On Septuagesima Sunday

Photo credits: Una Voce of Orange County

Ite et vos in vineam meam, et quod justum fuerit dabo vobis. - Matt. 2,4

Today our Holy Mother Church, using the Missal of 1962, celebrates Septuagesima Sunday, the start of Septuagesimatide. Among our Eastern brothers, this Sunday is called the Sunday of the Prodigal Son. This Sunday also marks the season of Septuagesimatide which ends on the Tuesday before Ash Wednesday

Septuagesima, in Latin, means seventieth. It was termed as such in reference to Quadragesima Sunday (First Sunday of Lent) although it does not correspond to the seventieth day before Easter, it is merely an approximation of the number. The nomenclature is a symbolism of the seventy years of Babylonian captivity of the Jerusalem.

On this day, the Church starts to prepare for the Great discipline of Lent. Thus, violet vestments are worn and the Alleluia and the Gloria are not said during the Mass. This was the case in memory of the tradition, before the reign of Pope St. Gregory I, of starting the season of penance on this Sunday.

The Gospel for today is about the parable of the vineyard (Matthew 20.1-16). It is about a householder looking for workers in his vineyard. At the end of the day, he paid his workers equal amounts of wages despite them not working with equal amounts of time.

The vineyard represents the world and the householder represents the Almighty God. The different times he went out symbolizes the different times he asked men to work for His Church. The wage represents eternal life.

Truly, God is asking us to work in his vineyard. There are many things to do in his vineyard, that is why he gave us different talents as St. Paul relates to his letter to the Corinthians (cf. I Corinthians  12.4ff).

Another point in the Gospel is when the householder gave the wages some workers complained because he gave them all the same amount when some of them just worked for a few hours. The householder responded “I do thee no wrong: didst thou not agree with me for a penny?”

The above is what we, as employees should ponder always. Sometimes, we always complain that we have so many works to do and yet we receive the same salary as those that have fewer duties. Let us just offer our work to God and we will see that our work will become lighter.

O Lord, we beseech You, graciously hear the prayers of Your people, that we who are justly punished for our sins may be mercifully delivered for the glory of Your name. Through Jesus Christ, thy Son our Lord, Who liveth and reigneth with thee, in the unity of the Holy Ghost, ever one God, world without end. Amen.

References:

• The Gospel according to St. Matthew (Matthew 20.1-16)
• Mershman, F. (1912). Septuagesima. The Catholic Encyclopedia.
• Rev. Fr. Leonard Goffine’s The Church’s Year. Septuagesima Sunday.
• Rev. Adrian Fortescue’s Ceremonies of the Roman Rite Described.