It was Tuesday evening of what we now call Holy Week. For the second time, Jesus had driven the buyers and sellers from the Temple area [cf. Mt 21:12-13, Mk 11:15-17; Lk 19:45-46]. This infuriated the Temple authorities who profited handsomely from those transactions. All three evangelists, Matthew, Mark and Luke, tell us that, afterward, they went to the Mount of Olives to spend the night. There, Jesus shared with His disciples the parable which we hear in this week's Gospel - the Parable of the Workers [cf. Matthew 20:1-16].

God Settles Our Debt in Confession

JESUS TOLD the story of a king who wanted to settle accounts with his servants (cf. Mt 18:21-35). They brought before him a man who owed him ten thousand talents. This was an exorbitant amount; in today's terms, we would see it as a debt more suitable for a large corporation than an individual.

Esteemed parishioners of Blessed Sacrament and Visitors,

In the first reading for this Sunday, Prophet Ezekiel is called to be a sentry, or guard, to ensure that the people of Israel remain faithful to the covenant. In ancient times, a sentry was an army guard tasked with watching over his men to prevent them from being taken by surprise.