As the violet vestments reappear on the altar and the joyful Alleluia falls silent, the Church leads us gently but firmly into the penitential season of preparation. Septuagesima Sunday begins what the traditional liturgical calendar calls the Pre-Lenten Season, a kind of spiritual vestibule to Lent. The Church, like a wise mother, knows the soul must be gradually drawn from the comforts of Christmastide into the rigors of conversion.
The readings appointed for this Sunday—1 Corinthians 9:24–27; 10:1–5 and Matthew 20:1–16—call us to a profound self-examination. They speak of effort, reward, and the mysterious economy of divine grace.
I. “So Run That You May Obtain” (1 Cor. 9:24–27)
St. Paul presents the Christian life as a race, not for earthly glory but for an incorruptible crown. “I therefore so run, not as at an uncertainty: I so fight, not as one beating the air: But I chastise my body, and bring it into subjection.” (vv. 26–27)
St. John Chrysostom, in his homily on this passage, marvels at Paul’s zeal:
“He says not, ‘I run,’ but, ‘so run.’ As if he had said, ‘I do not run at random, nor waste my labor, but I look to the prize.’”
Here Paul emphasizes not only the necessity of discipline but also the danger of presumption. The Apostle, a man so favored with revelations, fears becoming “a castaway” (adokimos in Greek: disqualified, rejected). The spiritual life, then, requires vigilance, for not even the elect can coast into heaven.
II. “Our Fathers Were All Under the Cloud” (1 Cor. 10:1–5)
St. Paul continues by reminding the Corinthians that all the Israelites received the same spiritual privileges—baptism in the cloud and the sea (a type of Christian baptism), and spiritual food and drink (types of the Eucharist)—yet “with most of them God was not well pleased.”
Here, the Apostle draws a sobering parallel: sacramental participation is not enough without faithfulness and perseverance.
St. Augustine teaches that the Israelites’ fall is a warning to us:
“Many are baptized, eat the same spiritual food, and yet perish in the wilderness of sin. Let none presume upon grace received, but walk in humility.”
(Tract. in Joann. 26)
As we begin to turn our hearts toward Lent, this passage urges us to consider: Have we grown complacent in our spiritual lives, trusting in the externals of religion while neglecting the interior race of the soul?
III. “Why Stand Ye Here All the Day Idle?” (Matt. 20:1–16)
In the Gospel, Our Lord offers the parable of the laborers in the vineyard—a familiar text, often misunderstood. Some are called at dawn, others at the third, sixth, ninth, and even the eleventh hour. Yet all receive the same wage: a denarius, the symbol of eternal life.
This may seem unjust, but Our Lord is not offering a lesson in economic equity—He is unveiling the mystery of divine grace.
St. Gregory the Great explains:
“The first called are the Jews, the last called are the Gentiles. But whether called early or late, all are admitted into the joy of eternal life—by grace, not merit.”
(Homiliae in Evangelia, Hom. XIX)
This parable reveals two truths in tension: God’s sovereign freedom in dispensing grace, and our obligation to respond with faith and labor. The denarius is a gift, not a wage strictly earned—but it is not given to the idle. All were called to labor, even if for an hour.
Origen reflects:
“Even the one called at the eleventh hour is not idle if he obeys the call. Let no one despair, for the householder is still calling.”
(Commentary on Matthew 20)
IV. The Spirit of Septuagesima
The Church in her ancient wisdom begins the season of “seventy” days before Easter by placing before our eyes two pillars of the spiritual life:
- The necessity of effort: discipline, perseverance, and vigilance.
- The primacy of grace: that salvation is God’s free gift, yet one to which we must respond with fidelity.
In the Traditional Roman Rite, the texts of the Introit (Circumdederunt me gemitus mortis), Gradual, and Tract all bear the somber tone of a soul aware of the nearness of death and the need for divine deliverance. The chant melodies are stark; the color purple reappears; the Alleluia is buried—reminding us that we are exiles, not yet home.
Dom Guéranger, in his Liturgical Year, remarks:
“The Church counts down to Easter with increasing solemnity, beginning with Septuagesima—a time for the soul to awaken from sloth and prepare for battle.”
Conclusion: To Run, to Labor, to Trust
As we step into this season of holy preparation, the Church reminds us: salvation is neither automatic nor impossible. We must run to obtain; we must labor in the vineyard; and we must remember that God is generous to those who answer His call, even at the eleventh hour.
Let us begin now. The vineyard gates are open. The race has begun. And the prize—eternal life—is set before us.
“Now is the acceptable time; behold, now is the day of salvation.” (2 Cor. 6:2)