Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed
Virgin Mary
Lectionary: 422
Lectionary: 422
The Spirit of the LORD came upon Jephthah.
He passed through Gilead and Manasseh,
and through Mizpah-Gilead as well,
and from there he went on to the Ammonites.
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD.
"If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said,
"whoever comes out of the doors of my house
to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites
shall belong to the LORD.
I shall offer him up as a burnt offering."
Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them,
and the LORD delivered them into his power,
so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them,
from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all)
and as far as Abel-keramim.
Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection
by the children of Israel.
When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah,
it was his daughter who came forth,
playing the tambourines and dancing.
She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her.
When he saw her, he rent his garments and said,
"Alas, daughter, you have struck me down
and brought calamity upon me.
For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract."
She replied, "Father, you have made a vow to the LORD.
Do with me as you have vowed,
because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you
on your enemies the Ammonites."
Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor.
Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains
to mourn my virginity with my companions."
"Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months.
So she departed with her companions
and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
At the end of the two months she returned to her father,
who did to her as he had vowed.
He passed through Gilead and Manasseh,
and through Mizpah-Gilead as well,
and from there he went on to the Ammonites.
Jephthah made a vow to the LORD.
"If you deliver the Ammonites into my power," he said,
"whoever comes out of the doors of my house
to meet me when I return in triumph from the Ammonites
shall belong to the LORD.
I shall offer him up as a burnt offering."
Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them,
and the LORD delivered them into his power,
so that he inflicted a severe defeat on them,
from Aroer to the approach of Minnith (twenty cities in all)
and as far as Abel-keramim.
Thus were the Ammonites brought into subjection
by the children of Israel.
When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah,
it was his daughter who came forth,
playing the tambourines and dancing.
She was an only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her.
When he saw her, he rent his garments and said,
"Alas, daughter, you have struck me down
and brought calamity upon me.
For I have made a vow to the LORD and I cannot retract."
She replied, "Father, you have made a vow to the LORD.
Do with me as you have vowed,
because the LORD has wrought vengeance for you
on your enemies the Ammonites."
Then she said to her father, "Let me have this favor.
Spare me for two months, that I may go off down the mountains
to mourn my virginity with my companions."
"Go," he replied, and sent her away for two months.
So she departed with her companions
and mourned her virginity on the mountains.
At the end of the two months she returned to her father,
who did to her as he had vowed.
Responsorial
PsalmPS 40:5, 7-8A, 8B-9, 10
R.(8a and 9a) Here I
am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Blessed the man who makes the LORD his trust;
who turns not to idolatry
or to those who stray after falsehood.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
Sacrifice or oblation you wished not,
but ears open to obedience you gave me.
Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not;
then said I, "Behold I come."
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
"In the written scroll it is prescribed for me.
To do your will, O my God, is my delight,
and your law is within my heart!"
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
I announced your justice in the vast assembly;
I did not restrain my lips, as you, O LORD, know.
R. Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.
AlleluiaPS 95:8
R. Alleluia,
alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
If today you hear his voice,
harden not your hearts.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.
Gospel MT 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the
people in parables
saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."
For the readings of the Memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin
Mary, please go here.
Meditation:
They would not come to the feast!
What
can a royal wedding party tell us about God's kingdom? One of the most
beautiful images used in the Scriptures to depict what heaven is like is the
wedding celebration and royal feast given by the King for his newly-wed son and
bride. Whatever grand feast we can imagine on earth, heaven is the feast of all
feasts because the Lord of heaven and earth invites us to the most important
banquet of all - not simply as bystanders or guests - but as members of
Christ's own body, his bride the church! The last book in the Bible ends with
an invitation to the wedding feast of the Lamb - the Lord Jesus who offered his
life as an atoning sacrifice for our sins and who now reigns as King of Kings
and Lord of Lords. The Spirit and the Bride say, Come! (Revelations
22:17). The Lord Jesus invites us to be united with himself in his heavenly
kingdom of peace and righteousness.
