These are the readings from Mass on Sunday, October 5th. Last week's readings are still available at this link.

Introduction

From The Sacred Hoop: Recovering the Feminine in American Indian Traditions by Paula Gunn Allen. American Indians are not merely doomed victims of western imperialism or progress; they are also the carriers of the dream that most activist movements in the Americas claim to be seeking. The major difference between most activist movements and tribal societies is that for millennia American Indians have based their social systems, however diverse, on ritual, spirit-centered, woman focused worldviews. One distinguishing feature of a woman centered social system is wide latitude in personal style. This latitude means that a diversity of people, including gay males and lesbians, are not denied and are in fact likely to be accorded honor. Also likely to be prominent in such systems are nurturing, pacifist, and passive males (as defined by western minds) and self-defining, assertive, decisive women. In many tribes, the nurturing male constitutes the ideal adult model for boys while the decisive, self-directing female is the ideal model to which girls aspire. The organization of individuals into a wide-ranging field of allowable styles creates the greatest possible social stability because it includes and encourages variety of personal expression for the good of the group. In tribal gynocratic systems a multitude of personality and character types can function positively within the social order because the systems are focused on social responsibility rather than on privilege and on the realities of the human constitution rather than on denial-based social fictions to which human beings are compelled to conform by powerful individuals within the society. Tribal gynocracies prominently feature even distribution of goods among all members of the society on the grounds that First Mother enjoined cooperation and sharing with all her children.

First Reading
A reading from the book of the prophet Isaiah.

Let me now sing of my friend, my friend’s song concerning a vineyard. My friend had a vineyard on a fertile hillside; My friend dug the soil, cleared it of stones, and planted the choicest vines, And within it built a watchtower and hewed out a wine press, Then my friend looked for the crop of grapes, but what it yielded was wild grapes. Now, inhabitants of Jerusalem and people of Judah, judge between me and my vineyard: What more was there to do for my vineyard that I had not done? Why, when I looked for the crop of grapes, did it bring forth wild grapes? Now, I will let you know what I mean to do to my vineyard: Take away its hedge, give it to grazing, break through its wall, let it be trampled! Yes, I will make it a ruin: it shall not be pruned or hoed, but overgrown with thorns and briers; I will command the clouds not to send rain upon it. The vineyard of Yahweh Sabaoth is the house of Israel, and the people of Judah are God’s cherished plant; Yahweh looked for justice, but found bloodshed, for integrity, but only a cry of distress.

Second Reading
A reading from the letter of Paul to the Philippians.

Dismiss all anxiety from your minds. Present your needs to God in every form of prayer and in petitions full of gratitude. Then God’s own peace, which is beyond all understanding, will stand guard over your hearts and minds, in Christ Jesus. Finally, my sisters and brothers, your thoughts should be wholly directed to all that is true, all that deserves respect, all that is honest, pure, admirable, decent, virtuous, or worthy of praise. Live according to what you have learned and accepted, what you have heard me say and seen me do. Then will the God of peace be with you.

	Gospel Reading A reading from the Holy Gospel according to Matthew.
Jesus said to the disciples, “Listen to another parable. There was a property owner who planted a vineyard, put a hedge around it, dug out a vat, erected a tower, and then leased it out to tenant farmers and went on a journey. When vintage time arrived the property owner dispatched slaves to go to the tenants to obtain a share of the grapes. The tenants responded by seizing the slaves. They beat one, killed another, and stoned a third. A second time the property owner dispatched even more slaves than before, but they treated them the same way. Finally, the property owner sent his son to them, thinking, ‘They will respect my own.’ When they saw the owner’s son, the tenants said to one another, ‘Here is the one who will inherit everything. Let us kill him and then we shall have the inheritance!’ With that they seized the owner’s son, dragged him outside the vineyard, and killed him. What do you suppose the owner of the vineyard will do to those tenants?” The disciples replied, “The owner will bring that wicked crowd to a bad end and lease the vineyard out to others who will see to it that the owner receives a share of grapes at vintage time.” Jesus said to them, “Did you never read in the Scriptures, The stone which the builders rejected has become the cornerstone of the structure. It was God who did this and we find it marvelous to behold? For this reason, I tell you, the reign of God will be taken away from you and given to a nation that will yield a rich harvest.”