A Reading from the Gospel of John 15:9–17: Love One Another

Jesus said to his disciples: “As the Father

loves me, so I also love you. Remain in my

love. If you keep my commandments, you

will remain in my love, just as I have kept

my Father’s commandments and remain

in his love. I have told you this so that my

joy may be in you and your joy might be

complete. This is my commandment: love

one another as I love you. No one has

greater love than this, to lay down one’s

life for one’s friends. You are my friends if

you do what I command you. I no longer

call you slaves, because a slave does not

know what his master is doing. I have

called you friends, because I have told you

everything I have heard from my Father.

It was not you who chose me, but I who

chose you and appointed you to go and

bear fruit that will remain, so that

whatever you ask the Father in my name

he may give you. This I command you:

love one another.”

On the first day of the week, Mary of Magdala came to the tomb early in the morning, while it was still dark, and saw the stone removed from the tomb. So she ran and went to Simon Peter and to the other disciple whom Jesus loved, and told them, “They have taken the Lord from the tomb, and we don’t know where they put him.” So Peter and the other disciple went out and came to the tomb. They both ran, but the other disciple ran faster than Peter and arrived at the tomb first; he bent down and saw the burial cloths there, but did not go in. When Simon Peter arrived after him, he went into the tomb and saw the burial cloths there, and the cloth that had covered his head, not with the burial cloths but rolled up in a separate place. Then the other disciple also went in, the one who had arrived at the tomb first, and he saw and believed. For they did not yet understand the Scripture that he had to rise from the dead.

Having said this, Jesus was deeply disturbed and declared, 'In all truth I tell you, one of you is going to betray me.' The disciples looked at each other, wondering whom he meant. The disciple Jesus loved was reclining next to Jesus; Simon Peter signed to him and said, 'Ask who it is he means,' so leaning back close to Jesus' chest he said, 'Who is it, Lord?' Jesus answered, 'It is the one to whom I give the piece of bread that I dip in the dish.' And when he had dipped the piece of bread he gave it to Judas son of Simon Iscariot. At that instant, after Judas had taken the bread, Satan entered him. Jesus then said, 'What you are going to do, do quickly.' None of the others at table understood why he said this. Since Judas had charge of the common fund, some of them thought Jesus was telling him, 'Buy what we need for the festival,' or telling him to give something to the poor. As soon as Judas had taken the piece of bread he went out. It was night. When he had gone, Jesus said: Now has the Son of man been glorified, and in him God has been glorified. If God has been glorified in him, God will in turn glorify him in himself, and will glorify him very soon. Little children, I shall be with you only a little longer. You will look for me, and, as I told the Jews, where I am going, you cannot come. Simon Peter said, 'Lord, where are you going?' Jesus replied, 'Now you cannot follow me where I am going, but later you shall follow me.' Peter said to him, 'Why can I not follow you now? I will lay down my life for you.' 'Lay down your life for me?' answered Jesus. 'In all truth I tell you, before the cock crows you will have disowned me three times.'

A Reading from the Gospel of John 12:20–33: The Coming of Jesus’ Hour

Some Greeks who had come to worship at the

Passover Feast came to Philip, who was from

Bethsaida in Galilee, and asked him, “Sir, we

would like to see Jesus.” Philip went and told

Andrew; then Andrew and Philip went and told

Jesus. Jesus answered them, “The hour has

come for the Son of Man to be glorified. Amen,

amen, I say to you, unless a grain of wheat falls

to the ground and dies, it remains just a grain

of wheat; but if it dies, it produces much fruit.

Whoever loves his life loses it, and whoever

hates his life in this world will preserve it for

eternal life. Whoever serves me must follow me,

and where I am, there also will my servant be.

The Father will honor whoever serves me.

“I am troubled now. Yet what should I say?

‘Father, save me from this hour’? But it was for

this purpose that I came to this hour. Father,

glorify your name.” Then a voice came from

heaven, “I have glorified it and will glorify it

again.” The crowd there heard it and said it was

thunder; but others said, “An angel has spoken

to him.” Jesus answered and said, “This voice

did not come for my sake but for yours. Now

is the time of judgment on this world; now

the ruler of this world will be driven out. And

when I am lifted up from the earth, I will draw

everyone to myself.” He said this indicating the

kind of death he would die.

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A Reading from the Gospel of John 3:14–21: The Good News of the Gospel

Jesus said to Nicodemus: “Just as Moses lifted

up the serpent in the desert, so must the Son of

Man be lifted up, so that everyone who believes

in him may have eternal life.” For God so loved

the world that he gave his only Son, so that

everyone who believes in him might not perish

but might have eternal life. For God did not send

his Son into the world to condemn the world,

but that the world might be saved through him.