Whose
interests come first - God or mine?
Why does Jesus' parable of the marriage feast seem to focus on an angry king who ends up punishing those who refused his invitation and who mistreated his servants? Jesus' parable contains two stories. The first has to do with the original guests invited to the marriage feast. The king had sent out invitations well in advance to his subjects, so they would have plenty of time to prepare for coming to the feast. How insulting for the invited guests to then refuse when the time for celebrating came! They made light of the King's request because they put their own interests above his. They not only insulted the King but the heir to the throne as well. The king's anger is justified because they openly refused to give the king the honor he was due. Jesus directed this warning to the Jews of his day, both to convey how much God wanted them to share in the joy of his kingdom, but also to give a warning about the consequences of refusing his Son, their Messiah and Savior.
Why does Jesus' parable of the marriage feast seem to focus on an angry king who ends up punishing those who refused his invitation and who mistreated his servants? Jesus' parable contains two stories. The first has to do with the original guests invited to the marriage feast. The king had sent out invitations well in advance to his subjects, so they would have plenty of time to prepare for coming to the feast. How insulting for the invited guests to then refuse when the time for celebrating came! They made light of the King's request because they put their own interests above his. They not only insulted the King but the heir to the throne as well. The king's anger is justified because they openly refused to give the king the honor he was due. Jesus directed this warning to the Jews of his day, both to convey how much God wanted them to share in the joy of his kingdom, but also to give a warning about the consequences of refusing his Son, their Messiah and Savior.
An
invitation we cannot refuse!
The second part of the story focuses on those who had no claim on the king and who would never have considered getting such an invitation. The "good and the bad" along the highways certainly referred to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and to sinners. This is certainly an invitation of grace - undeserved, unmerited favor and kindness! But this invitation also contains a warning for those who refuse it or who approach the wedding feast unworthily. God's grace is a free gift, but it is also an awesome responsibility.
The second part of the story focuses on those who had no claim on the king and who would never have considered getting such an invitation. The "good and the bad" along the highways certainly referred to the Gentiles (non-Jews) and to sinners. This is certainly an invitation of grace - undeserved, unmerited favor and kindness! But this invitation also contains a warning for those who refuse it or who approach the wedding feast unworthily. God's grace is a free gift, but it is also an awesome responsibility.
Cheap
grace or costly grace?
Dieterich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian in Germany who died for his faith under Hitler's Nazi rule, contrasted "cheap grace" and "costly grace".
Dieterich Bonhoeffer, a Lutheran pastor and theologian in Germany who died for his faith under Hitler's Nazi rule, contrasted "cheap grace" and "costly grace".
"Cheap
grace is the grace we bestow on ourselves... the preaching of forgiveness
without requiring repentance... grace without discipleship, grace without the
cross, grace without Jesus Christ, living and incarnate... Costly grace is the
gospel which must be sought again and again, the gift which must be asked for,
the door at which a man must knock. Such grace is costly because it calls us to
follow Jesus Christ. It is costly because it costs a man his life, and it is
grace because it gives a man the only true life."
God
invites each of us as his friends to his heavenly banquet that we may celebrate
with him and share in his joy. Are you ready to feast at the Lord's banquet
table?
"Lord
Jesus, may I always know the joy of living in your presence and grow in the
hope of seeing you face to face in your everlasting kingdom."
Daily
Quote from the early church fathers: A guest with no wedding garment,
by John Chrysostom (347-407 AD)
"But
since you have already come into the house of the marriage feast, our holy
church, as a result of God's generosity, be careful, my friends, lest when the
King enters he find fault with some aspect of your heart's clothing. We must
consider what comes next with great fear in our hearts. But the king came in to
look at the guests and saw there a person not clothed in a wedding garment.
