Memorial of Saint Pius X, Pope
Lectionary: 422
Lectionary: 422
Thus says the LORD:
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
I will prove the holiness of my great name,
profaned among the nations,
in whose midst you have profaned it.
Thus the nations shall know that I am the LORD, says the Lord GOD,
when in their sight I prove my holiness through you.
For I will take you away from among the nations,
gather you from all the foreign lands,
and bring you back to your own land.
I will sprinkle clean water upon you
to cleanse you from all your impurities,
and from all your idols I will cleanse you.
I will give you a new heart and place a new spirit within you,
taking from your bodies your stony hearts
and giving you natural hearts.
I will put my spirit within you and make you live by my statutes,
careful to observe my decrees.
You shall live in the land I gave your ancestors;
you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Responsorial Psalm PS 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19
R. (Ezekiel 36:25) I will pour clean water on you and wash
away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
A clean heart create for me, O God,
and a steadfast spirit renew within me.
Cast me not out from your presence,
and your Holy Spirit take not from me.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
Give me back the joy of your salvation,
and a willing spirit sustain in me.
I will teach transgressors your ways,
and sinners shall return to you.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
For you are not pleased with sacrifices;
should I offer a burnt offering, you would not accept it.
My sacrifice, O God, is a contrite spirit;
a heart contrite and humbled, O God, you will not spurn.
R. I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.
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.”
“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.”
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."
 Wearing the Right Clothes |
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August 21, 2014. Memorial of Saint Pius X, pope
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Matthew 22: 1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: "The
kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for
his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding
banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ´Tell
those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my
fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the
wedding banquet.´ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm,
another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them,
and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those
murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ´The wedding is
ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets,
and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.´ Those slaves went out
into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the
wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the
guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he
said to him, ´Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?´ And he
was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ´Bind him hand and
foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and
gnashing of teeth.´ For many are called, but few are chosen."
Introductory Prayer: Lord, I believe in you because you have created me to be
with you. I hope in you because you always give me what I need to be with
you. I love you because you continue to invite me, in spite of my reticence
and sinfulness.
Petition: Lord, grant me the grace to value heaven and to live in
such a way that I can get there.
1. How Dare You Not Accept! God invites us to accept freely the
gift of union with him to which he calls us. But, lo and behold, we can use
our freedom badly and not accept the only thing that can truly make us happy.
This occurs when we forget about God, no longer giving him the adoration and
love he deserves as our Creator and Father, putting ourselves in first place,
and becoming the sole criteria for our decisions and actions. This passage
helps us to remember what type of freedom we have. We do not have absolute
freedom. We can’t choose what our end should be. Only God is our end. Our
freedom is limited and consists in being free to choose the means that most
efficaciously help us to reach that end.
2. An Undeserved Invitation: Our possibility of getting to heaven
is truly a gift from God. He invites us even though we are sinners, even
though we don’t take his Son’s death and resurrection seriously, even though
we continue to fall in spite of having all the grace and strength we need to
overcome temptation. St. Paul, in his letter to the Romans, states how hard
it is for a man to give his life for another person (see Romans 4:7).
Maybe he would do it for a very good person. Christ didn’t give his life for
good persons; he gave it for sinners. We should be moved to respond to this
amazing manifestation of love for us: Total adherence to God is the only
worthy response.
3. Dressing for the Occasion: God is good, but he
is not naïve. He won’t let us in to full communion with him if we do not
value it properly. The robe mentioned in the Gospel passage is an image of
the soul. The soul that has been purified and is prepared to enter into
heaven wears a wedding robe. The soul that is full of selfishness and sin is
improperly dressed. It is not a matter of God not having mercy on us. It’s a
matter of the use of our freedom. When we encounter something that has value
and know that it will make us better, we have to appropriate that value
through conscious effort. We have to live up to it. We can’t be indifferent
or superficial regarding heaven. We shouldn’t regard it as just something
possible; it should be an existential need.
Conversation with Christ: Dear Lord, so many times I give more
importance to my own satisfaction than to centering my attention and efforts
on achieving true communion with you. Help me to value your invitation to
reach heaven through a truly Christian life that prefers virtue to sin,
disinterested love to selfishness, humility to pride.
Resolution: Today I will try to work on a virtue that I need so as
to respond to God’s love for me.
