Shalmaneser, the king of the Assyrians, even in such a situation as captivity, he did not desert the way of truth³So then, every day, all that he was able to obtain, he bestowed on his fellow captive brothers, who were from his kindred¹⁷And when, in the midst of the great tumult of his kindred, he saw the destitution of Gabael, who was from his tribe, he loaned him, under a written agreement, the aforementioned weight of silver

Chapter 2

¹In truth, after this, when there was a feast day of the Lord, and a good dinner had been prepared in the house of Tobit²he said to his son: "Go, and bring some others who fear God from our tribe to feast with us.³And after he had gone, returning, he reported to him that one of the sons of Israel, with his throat cut, was lying in the street. And immediately, he leapt from his place reclining at table, left behind his dinner, and went forth with fasting to the body⁴And taking it up, he carried it in secret to his house, so that, after the sun had set, he might bury him cautiously⁵And after he had hidden the body, he chewed his bread with mourning and fear⁶remembering the word that the Lord spoke through the prophet Amos: "Your feast days shall be turned into lamentation and mourning.⁷Truly, when the sun had set, he went out, and he buried him⁸Yet all his neighbors argued with him, saying: "Now, an order was given to execute you because of this matter, and you barely escaped a death sentence, and again you are burying the dead?

Gospel - Mark 12.1-12

Mark

Chapter 12

¹And he began to speak to them in parables: "A man dug a vineyard, and surrounded it with a hedge, and dug a pit, and built a tower, and he loaned it out to farmers, and he set out on a long journey²And in time, he sent a servant to the farmers, in order to receive some of the fruit of the vineyard from the farmers³But they, having apprehended him, beat him and sent him away empty⁴And again, he sent another servant to them. And they wounded him on the head, and they treated him with contempt⁵And again, he sent another, and him they killed, and many others: some they beat, but others they killed⁶Therefore, having still one son, most dear to him, he sent him also to them, at the very end, saying, ‘For they will reverence my son.⁷But the settlers said one to another: ‘This is the heir. Come, let us kill him. And then the inheritance will be ours.⁸And apprehending him, they killed him. And they cast him out of the vineyard⁹Therefore, what will the lord of the vineyard do?" "He will come and destroy the settlers. And he will give the vineyard to others.¹⁰"And so, have you not read this scripture?: ‘The stone which the builders have rejected, the same has been made the head of the corner¹¹By the Lord has this been done, and it is wondrous in our eyes.’ ¹²And they sought to take hold of him, but they feared the crowd. For they knew that he had spoken this parable about them. And leaving him behind, they went away

Sermon

The readings today invite us to reflect on faith, perseverance, and the ultimate justice of God. In the first reading from Tobit, we encounter a man who, despite living in exile and hardship, remains steadfast in his commitment to God and His laws. Tobit’s actions—burying the dead, caring for his fellow exiles, and trusting in God’s providence—show us a life lived in faith and compassion, even in the face of suffering and criticism. His story reminds us that our faith is not just about belief but about how we live it out in concrete acts of love and mercy. The Gospel parable from Mark offers a stark contrast to Tobit’s fidelity. The vineyard owner, who represents God, entrusts his land to tenants who repeatedly reject and harm those he sends, including his own son. This parable is a powerful allegory for Israel’s history and humanity’s tendency to reject God’s messengers. Yet, even in the face of such rejection, the parable assures us that God’s justice will prevail. The “stone rejected by the builders” becomes the cornerstone, a reference to Jesus, who is rejected by some but exalted by God. This reminds us that God’s ways are not our ways, and His plan is always greater than our limited understanding. Together, these readings call us to live with unwavering faith and trust in God’s plan, even when the world around us seems to reject or oppose what is good. Like Tobit, we are called to act with compassion and integrity, even in difficult circumstances. And like the parable, we are reminded that our ultimate hope lies not in human approval but in God’s justice and mercy. Let us strive to be faithful stewards of the vineyard entrusted to us, trusting that God will bring His plan to fulfillment in His time.