Whoever believes in him will not be condemned,

but whoever does not believe has already been

condemned, because he has not believed in the

name of the only Son of God. And this is the

verdict, that the light came into the world, but

people preferred darkness to light, because

their works were evil. For everyone who does

wicked things hates the light and does not come

toward the light, so that his works might not be

exposed. But whoever lives the truth comes to

the light, so that his works may be clearly seen

as done in God.

A Reading from the Gospel of John 2:13–25: Cleansing of the Temple

Since the Passover of the Jews was near, Jesus

went up to Jerusalem. He found in the temple

area those who sold oxen, sheep, and doves,

as well as the money changers seated there.

He made a whip out of cords and drove them

all out of the temple area, with the sheep

and oxen, and spilled the coins of the money

changers and overturned their tables, and to

those who sold doves he said, “Take these out

of here, and stop making my Father’s house a

marketplace.” His disciples recalled the words

of Scripture, Zeal for your house will consume

me. At this the Jews answered and said to him,

“What sign can you show us for doing this?”

Jesus answered and said to them, “Destroy

this temple and in three days I will raise it up.”

The Jews said, “This temple has been under

construction for forty-six years, and you will

raise it up in three days?” But he was speaking

about the temple of his body. Therefore, when

he was raised from the dead, his disciples

remembered that he had said this, and they

came to believe the Scripture and the word

Jesus had spoken. While he was in Jerusalem

for the feast of Passover, many began to believe

in his name when they saw the signs he was

doing. But Jesus would not trust himself to

them because he knew them all, and did not

need anyone to testify about human nature. He

himself understood it well.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 9:2–10:

The Transfiguration of Jesus

Jesus took Peter, James, and John and led them up

a high mountain apart by themselves. And he was

transfigured before them, and his clothes became

dazzling white, such as no fuller on earth could bleach

them. Then Elijah appeared to them along with Moses,

and they were conversing with Jesus. Then Peter said

to Jesus in reply, “Rabbi, it is good that we are here! Let

us make three tents: one for you, one for Moses, and

one for Elijah.” He hardly knew what to say, they were

so terrified. Then a cloud came, casting a shadow over

them; from the cloud came a voice, “This is my beloved

Son. Listen to him.” Suddenly, looking around, they no

longer saw anyone but Jesus alone with them. As they

were coming down from the mountain, he charged

them not to relate what they had seen to anyone,

except when the Son of Man had risen from the dead.

So they kept the matter to themselves, questioning

what rising from the dead meant.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 1:12–15:

The Temptation of Jesus

At once the Spirit drove [Jesus] out into the

desert, and he remained in the desert for forty

days, tempted by Satan. He was among wild

beasts, and the angels ministered to him. After

John had been arrested, Jesus came to Galilee

proclaiming the gospel of God: “This is the time

of fulfillment. The kingdom of God is at hand.

Repent, and believe in the gospel.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 1:29–39: The Cure of Simon's Mother-in-Law

On leaving the synagogue Jesus entered

the house of Simon and Andrew with

James and John. Simon’s mother-in-law

lay sick with a fever. They immediately

told him about her. He approached,

grasped her hand, and helped her up.

Then the fever left her and she waited on

them. When it was evening, after sunset,

they brought to him all who were ill or

possessed by demons. The whole town

was gathered at the door. He cured many

who were sick with various diseases, and

he drove out many demons, not

permitting them to speak because they

knew him. Rising very early before dawn,

he left and went off to a deserted place,

where he prayed. Simon and those who

were with him pursued him and on

finding him said, “Everyone is looking for

you.” He told them, “Let us go on to the

nearby villages that I may preach there

also. For this purpose have I come.” So he

went into their synagogues, preaching

and driving out demons throughout the

whole of Galilee.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 1:21–28: The Cure of a Demoniac

Then they came to Capernaum, and on

the sabbath Jesus entered the synagogue

and taught. The people were astonished

at his teaching, for he taught them as one

having authority and not as the scribes. In

their synagogue was a man with an

unclean spirit; he cried out, “What have

you to do with us, Jesus of Nazareth?

Have you come to destroy us? I know who

you are—the Holy One of God!” Jesus

rebuked him and said, “Quiet! Come out

of him!” The unclean spirit convulsed him

and with a loud cry came out of him. All

were amazed and asked one another,

“What is this? Anew teaching with

authority. He commands even the

unclean spirits and they obey him.” His

fame spread everywhere throughout the

whole region of Galilee.