By Father José LaBoy, LC
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THURSDAY, AUGUST 21, MATTHEW 22:1-14
(Ezekiel 36:23-28a; Psalm 51)
(Ezekiel 36:23-28a; Psalm 51)
KEY VERSE: "Many are invited but few are chosen" (v 14)
READING: 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 there 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 condition for entering God's kingdom. Whoever rejected God's offer of divine grace, would find themselves excluded from the reign of God.
REFLECTING: Have I failed to heed God's call in my life?
PRAYING: Lord, Jesus, help me to prepare myself for your heavenly banquet.
Memorial of Pius X, pope
Giuseppe Melchore Sarto was born in 1835, in Riese near Venice. He entered the seminary in Padua, and was ordained at the age of 23. Due to his pastoral and administrative abilities, his bishop named him spiritual director of the diocesan major seminary and chancellor of the archdiocese. After nine years as bishop he was transferred to Venice as the city's patriarch and cardinal. After the death of Leo XIII the conclave of 1903 elected Cardinal Sarto pope despite his own hesitancy to accept the office of Vicar of Christ. The new pope assumed the name Pius X taking as his motto the passage from Paul, "To restore all things in Christ, that Christ might be all and in all" (I Cor. 15:28), a goal which was particularly important during that period of the Church's emergence into the modern world. During his eleven-year pontificate, Pius confronted many crucial issues facing the Church. His profound devotion to the Blessed Sacrament prompted a universal appeal to all Catholics to a frequent and fervent reception of Holy Communion. He also exhorted catechists to prepare the young for an early, knowledgeable reception of the Eucharist. It was also his love for the liturgy which caused him to be remembered as the pope who began modern liturgical reform. He founded the Pontifical Institute of Sacred Music dedicated to keeping alive the valuable treasures of Catholic liturgical music. Pius was also instrumental in urging sound Biblical scholarship, which led him to found the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome which, to this day, is an important source of scholarship. His sorrow over the international conflict that led to Word War I led to his death on August 20, 1914, at the age of 79. He was canonized St. Pius X on May 31, 1954. He was the first pope in modern times to be canonized. His will read: "I was born poor; I lived poor; I wish to die poor."
I will pour clean water on you and
wash away all your sins
Restore to me the joy of your salvation.Reformation and restoration are at the heart of God’s desire to win his people to himself and bring them back to the loving relationship he deeply desires. David’s psalm is a moving prayer of repentance after his transgressions as he throws himself on God’s mercy to create a clean heart. In the gospel, the people invited to the wedding are too busy with worldly affairs and so are deaf to the call to join the heavenly feast. What is my response? Am I willing to come and put on the clothes of a pure and loving relationship—the life God is calling me to enjoy? Lord, let your will be done in my innermost being so that transformation may begin in me as in David.
MINUTE MEDITATIONS
A Love So Deep
If we have been saved and sustained by a love so deep that death itself
couldn’t destroy it, then that love will see us through whatever darkness we
are experiencing in our lives.
August
21
St. Pius X
(1835-1914)
St. Pius X
(1835-1914)
Pope Pius X is perhaps best remembered for his encouragement of
the frequent reception of Holy Communion, especially by children.
The
second of 10 children in a poor Italian family, Joseph Sarto became Pius X at
68, one of the 20th century’s greatest popes.
Ever
mindful of his humble origin, he stated, “I was born poor, I lived poor, I will
die poor.” He was embarrassed by some of the pomp of the papal court. “Look how
they have dressed me up,” he said in tears to an old friend. To another, “It is
a penance to be forced to accept all these practices. They lead me around
surrounded by soldiers like Jesus when he was seized in Gethsemani.”
Interested
in politics, he encouraged Italian Catholics to become more politically
involved. One of his first papal acts was to end the supposed right of
governments to interfere by veto in papal elections—a practice that reduced the
freedom of the 1903 conclave which had elected him.
In 1905,
when France renounced its agreement with the Holy See and threatened
confiscation of Church property if governmental control of Church affairs were
not granted, Pius X courageously rejected the demand.
While he
did not author a famous social encyclical as his predecessor had done, he
denounced the ill treatment of indigenous peoples on the plantations
of Peru, sent a relief commission to Messina after an earthquake and sheltered
refugees at his own expense.
On the
11th anniversary of his election as pope, Europe was plunged into World War I.
Pius had foreseen it, but it killed him. “This is the last affliction the Lord
will visit on me. I would gladly give my life to save my poor children from
this ghastly scourge.” He died a few weeks after the war began and was
canonized in 1954.
Comment:
His humble background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he loved genuinely. He gained his strength, his gentleness and warmth for people from the source of all gifts, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast, we often feel embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position, on the other hand, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we, too, have to help “restore all things in Christ,” especially the wounded people of God.