What do we think is meant by the wedding garment, dearly beloved? For if we say
it is baptism or faith, is there anyone who has entered this marriage feast
without them? A person is outside because he has not yet come to believe. What
then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? That person enters the
marriage feast, but without wearing a wedding garment, who is present in the
holy church. He may have faith, but he does not have love. We are correct when
we say that love is the wedding garment because this is what our Creator
himself possessed when he came to the marriage feast to join the church to
himself. Only God's love brought it about that his only begotten Son united the
hearts of his chosen to himself. John says that 'God so loved the world that he
gave his only begotten Son for us' (John 3:16)." (excerpt from FORTY
GOSPEL HOMILIES 38.9)
THURSDAY, AUGUST 22, MATTHEW 22:1-14
(Judges 11:29-39a; Psalm 40)
(Judges 11:29-39a; Psalm 40)
KEY VERSE: "Many are invited but few are chosen" (v. 14)
TO KNOW: Jesus told a parable that served as an allegory of those who rejected God's reign. A king (God) sent his servants (the prophets) to summon the guests (God's chosen people) to the wedding banquet of his son (Jesus). When the invitation was ignored, the servants were sent a second time. This time they were mistreated and killed. Angered, the king sent his army to burn the city (Jerusalem was destroyed by the Romans in 70 CE). Because the privileged guests proved unworthy, the invitation was sent to others (the Gentiles). The guest who came without a "wedding garment" (v. 12; "virtuous deeds," or a baptismal garment, see Rv.19:8) represented those who refused to repent, a necessary condition for entering God's kingdom. Whoever rejected God's offer of divine grace, would find themselves excluded from the reign of God.
TO LOVE: Have I failed to heed God's call in my life?
TO SERVE: Lord, Jesus, help me to prepare myself for your heavenly banquet.
NOTE: What are the differences between parables and
allegories?
Parables are short stories that are told in order to get a point across and occur in both testaments of the Bible. The word "parable" (Gk. parabole; Hebrew mashal) was generally used in reference to any short narrative that had symbolic meaning. There are many stories and saying of Jesus in the New Testament that are identified as parables, but not all of these are parables in the true sense. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35) may be regarded as a true parable because it is a complete story with a beginning, ending and plot. An allegory, however, is quite different. They are stories with two levels of meaning: human activity and spiritual reality. In an allegory virtually every person, thing, place and event has a symbolic meaning. Examples of allegories are the visions in Daniel 8:1-11, and Ezekiel 1. In the New Testament, nearly every chapter of Revelation contains allegorical visions.
Parables are short stories that are told in order to get a point across and occur in both testaments of the Bible. The word "parable" (Gk. parabole; Hebrew mashal) was generally used in reference to any short narrative that had symbolic meaning. There are many stories and saying of Jesus in the New Testament that are identified as parables, but not all of these are parables in the true sense. The Good Samaritan (Luke 10:30-35) may be regarded as a true parable because it is a complete story with a beginning, ending and plot. An allegory, however, is quite different. They are stories with two levels of meaning: human activity and spiritual reality. In an allegory virtually every person, thing, place and event has a symbolic meaning. Examples of allegories are the visions in Daniel 8:1-11, and Ezekiel 1. In the New Testament, nearly every chapter of Revelation contains allegorical visions.
Memorial of
the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary
On October 11, 1954, four years after he declared the dogma of the Assumption of Mary, Pope Pius XII instituted the feast of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. He formalized the Church's tradition from the earliest centuries, which rested on both Holy Scripture and tradition - The coronation of Mary as Queen of Heaven fulfilled her own prophecy that "all generations will call me blessed." On another level, it prophesies the triumph of Mary yet to come. The Book of Revelation states that, at the end of the world, Mary, crowned with twelve stars, will crush the head of the serpent beneath her feet [Rev 12:1-18]. Pope Paul VI wrote, "The Solemnity of the Assumption is prolonged in the celebration of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, which occurs seven days later. On this occasion we contemplate her who, seated beside the King of ages, shines forth as Queen and intercedes as Mother" (Marialis Cultus - For the Right Ordering and Development of Devotion to the Blessed Virgin Mary - 2 February 1974).