A Reading from the Gospel of Mark 1:14–20: The Beginning of the Galilean

Ministry

After John had been arrested, Jesus came

to Galilee proclaiming the gospel of God:

“This is the time of fulfillment. The

kingdom of God is at hand. Repent, and

believe in the gospel.” As he passed by the

Sea of Galilee, he saw Simon and his

brother Andrew casting their nets into

the sea; they were fishermen. Jesus said

to them, “Come after me, and I will make

you fishers of men.” Then they abandoned

their nets and followed him. He walked

along a little farther and saw James, the

son of Zebedee, and his brother John.

They too were in a boat mending their

nets. Then he called them. So they left

their father Zebedee in the boat along

with the hired men and followed him.

A Reading from the Gospel of John 1:35–42: The First Disciples

John was standing with two of his disciples,

and as he watched Jesus walk by, he said,

“Behold, the Lamb of God.” The two

disciples heard what he said and followed

Jesus. Jesus turned and saw them following

him and said to them, “What are you

looking for?” They said to him, “Rabbi” —

which translated means Teacher —, “where

are you staying?” He said to them, “Come,

and you will see.” So they went and saw

where Jesus was staying, and they stayed

with him that day. It was about four in the

afternoon. Andrew, the brother of Simon

Peter, was one of the two who heard John

and followed Jesus.

In the course of his preaching he said, 'After me is coming someone who is more powerful than me, and I am not fit to kneel down and undo the strap of his sandals. I have baptised you with water, but he will baptise you with the Holy Spirit.' It was at this time that Jesus came from Nazareth in Galilee and was baptised in the Jordan by John. And at once, as he was coming up out of the water, he saw the heavens torn apart and the Spirit, like a dove, descending on him. And a voice came from heaven, 'You are my Son, the Beloved; my favour rests on you.'

After Jesus had been born at Bethlehem in Judaea during the reign of King Herod, suddenly some wise men came to Jerusalem from the east asking, 'Where is the infant king of the Jews? We saw his star as it rose and have come to do him homage.' When King Herod heard this he was perturbed, and so was the whole of Jerusalem. He called together all the chief priests and the scribes of the people, and enquired of them where the Christ was to be born. They told him, 'At Bethlehem in Judaea, for this is what the prophet wrote: And you, Bethlehem, in the land of Judah, you are by no means the least among the leaders of Judah, for from you will come a leader who will shepherd my people Israel.' Then Herod summoned the wise men to see him privately. He asked them the exact date on which the star had appeared and sent them on to Bethlehem with the words, 'Go and find out all about the child, and when you have found him, let me know, so that I too may go and do him homage.' Having listened to what the king had to say, they set out. And suddenly the star they had seen rising went forward and halted over the place where the child was. The sight of the star filled them with delight, and going into the house they saw the child with his mother Mary, and falling to their knees they did him homage. Then, opening their treasures, they offered him gifts of gold and frankincense and myrrh. But they were given a warning in a dream not to go back to Herod, and returned to their own country by a different way

A Reading from the Gospel of Luke 2:16-21

So they hurried away and found Mary and Joseph, and the baby lying in the manger. When they saw the child they repeated what they had been told about him, and everyone who heard it was astonished at what the shepherds said to them. As for Mary, she treasured all these things and pondered them in her heart. And the shepherds went back glorifying and praising God for all they had heard and seen, just as they had been told. When the eighth day came and the child was to be circumcised, they gave him the name Jesus, the name the angel had given him before his conception.

A Reading from the Gospel of Luke 2:22–40

When the days were completed for their

purification according to the law of Moses,

they took him up to Jerusalem to present him

to the Lord, just as it is written in the law of

the Lord, “Every male that opens the womb

shall be consecrated to the Lord,” and to

offer the sacrifice of “a pair of turtledoves or

two young pigeons,” in accordance with the

dictate in the law of the Lord. Now there was

a man in Jerusalem whose name was Simeon.

This man was righteous and devout, awaiting

the consolation of Israel, and the holy Spirit

was upon him. It had been revealed to him by

the holy Spirit that he should not see death

before he had seen the Messiah of the Lord.

He came in the Spirit into the temple; and

when the parents brought in the child Jesus

to perform the custom of the law in regard

to him, he took him into his arms and blessed

God, saying: “Now, Master, you may let your

servant go in peace, according to your word,

for my eyes have seen your salvation, which

you prepared in sight of all the peoples, a

light for revelation to the Gentiles, and glory

for your people Israel.” The child’s father

and mother were amazed at what was said

about him; and Simeon blessed them and

said to Mary his mother, “Behold, this child is

destined for the fall and rise of many in Israel,

and to be a sign that will be contradicted (and

you yourself a sword will pierce) so that the

thoughts of many hearts may be revealed.”