His humble background was no obstacle in relating to a personal God and to people whom he loved genuinely. He gained his strength, his gentleness and warmth for people from the source of all gifts, the Spirit of Jesus. In contrast, we often feel embarrassed by our backgrounds. Shame makes us prefer to remain aloof from people whom we perceive as superior. If we are in a superior position, on the other hand, we often ignore simpler people. Yet we, too, have to help “restore all things in Christ,” especially the wounded people of God.
Quote:
Describing Pius X, a historian wrote that he was “a man of God who knew the unhappiness of the world and the hardships of life, and in the greatness of his heart wanted to comfort everyone.”
Describing Pius X, a historian wrote that he was “a man of God who knew the unhappiness of the world and the hardships of life, and in the greatness of his heart wanted to comfort everyone.”
LECTIO DIVINA:
MATTHEW 22,1-14
Lectio:
Thursday, August 21, 2014
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 began to speak to them in parables once again, 'The
kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son's
wedding. He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they
would not come. Next he sent some more servants with the words, "Tell
those who have been invited: Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen and
fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the
wedding." But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another
to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed
them. The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers
and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, "The wedding is ready;
but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, go to the main crossroads
and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."
So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
For many are invited but not all are chosen.'
So these servants went out onto the roads and collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, "How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?" And the man was silent. Then the king said to the attendants, "Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside, where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth."
For many are invited but not all 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 result from the point of view of each Evangelist. 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 to be very alive. The Jews had ancient norms which
prevented them from eating together with the pagans. Even entering into the
Christian communities, many Jews kept the ancient custom of not sitting at the
same table with the pagans. Thus, Peter had conflicts in the communities of
Jerusalem, because he had entered the house of Cornelius, a pagan, and for
having eaten together with him (Ac 11, 3). This same problem existed, though in
a diverse way, in the communities of Luke and of Matthew. In Luke’s community,
in spite of the difference in race, of class and of gender, they had a great
ideal of sharing and of communion (Ac 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 cripple,
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’ Gospel. It succeeds in saying
that the master of the feast orders to let the “good and the bad” enter (Mt 22,
10). But at the end, he adds another parable (Mt 22, 11-14) concerning the
wedding garment, which insists on that which is specific of 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 affirmation can serve even as a key for the reading, because it helps one to understand some strange points which appear in the story which Jesus is telling. 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 affirmation 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 insisting 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, maltreated them and killed them". In Luke what prevents them form 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 persons had the right and even the duty not to accept the invitation they had received (cf. Dt 20, 5-7).
• Matthew 22 7: An incomprehensible war! The reaction of the king before the refusal is surprising. “Then the king was furious and he despatched 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. Many times, Jesus had 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 round 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 the prevision of Jesus. Forty years later, Jerusalem was destroyed (Lk 19, 41-44; 21, 6;).
• Matthew 22, 8-10: The banquet was not cancelled. 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 collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with gusts.” The bad who were excluded because they were considered to be impure from participation in the worship with the Jews, 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. And the story concludes: “Many are invited but not all are chosen”. Some scholars think that it is a question of 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 condition 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 affirmation can serve even as a key for the reading, because it helps one to understand some strange points which appear in the story which Jesus is telling. 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 affirmation 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 insisting 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, maltreated them and killed them". In Luke what prevents them form 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 persons had the right and even the duty not to accept the invitation they had received (cf. Dt 20, 5-7).
• Matthew 22 7: An incomprehensible war! The reaction of the king before the refusal is surprising. “Then the king was furious and he despatched 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. Many times, Jesus had 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 round 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 the prevision of Jesus. Forty years later, Jerusalem was destroyed (Lk 19, 41-44; 21, 6;).
• Matthew 22, 8-10: The banquet was not cancelled. 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 collected together everyone they could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with gusts.” The bad who were excluded because they were considered to be impure from participation in the worship with the Jews, 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. And the story concludes: “Many are invited but not all are chosen”. Some scholars think that it is a question of 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 condition 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 persons who are not invited to our feasts? Why?
• Which are the reasons which today prevent many persons from participation in society and in the Churchy? Which are some of the reasons that persons give to exclude themselves from the duty to participate in the community? Are those reasons just?
• Which are the reasons which today prevent many persons from participation in society and in the Churchy? Which are some of the reasons that persons give to exclude themselves from the duty to participate in the community? Are those reasons just?
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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