Thursday 22 August 2019
Queenship of The Blessed Virgin Mary
Judges 11:29-39. Psalm 39(40):5, 7-10. Matthew 22:1-14.
Here am I. Lord; I come to do your will – Psalm 39(40):5, 7-10.
‘Many are called, but few are chosen.’
We live in a world where we have many choices. Sometimes this
makes coming to decisions difficult. Many struggle to decide whether to be for
God. In today’s parable, Jesus makes clear that every time we make a decision
we either choose for or against God. We are accountable for the decisions we
make, for the way we live our lives, for the relationships we have, the way we
spend our time and our resources.
Those who make themselves available to God share in the joy of
the kingdom. The Good News of Jesus is a story of grace, of love, of wonder,
and each of us is called through our baptism to live for it and to share it.
How will I do this today? I might start by attending to God’s
presence, before noticing the movements within me as I recall the events of my
day.
Queenship of Mary
Saint of the Day for August 22
 |
| Virgin of the Deliverance | Ernest Hébert |
The Story of the Queenship of Mary
Pope Pius XII established this feast in 1954. But Mary’s
queenship has roots in Scripture. At the Annunciation, Gabriel announced that
Mary’s Son would receive the throne of David and rule forever. At the
Visitation, Elizabeth calls Mary “mother of my Lord.” As in all the mysteries
of Mary’s life, she is closely associated with Jesus: Her queenship is a share
in Jesus’ kingship. We can also recall that in the Old Testament the mother of
the king has great influence in court.
In the fourth century Saint Ephrem called Mary “Lady” and
“Queen.” Later Church fathers and doctors continued to use the title. Hymns of
the 11th to 13th centuries address Mary as queen: “Hail, Holy Queen,” “Hail,
Queen of Heaven,” “Queen of Heaven.” The Dominican rosary and the Franciscan
crown as well as numerous invocations in Mary’s litany celebrate her queenship.
The feast is a logical follow-up to the Assumption, and is now
celebrated on the octave day of that feast. In his 1954 encyclical To
the Queen of Heaven, Pius XII points out that Mary deserves the title
because she is Mother of God, because she is closely associated as the New Eve
with Jesus’ redemptive work, because of her preeminent perfection, and because
of her intercessory power.
Reflection
As Saint Paul suggests in Romans 8:28–30, God has predestined
human beings from all eternity to share the image of his Son. All the more was
Mary predestined to be the mother of Jesus. As Jesus was to be king of all
creation, Mary, in dependence on Jesus, was to be queen. All other titles to
queenship derive from this eternal intention of God. As Jesus exercised his
kingship on earth by serving his Father and his fellow human beings, so did
Mary exercise her queenship. As the glorified Jesus remains with us as our king
till the end of time (Matthew 28:20), so does Mary, who was assumed into heaven
and crowned queen of heaven and earth.
Lectio Divina: Matthew 22:1-14
Lectio Divina
Thursday, August 22, 2019
Ordinary Time
1) Opening prayer
God our Father,
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
may we love You in all things and above all things
and reach the joy You have prepared for us
beyond all our imagining.
We ask this through our Lord Jesus Christ, Your Son,
who lives and reigns with You and the Holy Spirit,
one God, for ever and ever. Amen.
2) Gospel Reading - Matthew 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders
of the people in parables saying, "The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to
a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to
summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time
he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have
prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything
is ready; come to the feast."' Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his
servants, 'The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to
come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever
you find.' The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found,
bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came
in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He
said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding
garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants,
'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there
will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen."
3) Reflection
• Today’s Gospel presents the parable of the banquet which we
also find in the Gospel of Matthew and of Luke, but with significant
differences which stem from each evangelist’s point of view. The background
which leads both evangelists to repeat this parable is the same. In the
communities of the first Christians, both those of Matthew and those of Luke,
the problem of living together between the converted Jews and the converted
pagans continued in full force. The Jews had ancient norms which prevented them
from eating together with pagans. Even entering into the Christian communities,
many Jews kept the ancient custom of not sitting at the same table with pagans.
