Thursday of the Twentieth Week in
Ordinary Time
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
PsalmPS 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.
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.
GospelMT 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."
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 18,
MATTHEW 22:1-14
Weekday
(Ezekiel 36:23-28; Psalm 51)
Weekday
(Ezekiel 36:23-28; Psalm 51)
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
KEY VERSE: "Many
are invited but few are chosen" (v 14).
Optional Memorial of Saint Alberto Hurtado,
priest
On October 23, 2005, Pope Benedict XVI canonized a new Jesuit saint: Alberto Hurtado Cruchaga, S.J. A native of Chile, Hurtado was born in 1901. After his father died, Hurtado attended Jesuit schools and after military service and law school, he entered the Society of Jesus. In 1927, he was sent to Spain to study theology, but when the Spanish government suppressed the Society in 1932, he went to Belgium where he completed his studies and was ordained. Around 1944 he founded a hospice in Santiago for homeless children called El Hogar de Cristo, meaning “Christ’s Home,” which soon sheltered women and men. A champion of social justice, Hurtado also founded a Chilean trade union movement and started Mensaje, a magazine devoted to the Church’s social teaching. Stricken with pancreatic cancer—and in terrible pain—he was often heard to say, “I am content, Lord.” He died on August 18, 1952.
Thursday 18 August 2016
Thu
18th.
Ezekiel 36:23-28. I will pour clean water on you and
wash away all your sins—Ps 50(51):12-15, 18-19. Matthew 22:1-14.
Today's
readings speak of renewal and restoration: removing a heart of stone, and
replacing it with a heart of flesh. The Psalmist asks God to restore to me the
joy of your salvation, and a willing spirit. With this restoration, I can
delight in the other offerings I make in our life.
The Gospel passage on the wedding banquet reminds me that the nourishment is provided, but few attend. I have the invitation, and everything is provided – but am I showing up to accept God's sustenance, to restore my soul?
The Gospel passage on the wedding banquet reminds me that the nourishment is provided, but few attend. I have the invitation, and everything is provided – but am I showing up to accept God's sustenance, to restore my soul?
MINUTE
MEDITATIONS
|
Power of Prayer
|
True prayer moves us both inward and outward. It changes what we
see, and where we stand. It is cloud and fire, guiding us into the heart of God.
August
18
St. Louis of Toulouse
(1274-1297)
St. Louis of Toulouse
(1274-1297)
When he died at the age of 23, Louis was
already a Franciscan, a bishop and a saint!
Louis’s parents were Charles II of Naples and Sicily
and Mary, daughter of the King of Hungary. Louis was related to St. Louis IX on
his father’s side and to Elizabeth of Hungary on his mother’s side.
Louis showed early signs of attachment to prayer and
to the corporal works of mercy. As a child he used to take food from the castle
to feed the poor. When he was 14, Louis and two of his brothers were taken as
hostages to the king of Aragon’s court as part of a political deal involving
Louis’s father. At the court Louis was tutored by Franciscan friars under whom he
made great progress both in his studies and in the spiritual life. Like St.
Francis he developed a special love for those afflicted with leprosy.
While he was still a hostage, Louis decided to
renounce his royal title and become a priest. When he was 20, he was allowed to
leave the king of Aragon’s court. He renounced his title in favor of his
brother Robert and was ordained the next year. Very shortly after, he was
appointed bishop of Toulouse, but the pope agreed to Louis’s request to become
a Franciscan first.
The Franciscan spirit pervaded Louis. "Jesus
Christ is all my riches; he alone is sufficient for me," Louis kept
repeating. Even as a bishop he wore the Franciscan habit and sometimes begged.
He assigned a friar to offer him correction — in public if necessary — and the
friar did his job.
Louis’s service to the Diocese of Toulouse was richly
blessed. In no time he was considered a saint. Louis set aside 75 percent of
his income as bishop to feed the poor and maintain churches. Each day he fed 25
poor people at his table.
Louis was canonized in 1317 by Pope John XXII, one of
his former teachers.
Comment:
When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops.
When Cardinal Hugolino, the future Pope Gregory IX, suggested to Francis that some of the friars would make fine bishops, Francis protested that they might lose some of their humility and simplicity if appointed to those positions. Those two virtues are needed everywhere in the Church, and Louis shows us how they can be lived out by bishops.
Quote:
"All the faithful were edified by the fervor of his devout celebration of Mass, the efficacy of his deep humility, his tender compassion, his upright life, the harmonious congruity in all his actions, words and bearing. Who without wonderment could look upon a most charming young man, the son of so mighty a king, outstanding for his generosity, raised to such dignity, renowned for his influence, preeminent for humility, living a life of such mortification, endowed with such wisdom, clothed in so poor a habit yet renowned for the charm of his discourse and a shining example of upright life?" (contemporary biography).
"All the faithful were edified by the fervor of his devout celebration of Mass, the efficacy of his deep humility, his tender compassion, his upright life, the harmonious congruity in all his actions, words and bearing. Who without wonderment could look upon a most charming young man, the son of so mighty a king, outstanding for his generosity, raised to such dignity, renowned for his influence, preeminent for humility, living a life of such mortification, endowed with such wisdom, clothed in so poor a habit yet renowned for the charm of his discourse and a shining example of upright life?" (contemporary biography).
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 22,1-14
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, August 18, 2016
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 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 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 guests.” 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 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 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 guests.” 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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