There was also a prophetess, Anna, the

daughter of Phanuel, of the tribe of Asher.

She was advanced in years, having lived seven

years with her husband after her marriage,

and then as a widow until she was eighty-

four. She never left the temple, but worshiped

night and day with fasting and prayer. And

coming forward at that very time, she gave

thanks to God and spoke about the child

to all who were awaiting the redemption of

Jerusalem. When they had fulfilled all the

prescriptions of the law of the Lord, they

returned to Galilee, to their own town of

Nazareth. The child grew and became strong,

filled with wisdom; and the favor of God was

upon him.

A Reading from the Gospel of John 1:1-5, 9-14: The Word Became Flesh

In the beginning was the Word, and the Word

was with God, and the Word was God. He was

in the beginning with God. All things came

to be through him, and without him nothing

came to be.

What came to be through him was life, and

this life was the light of the human race; the

light shines in the darkness, and the darkness

has not overcome it. The true light, which

enlightens everyone, was coming into the

world. He was in the world, and the world

came to be through him, but the world did

not know him. He came to what was his own,

but his own people did not accept him. But

to those who did accept him he gave power

to become children of God, to those who

believe in his name, who were born not by

natural generation nor by human choice nor

by a man’s decision but of God. And the Word

became flesh and made his dwelling among

us, and we saw his glory, the glory as of the

Father’s only Son, full of grace and truth.

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 25:3-46

'When the Son of man comes in his glory, escorted by all the angels, then he will take his seat on his throne of glory. All nations will be assembled before him and he will separate people one from another as the shepherd separates sheep from goats. He will place the sheep on his right hand and the goats on his left. Then the King will say to those on his right hand, "Come, you whom my Father has blessed, take as your heritage the kingdom prepared for you since the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, I was a stranger and you made me welcome, lacking clothes and you clothed me, sick and you visited me, in prison and you came to see me." Then the upright will say to him in reply, "Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and make you welcome, lacking clothes and clothe you? When did we find you sick or in prison and go to see you?" And the King will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you did this to one of the least of these brothers of mine, you did it to me." Then he will say to those on his left hand, "Go away from me, with your curse upon you, to the eternal fire prepared for the devil and his angels. For I was hungry and you never gave me food, I was thirsty and you never gave me anything to drink, I was a stranger and you never made me welcome, lacking clothes and you never clothed me, sick and in prison and you never visited me." Then it will be their turn to ask, "Lord, when did we see you hungry or thirsty, a stranger or lacking clothes, sick or in prison, and did not come to your help?" Then he will answer, "In truth I tell you, in so far as you neglected to do this to one of the least of these, you neglected to do it to me." ,And they will go away to eternal punishment, and the upright to eternal life.'

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 25:14–30: The Parable of the Talents

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “A man

going on a journey called in his servants

and entrusted his possessions to them. To

one he gave five talents; to another, two; to

a third, one—to each according to his

ability. Then he went away. Immediately

the one who received five talents went and

traded with them, and made another five.

Likewise, the one who received two made

another two. But the man who received one

went off and dug a hole in the ground and

buried his master’s money. After a long

time the master of those servants came

back and settled accounts with them. The

one who had received five talents came

forward bringing the additional five. He

said, ‘Master, you gave me five talents. See,

I have made five more.’ His master said to

him, ‘Well done, my good and faithful

servant. Since you were faithful in small

matters, I will give you great

responsibilities. Come, share your master’s

joy.’ Then the one who had received two

talents also came forward and said, ‘Master,

you gave me two talents. See, I have made

two more.’ His master said to him, ‘Well

done, my good and faithful servant. Since

you were faithful in small matters, I will

give you great responsibilities. Come, share

your master’s joy.’ Then the one who had

received the one talent came forward and

said, ‘Master, I knew you were a demanding

person, harvesting where you did not plant

and gathering where you did not scatter; so

out of fear I went off and buried your talent

in the ground. Here it is back.’ His master

said to him in reply, ‘You wicked, lazy

servant! So you knew that I harvest where I

did not plant and gather where I did not

scatter? Should you not then have put my

money in the bank so that I could have got

it back with interest on my return? Now

then! Take the talent from him and give it

to the one with ten. For to everyone who

has, more will be given and he will grow

rich; but from the one who has not, even

what he has will be taken away. And throw

this useless servant into the darkness

outside, where there will be wailing and

grinding of teeth.’”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 25:1–13: The Parable of the Ten Virgins