Thus, Peter had conflicts in the communities of Jerusalem because he had entered
the house of Cornelius, a pagan, and had eaten with him (Acts 11:3). This same
problem existed, though in a different way, in Matthew’s and Luke’s
communities. In Luke’s community, in spite of the differences in race, class
and gender, they had a great ideal of sharing and of communion (Acts
2:42; 4:32; 5:12). For this reason, in Luke’s Gospel (Lk 14:15-24), the parable
insists on the invitation addressed to all. The master of the feast, angry and
upset because the first guests, who were invited, did not arrive, sends his
servants to call the poor, the crippled, the blind, and invites them to
participate in the banquet. But there is still place. Then, the master of the
feast orders that all be invited, until his house is full. In Matthew’s Gospel,
the first part of the parable, (Mt 22:1-10) has the same objective as that of
Luke’s Gospel. It says that the master of the feast orders the servants to let
the “good and the bad” enter (Mt 22:10). But it the end, he adds another
parable (Mt 22:11-14) concerning the wedding garment, which focuses on
something specific to the Jews, the need of purity in order to be able to
present oneself before God.
• Matthew 22:1-2: The invitation addressed to all. Some manuscripts say that the parable was told for the chief priests and for the elders of the People. This hypothesis can serve as a key for the reading, because it helps one to understand some strange points which appear in the story. The parable begins like this: “The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding.” This initial statement recalls the most profound hope: the desire of the people to be with God always. Several times the Gospel refers to this hope, suggesting that Jesus, the Son of the King, is the bridegroom who comes to prepare the wedding (Mk 2:19; Rev 21:2, 19:9).
• Matthew 22:3-6: The invited guests do not want to come. The king invites in a more insistent way, but the guests do not want to come. “But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business; and the rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.” In Luke, what prevents them from accepting the invitation are the duties of daily life. The first one says, "I have bought a piece of land and must go to see it;" the second one, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out;” the third one, "I have just got married and so am unable to come!" (cf. Lk 14:18-20). According to the norms and customs of the time, those people had the right and even the duty not to accept the invitation they had received (cf. Deut 20:5-7).
• Matthew 22:7: An incomprehensible war! The reaction of the king in the face of the refusal is surprising. “Then the king was furious and he dispatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.” How is such a violent reaction to be interpreted? The parable was told for the chief priests and for the elders of the people (Mt 22:1), for those responsible for the nations. Jesus had often spoken to them about the need for conversion. He even shed tears over the city of Jerusalem and said, “If you too had only recognized on that day the way to peace! But in fact it is hidden from your eyes. Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all around you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, because you did not recognize the moment of your visitation.” (Lk 19:41-44). The violent reaction of the king in the parable probably refers to the fact of Jesus’ foresight. Forty years later, Jerusalem was destroyed (Lk 19:41-44; 21: 6).
• Matthew 22:8-10: The banquet is not canceled. For the third time, the king invites the people. He tells his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those invited were unworthy; go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding.”
Going out on the streets, those servants gathered together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. The bad, who were excluded from participation in worship with the Jews because they were deemed impure, are now invited specifically by the king to participate in the feast. In the context of that time, the bad were the pagans. They also are invited to participate in the wedding feast.
• Matthew 22:11-14: The wedding garment. These verses tell us that the king went into the wedding hall and saw someone who was not wearing a wedding garment. And the king asked, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And he was silent. The story says that the man was bound hands and feet and thrown into the darkness outside. Then the story concludes: “Many are invited but not all are chosen.” Some scholars think that it is a second parable which was added to lessen the impression which one has after the first parable, which speaks about “the good and the bad” who enter into the feast (Mt 22:10). Even if one admits that it is not the observance of the Law which gives us salvation, but rather faith in the gratuitous love of God, that in no way diminishes the need for purity of heart as a prerequisite to be able to appear before God.
