DAILY READING and REFLECTIONS For Sunday, October 12, 2014 28th Week in Ordinary Time - Psalter 4 (Green4) Readings: Is 25:6-10; Ps 23:1-6; Phil 4:12-20; Mt 22:1-14 Response: I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my lfe. Rosary: Glorious Mysteries Verse Highlight: Many are chosen, few are called. SAINT OF THE DAY: Saint Wilfrid Birth: 633 - Death: 710 Born in Northumberland in 634, St. Wilfrid was educated at Lindesfarne and then spent some time in Lyons and Rome. Returning to England, he was elected abbot of Ripon in 658 and introduced the Roman rules and practices in opposition to the celtic ways of northern England. In 664, he was the architect of the definitive victory of the Roman party at the Conference of Whitby. He was appointed Bishop of York and after some difficulty finally took possession of his See in 669. He labored zealously and founded many monasteries of the Benedictine Order, but he was obliged to appeal to Rome in order to prevent the subdivision of his diocese by St. Theodore, Archbishop of Canterbury. While waiting for the case to be decided, he was forced to go into exile, and worked hard and long to evangelize the heathen south Saxons until his recall in 686. In 691, he had to retire again to the Midlands until Rome once again vindicated him. In 703, he resigned his post and retired to his monastery at Ripon where he spent his remaining time in prayer and penitential practices, until his death in 709. St. Wilfrid was an outstanding personage of his day, extremely capable and possessed of unbounded courage, remaining firm in his convictions despite running afoul of civil and ecclesiastical authorities. He helped bring the discipline of the English Church into line with that of Rome. He was also a dedicated pastor and a zealous and skilled missionary; his brief time spent in Friesland in 678-679 was the starting point for the great English mission to the Germanic peoples of continental Europe. READINGS FROM THE NEW AMERICAN BIBLE: READING 1, Isaiah 25:6-10 6 On this mountain, for all peoples, Yahweh Sabaoth is preparing a banquet of rich food, a banquet of fine wines, of succulent food, of well-strained wines. 7 On this mountain, he has destroyed the veil which used to veil all peoples, the pall enveloping all nations; 8 he has destroyed death for ever. Lord Yahweh has wiped away the tears from every cheek; he has taken his peoples shame away everywhere on earth, for Yahweh has spoken. 9 And on that day, it will be said, Look, this is our God, in him we put our hope that he should save us, this is Yahweh, we put our hope in him. Let us exult and rejoice since he has saved us. 10 For Yahwehs hand will rest on this mountain, and Moab will be trodden under his feet as straw is trodden into the dung-heap. RESPONSORIAL PSALM, Psalms 23:1-3, 3-4, 5, 6 1 [Psalm Of David] Yahweh is my shepherd, I lack nothing. 2 In grassy meadows he lets me lie. By tranquil streams he leads me 3 to restore my spirit. He guides me in paths of saving justice as befits his name. 4 Even were I to walk in a ravine as dark as death I should fear no danger, for you are at my side. Your staff and your crook are there to soothe me. 5 You prepare a table for me under the eyes of my enemies; you anoint my head with oil; my cup brims over. 6 Kindness and faithful love pursue me every day of my life. I make my home in the house of Yahweh for all time to come. READING 2, Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 12 I know how to live modestly, and I know how to live luxuriously too: in every way now I have mastered the secret of all conditions: full stomach and empty stomach, plenty and poverty. 13 There is nothing I cannot do in the One who strengthens me. 14 All the same, it was good of you to share with me in my hardships. 19 And my God will fulfil all your needs out of the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. 20 And so glory be to God our Father, for ever and ever. Amen. GOSPEL, Matthew 22:1-14 1 Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again, 2 The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his sons wedding. 3 He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. 4 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. 5 But they were not interested: one went off to his farm, another to his business, 6 and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them. 7 The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderers and burnt their town. 8 Then he said to his servants, The wedding is ready; but as those who were invited proved to be unworthy, 9 go to the main crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding. 10 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. 