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 23, 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: The parables found in the Bible are short stories designed to teach moral lessons. Allegories are extended metaphors where almost every character represents a particular idea, person or event. 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.
Optional Memorial of Saint Rose
of Lima, virgin
Rose was born in Peru to Spanish immigrants to the New World. Her real name was Isabel, but she was such a beautiful baby that she was called Rose. As she grew older, she became more and more beautiful, and one day, her mother put a wreath of flowers on her head to show off her loveliness to friends. But Rose had no desire to be admired, for her heart had been given to Jesus. Rose worked hard to support her poor parents and she humbly obeyed them, except when they tried to get her to marry as she was devoted to her vow of chastity. Rose was a mystic, visionary, and claimed to have received an invisible stigmata, the pain of wounds with no external marks. She had many temptations and there were times when she suffered loneliness and sadness. When God seemed far away, she offered her troubles to God. Many miracles followed her death. She was a lay member of the Dominican Order, and was canonized in 1671 by Clement X, the first person born in the Americas to be so honored by the Catholic Church. Rose of Lima is the patroness of Latin America and the Philippines and is represented wearing a crown of roses.
Thursday 23
August 2018
Ezekiel 36:23-28. Psalm 50(51):12-15, 18-19. Matthew 22:1-14.
I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins—Psalm
50(51):12-15, 18-19.
‘I shall put my spirit in you.’
We can get the message of today’s parable without understanding
all the details. The chance of a lifetime was offered and refused – for
frivolous reasons.
But invitations to that wedding are still being sent out. God
invites everyone to the wedding feast of heaven. My parents accepted on my
behalf when they had me baptised. The Christian life I endeavour to lead tells
God that I am still interested. Even so, it is possible to make a poor
preparation for that great event that will go on forever.
We do not go along to a wedding empty-handed. One brings a gift
to show appreciation of the invitation and friendship. What gifts am I getting
ready now for God?
Saint Rose of Lima
Saint of the Day for August 23
(April 20, 1586 – August 24, 1617)
 |
| Saint Rose of Lima with Child Jesus | anonymous |
Saint Rose of Lima’s Story
The first canonized saint of the New World has one
characteristic of all saints—the suffering of opposition—and another
characteristic which is more for admiration than for imitation—excessive
practice of mortification.
She was born to parents of Spanish descent in Lima, Peru, at a
time when South America was in its first century of evangelization. She seems
to have taken Catherine of Siena as a model, in spite of the objections and
ridicule of parents and friends.
The saints have so great a love of God that what seems bizarre
to us, and is indeed sometimes imprudent, is simply a logical carrying out of a
conviction that anything that might endanger a loving relationship with God
must be rooted out. So, because her beauty was so often admired, Rose used to
rub her face with pepper to produce disfiguring blotches. Later, she wore a
thick circlet of silver on her head, studded on the inside, like a crown of
thorns.
When her parents fell into financial trouble, she worked in the
garden all day and sewed at night. Ten years of struggle against her parents
began when they tried to make Rose marry. They refused to let her enter a
convent, and out of obedience she continued her life of penance and solitude at
home as a member of the Third Order of Saint Dominic. So deep was her
desire to live the life of Christ that she spent most of her time at home in
solitude.
During the last few years of her life, Rose set up a room in the
house where she cared for homeless children, the elderly, and the sick. This
was a beginning of social services in Peru. Though secluded in life and
activity, she was brought to the attention of Inquisition interrogators, who
could only say that she was influenced by grace.
What might have been a merely eccentric life was transfigured
from the inside. If we remember some unusual penances, we should also remember
the greatest thing about Rose: a love of God so ardent that it withstood
ridicule from without, violent temptation, and lengthy periods of sickness.
When she died at 31, the city turned out for her funeral. Prominent men took
turns carrying her coffin.
Reflection
It is easy to dismiss excessive penances of the saints as the
expression of a certain culture or temperament. But a woman wearing a crown of
thorns may at least prod our consciences. We enjoy the most comfort-oriented
life in human history. We eat too much, drink too much, use a million gadgets,
fill our eyes and ears with everything imaginable. Commerce thrives on creating
useless needs on which to spend our money. It seems that when we have become
most like slaves, there is the greatest talk of “freedom.” Are we willing to
discipline ourselves in such an atmosphere?
Saint Rose of Lima is the Patron Saint of:
Americas
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
Florists
Latin America
Peru
Philippines
South America
LECTIO DIVINA: MATTHEW 22:1-14
Lectio Divina:
Thursday, August 23, 2018
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)
Không có nhận xét nào:
Đăng nhận xét