• Matthew 22:1-2: The invitation addressed to all. Some manuscripts say that the parable was told for the chief priests and for the elders of the People. This hypothesis can serve as a key for the reading, because it helps one to understand some strange points which appear in the story. The parable begins like this: “The Kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding.” This initial statement recalls the most profound hope: the desire of the people to be with God always. Several times the Gospel refers to this hope, suggesting that Jesus, the Son of the King, is the bridegroom who comes to prepare the wedding (Mk 2:19; Rev 21:2, 19:9).
• Matthew 22:3-6: The invited guests do not want to come. The king invites in a more insistent way, but the guests do not want to come. “But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business; and the rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.” In Luke, what prevents them from accepting the invitation are the duties of daily life. The first one says, "I have bought a piece of land and must go to see it;" the second one, "I have bought five yoke of oxen and am on my way to try them out;” the third one, "I have just got married and so am unable to come!" (cf. Lk 14:18-20). According to the norms and customs of the time, those people had the right and even the duty not to accept the invitation they had received (cf. Deut 20:5-7).
• Matthew 22:7: An incomprehensible war! The reaction of the king in the face of the refusal is surprising. “Then the king was furious and he dispatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town.” How is such a violent reaction to be interpreted? The parable was told for the chief priests and for the elders of the people (Mt 22:1), for those responsible for the nations. Jesus had often spoken to them about the need for conversion. He even shed tears over the city of Jerusalem and said, “If you too had only recognized on that day the way to peace! But in fact it is hidden from your eyes. Yes, a time is coming when your enemies will raise fortifications all around you, when they will encircle you and hem you in on every side; they will dash you and the children inside your walls to the ground; they will leave not one stone standing on another within you, because you did not recognize the moment of your visitation.” (Lk 19:41-44). The violent reaction of the king in the parable probably refers to the fact of Jesus’ foresight. Forty years later, Jerusalem was destroyed (Lk 19:41-44; 21: 6).
• Matthew 22:8-10: The banquet is not canceled. For the third time, the king invites the people. He tells his servants, “The wedding banquet is ready, but those invited were unworthy; go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding.”
Going out on the streets, those servants gathered together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. The bad, who were excluded from participation in worship with the Jews because they were deemed impure, are now invited specifically by the king to participate in the feast. In the context of that time, the bad were the pagans. They also are invited to participate in the wedding feast.
• Matthew 22:11-14: The wedding garment. These verses tell us that the king went into the wedding hall and saw someone who was not wearing a wedding garment. And the king asked, “How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?” And he was silent. The story says that the man was bound hands and feet and thrown into the darkness outside. Then the story concludes: “Many are invited but not all are chosen.” Some scholars think that it is a second parable which was added to lessen the impression which one has after the first parable, which speaks about “the good and the bad” who enter into the feast (Mt 22:10). Even if one admits that it is not the observance of the Law which gives us salvation, but rather faith in the gratuitous love of God, that in no way diminishes the need for purity of heart as a prerequisite to be able to appear before God.
4) Personal questions
• Who are the persons who are normally invited to our feasts?
Why? Who are the people who are not invited to our feasts? Why?
• What are the reasons which today prevent many people from participation in society and in the Church? What are some of the excuses that people offer to exclude themselves from the duty to participate in the community? Are those excuses valid?
• What are the reasons which today prevent many people from participation in society and in the Church? What are some of the excuses that people offer to exclude themselves from the duty to participate in the community? Are those excuses valid?
5) Concluding Prayer
Do not thrust me away from Your presence,
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness.
Give me back the joy of Your salvation,
sustain in me a generous spirit. (Ps 51:11-12)
do not take away from me Your spirit of holiness.
Give me back the joy of Your salvation,
sustain in me a generous spirit. (Ps 51:11-12)
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