11 When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, 12 and said to him, How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment? And the man was silent. 13 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. 14 For many are invited but not all are chosen. REFLECTIONS: Ad Majorem Dei Gloriam (To the Greater Glory of God) OPENING PRAYER: Spirit of truth, sent by Jesus to guide us to the whole truth, enlighten our minds so that we may understand the Scriptures. You who overshadowed Mary and made her fruitful ground where the Word of God could germinate, purify our hearts from all obstacles to the Word. Help us to learn like her to listen with good and pure hearts to the Word that God speaks to us in life and in Scripture, so that we may observe the Word and produce good fruit through our perseverance. Amen. ON READING 1: Isaiah 25:6-10a (The Lords Banquet, songs of Salvation) The Lord has prepared a special feast for all the nations on Mount Zion. There he will provide succulent food and fine wine – a symbolic reference to the divine fare that God will provide and which surpasses anything that man could imagine. These words prefigure the Eucharistic banquet, instituted by Jesus in Jerusalem, in which he provides divine nourishment, his own Body and Blood, which strengthens the soul and is a pledge of future glory: To share in the Lords Supper is to anticipate the eschatological feast of the marriage of the Lamb (Rev 19:9). Celebrating this memorial of Christ, risen and ascended into heaven, the Christian community waits in joyful hope for the coming of our Saviour, Jesus Christ John Paul II, Dies Domini, 38). The saints often encourage us to bear this in mind when we receive the Eucharist: It is an eternal pledge to us; it assures us of a place in heaven; it is a guarantee that one day heaven will be our home. Moreover, Jesus Christ will raise up our bodies in glory, in accordance with how often and with what dignity we have received his Body in Holy Communion (St. John Baptist Mary Vianney, Sermon on Holy Communion). Death ( v. 8 ) is a metaphor for the definitive destruction of Israel: God gives an assurance that it will never happen. Also, St Paul quotes this verse when he rejuices that the resurrection of Christ marks the definitive victory over death (1 Cor 15:54-55), and it appears also in the book of Revelation, when it proclaims the salvation that has been wrought by the Lamb who has died and risen again: he will wipe away every tear from their eyes, and death shall be no more, neither shall there be mourning nor crying nor pain anymore, for the former things have passed away (Rev 21:4; cf. also Rev 7:17). The Church, too, speaks in similar vein in its prayer for the dead, beseeching God to receive them into his Kingdom There we hope to share in your glory when every tear will be wiped away. On that day we shall see you, our God, as you are. We shall become like you and praise you forever through Christ our Lord, from whom all good things come (Roman Missal, Eucharistic Prayer III). After the celebration of the banquet prepared by God, two hymns are intoned that will be sung on that day. The first praises the Lord: he is faithful; those who put their hope of salvation in him will never be disappointed, whereas Moab will be laid low on account of its pride (25:9-12). The second hymn returns (cf. 25:1-5) to the theme of praise of the Lord for giving refuge to the poor and needy (26:1-6). ON READING 2: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20 (Thanks for Help Received - Continued) Gratitude is a very characteristic feature of Christian life; in this passage we can see the noble soul of St Paul, ever appreciative of any sign of affection and thoughtfulness. It also shows what great confidence St Paul had in the Philippians; from them alone did he accept help, for his general policy was not to accept material aid so as to leave no one in any doubt about the purity of his intentions in preaching the Gospel (cf. 1 Cor 9:18 ; 2 Cor 12:14-18 ). This meant that he was also practicing the virtue of poverty, being content with what he had. Financial resources do make a persons life easier and by helping us meet our material needs they allow us to cultivate friendship with God and go to the help of others, but these resources are not an end in themselves; they are only a means. Therefore there is nothing essentially bad about not having money or property: one can get to heaven without them. However, if a person is well-to-do and is attached to his wealth, that is bad. That is what St Paul is saying. If you want to be your own masters at all times, I advise you to make a very real effort to be detached from everything, and to do so without fear or hesitation. Then, when you go about your various duties, whether personal, family or otherwise, make honest use of legitimate human resources with a view to serving God, his Church, your family, your profession, your country, and the whole of mankind. Remember that what really matters is not whether you have this or lack that, but whether you are living according to the truth taught us by our Christian faith, which tells us that created goods are only a means, nothing more. So, do not be beguiled into imagining that they are in any way definitive (St. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 118). In him who strengthens me: the proposition in often refers to the place where, in which case the text would mean that the person who lives in Christ, who is identified with him, can do all things. However, in biblical Greek it frequently has a causal meaning, in which case the Apostle would be saying that he can do all things because God lends him his strength. The difficulties which can arise in apostolic work or in ones search for personal holiness are not an insuperable obstacle, for we can always count on Gods support. So, we need to let ourselves be helped; we need to go to the Lord whenever we are tempted or feel discouraged (Thou art the God in whom I take refuge: Ps 43:2), humbly recognizing that we need his help, for we can do nothing on our own. St Alphonsus encourages us always to put our trust in God: The proud person relies on his strength and he falls; but the humble person, who puts all his trust in God, holds his ground and does not succumb, no matter how severely he is tempted (The Love of God Reduced to Practice, 9). I have asked you, St. Escriva says, to keep on lifting your eyes up to heaven as you go about your work, because hope encourages us to catch hold of the strong hand which God never ceases to reach out to us, to keep us from losing our supernatural point of view. Let us persevere even when our passions rear up and attack us, attempting to imprison us within the narrow confines of our selfishness; or when puerile vanity makes us think we are the center of the universe. I am convinced that unless I look upward, unless I have Jesus, I shall never accomplish anything. And I know that the strength to conquer myself and to win comes from repeating that cry, I can do all things in him who strengthens me (Phil 4:13), words which reflect Gods firm promise not to abandon his children if they do not abandon him (St. J. Escriva, Friends of God, 213). Using a metaphor taken from commercial life, the Apostle gives us an insight into the value of generosity. He is not asking the Philippians for donations: he can survive without them; he is seeking the good that will redound to them on account of their almsgiving (cf. v. 17): and, given their own limited financial resources, they are in fact being particularly generous (cf. 2 Cor 8:2). Since God is the one who rewards men for their actions, then clearly a person who gives alms ultimately benefits more than he who receives alms. As a reward for their almsgiving the Philippians will receive nothing less than the eternal glory won for us by Christ Jesus. And so St Leo the Great recommends that whoever gives alms should do so with detachment and joy, for the less he keep back for himself, the greater will be his gain (Tenth Lenten Sermon). ON THE GOSPEL: Matthew 22:1-14 (The Parable of the Marriage Feast) The meaning of the parable is quite clear when we read it in its context. It comes straight after another parable on the Realm (21:33-43) and is part of an argument between Jesus and the high priests and the Pharisees on his mission and authority (see 21:23-46). In the preceding parable, the parable on the vineyard, Jesus sums up the history of salvation. God enveloped Israel with special care and hoped that such care would have produced fruit in the shape of a life of faithfulness and justice. From time to time God sent prophets to remind the people of the fruit that God expected, but their mission always met with Israel’s rejection. Finally, God sent his own Son, but they killed him. At this point Jesus says that because Israel continued to reject the Realm, the Realm would therefore pass on to another people, that is, the pagans (21:43). This pronouncement gives us the key to the reading of our parable, which really repeats the message of the previous parable using a different image and with different nuances. We must affirm clearly that both parables can in no way justify the idea that God rejected Israel in favour of the Church. Suffice it to read Romans 9-11 to be convinced of the contrary. Jesus says hard things, prophetic things, to draw his people to repentance and for them to accept him. Besides, the pagans too, the newly invited ones, run the risk of being thrown out if they do not wear the wedding garment. In