Jesus told his disciples this parable: “The

kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins

who took their lamps and went out to

meet the bridegroom. Five of them were

foolish and five were wise. The foolish

ones, when taking their lamps, brought no

oil with them, but the wise brought flasks

of oil with their lamps. Since the

bridegroom was long delayed, they all

became drowsy and fell asleep. At

midnight, there was a cry, ‘Behold, the

bridegroom! Come out to meet him!’ Then

all those virgins got up and trimmed their

lamps. The foolish ones said to the wise,

‘Give us some of your oil, for our lamps are

going out.’ But the wise ones replied, ‘No,

for there may not be enough for us and

you. Go instead to the merchants and buy

some for yourselves.’ While they went off

to buy it, the bridegroom came and those

who were ready went into the wedding

feast with him. Then the door was locked.

Afterwards the other virgins came and

said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’ But

he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do

not know you.’ Therefore, stay awake, for

you know neither the day nor the hour.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 5:1–12: The Beatitudes

When Jesus saw the crowds, he went up

the mountain, and after he had sat down,

his disciples came to him. He began to

teach them, saying: “Blessed are the poor

in spirit, for theirs is the Kingdom of

heaven. Blessed are they who mourn, for

they will be comforted. Blessed are the

meek, for they will inherit the land. Blessed

are they who hunger and thirst for

righteousness, for they will be satisfied.

Blessed are the merciful, for they will be

shown mercy. Blessed are the clean of

heart, for they will see God. Blessed are the

peacemakers, for they will be called

children of God. Blessed are they who are

persecuted for the sake of righteousness,

for theirs is the Kingdom of heaven.

Blessed are you when they insult you and

persecute you and utter every kind of evil

against you falsely because of me. Rejoice

and be glad, for your reward will be great

in heaven.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 22:34–40: The Greatest Commandment

When the Pharisees heard that Jesus had

silenced the Sadducees, they gathered

together, and one of them, a scholar of

the law tested him by asking, “Teacher,

which commandment in the law is the

greatest?” He said to him, “You shall love

the Lord, your God, with all your heart,

with all your soul, and with all your mind.

This is the greatest and the first

commandment. The second is like it: You

shall love your neighbor as yourself. The

whole law and the prophets depend on

these two commandments.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 22:1–14: The Parable of the Wedding

Feast

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief

priests and elders of the people in

parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven

may be likened to a king who gave a

wedding feast for his son. He dispatched

his servants to summon the invited guests

to the feast, but they refused to come. A

second time he sent other servants,

saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have

prepared my banquet, my calves and

fattened cattle are killed, and everything is

ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored

the invitation and went away, one to his

farm, another to his business. The rest laid

hold of his servants, mistreated them, and

killed them. The king was enraged and

sent his troops, destroyed those

murderers, and burned their city. Then he

said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but

those who were invited were not worthy

to come. Go out, therefore, into the main

roads and invite to the feast whomever

you find.’ The servants went out into the

streets and gathered all they found, bad

and good alike, and the hall was filled with

guests. But when the king came in to meet

the guests, he saw a man there not

dressed in a wedding garment. The king

said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you

came in here without a wedding garment?’

But he was reduced to silence. Then the

king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands

and feet, and cast him into the darkness

outside, where there will be wailing and

grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but

few are chosen.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 21:33–43: The Parable of the Tenants

Jesus said to the chief priests and the

elders of the people: “Hear another

parable. There was a landowner who

planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it,

dug a wine press in it, and built a tower.

Then he leased it to tenants and went on a

journey. When vintage time drew near, he

sent his servants to the tenants to obtain

his produce. But the tenants seized the

servants and one they beat, another they

killed, and a third they stoned. Again he

sent other servants, more numerous than

the first ones, but they treated them in the

same way. Finally, he sent his son to them,

thinking, “They will respect my son.” But

when the tenants saw the son, they said to

one another, “This is the heir. Come, let us

kill him and acquire his inheritance.” They

seized him, threw him out of the vineyard,

and killed him. What will the owner of the

vineyard do to those tenants when he

comes?” They answered him, “He will put

those wretched men to a wretched death

and lease his vineyard to other tenants

who will give him the produce at the

proper times.” Jesus said to them, “Did you

never read in the Scriptures: The stone that

the builders rejected has become the

cornerstone; by the Lord has this been done,

and it is wonderful in our eyes? Therefore, I

say to you, the kingdom of God will be

taken away from you and given to a people

that will produce its fruit.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 21:28–32: The Parable of the Two Sons

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.”

A Reading from the Gospel of Matthew 20:1–6A: The Workers in the

Vineyard

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, the

landowner 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,

the landowner 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.”