This week's Gospel: The 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time

This week’s Gospel as in the Codex Fuldensis Gospel: The 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time
Using data publicly available from:
http://www.liturgyoffice.org.uk/Calendar/2008/Sep08.shtml
and The Sunday Missal to cross-check.
This Week's Gospel: Matt 21: 28-32
(28th-Sept-2008) The 26th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A

He thought better of it and went. Tax collectors and prostitutes are making their way into the kingdom of God before you.
This reading comprises the fourth to the seventh paragraph of seven of the caput below. The Latin of both Fuldensis and Stuttgart differs substantively from the Clementine in two places, and interpreting these differences throws a new light on some mysteries. The reading is taken entirely from Matthew.

CXXIII. Ubi Ihesus interrogatur a principibus sacerdotum: in qua potestate hæc facis? adiungens parabolam de duobus filiis in vineam missis.
(Where Jesus is asked by the chief priests: By what authority dost thou these things? Adding the parable of the two sons sent into the vineyard.)

123: 4
But what think you? A certain man had two sons: and coming to the firstborn*, he said: Son, go work to day in my vineyard. And he answering, said: I will not. But afterwards, being moved with repentance, he went.
5
And coming to the other, he said in like manner. And he answering said: I go, Sir. And he went not.
6
Which of the two did the father’s will? They say to him: The younger**. Jesus saith to them: Indeed I say to you that the publicans and the harlots shall surpass*** you in the kingdom of God.
7
For John came to you in the way of justice: and you did not believe him. But the publicans and the harlots believed him: but you, seeing it, did not even afterwards repent, that you might believe him.

* In the context of children, first usually means firstborn.
** ‘novissimus’ – ‘newest’ :: The Clementine Vulgate and its derivitives have ‘primus’ – ‘first’, whereas the Stuttgart Vulgate has, like Fuldensis, ‘novissimus’. Ephraem Syrus, reading Tatian finds ‘youngest’ here, and I so follow. It is clearly the answer which defies justice, which is why Our Lord reviles the Pharisees so fervently. This reply, though does concur with Roman Law, for which, non compliance merits the flogging of a slave, whereas disobedience merits execution on the spot.
*** Fuldensis, like Stuttgart has ‘regno’ in ablative whereas Clementine has ‘regnum’ in accusative, so ‘in’ means ‘within’ not ‘into’, so ‘praecedent’ means ‘surpass’, rather than ‘go before’.

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