this parable Jesus reveals how intensely God the Father desires the salvation of all men--the banquet is the Kingdom of heaven --and the mysterious malice that lies in willingly rejecting the invitation to attend, a malice so vicious that it merits eternal punishment. No human arguments make any sense that go against Gods call to conversion and acceptance of faith and its consequences. The Fathers see in the first invitees the Jewish people: in salvation history God addresses himself first to the Israelites and then to all the Gentiles (Acts 13:46). Indifference and hostility cause the Israelites to reject Gods loving call and therefore to suffer condemnation. But the Gentiles also need to respond faithfully to the call they have received; otherwise they will suffer the fate of being cast into outer darkness. The marriage, says St. Gregory the Great (In Evangelia Homiliae, 36) is the wedding of Christ and his Church, and the garment is the virtue of charity: a person who goes into the feast without a wedding garment is someone who believes in the Church but does not have charity. The wedding garment signifies the dispositions a person needs for entering the Kingdom of heaven. Even though he belongs to the Church, if he does not have these dispositions he will be condemned on the day when God judges all mankind. These dispositions essentially mean responding to grace. The banquet of the Realm: The prophets often proclaimed the benefits of salvation and especially those of the eschatological times through the image of a banquet. The first reading of this Sunday (Is 25:6-10a) is an example. Like Jesus, Isaiah too speaks of a banquet prepared by God for all peoples. However, the people of Israel and especially the city of Jerusalem remain at the centre of God’s plan as mediators of the salvation offered by God for all. In the New Testament, however, even though there is an admission that salvation comes from the Jews (Jn 4:22), the only mediator of salvation is Jesus, who continues to exercise his mediation through the community of his disciples, the Church. The wedding garment: It is an insult to the one who has sent the invitation to arrive at the feast wearing ordinary working clothes. It is sign of not giving proper consideration for the occasion to which one is invited. This image, used in the parable on the Realm, wants to convey the idea that one cannot enter the Realm without preparation, and the only preparation is conversion. In fact, to change garment in biblical terms means to change style of life or to be converted (see for instance Rom 13:14; Gal 3:27; Eph 4:20-24). The Second Vatican Council reminds us of the doctrine of the last things, one aspect of which is covered in this verse. Referring to the eschatological dimension of the Church, the Council recalls our Lords warning about being on the watch against the wiles of the devil, in order to resist in the evil day (cf. Eph 6:13). Since we know neither the day nor the hour, we should follow the advice of the Lord and watch constantly so that, when the single course of our earthly life is completed (cf. Heb 9:27), we may merit to enter with him into the marriage feast and be numbered among the blessed (cf. Mt 25:31-46) and not, like the wicked and slothful servants (cf. Mt 25:26), be ordered to depart into the eternal fire (cf. Mt 25:41), into the outer darkness where men will weep and gnash their teeth (Lumen Gentium, 48 ). Many are called but few are chosen: This expression is a Semitism. In the absence of the comparative, biblical Hebrew uses expressions that are based on drastic opposites. Hence this expression says nothing on the numerical relationship between those called into the Church and the elect to eternal life. However, it is also true that the parable makes a distinction between the call to salvation and election and final perseverance. The generosity of the ruler is huge, but we must be serious about the demands of the Realm. The expression is a pressing appeal not to be satisfied with just formal membership among the people of God. We cannot take salvation for granted. Here Jesus follows closely the teaching of the prophets. Recall Jer 7:1-15 and Os 6:1-6. These words in no way conflict with Gods will that all should be saved (cf. 1 Tim 2:4). In his love for men, Christ patiently seeks the conversion of every single soul, going as far as to die on the cross (cf. Mt 23:37; Lk 15:4-7). St Paul teaches this when he says that Christ loved us and gave himself up for us, a fragrant offering and sacrifice to God (Eph 5:2). Each of us can assert with the Apostle that Christ loved me and gave himself for me (Gal 2:20). However, God in his infinite wisdom respects mans freedom: man is free to reject grace (cf. Mt 7:13-14). FINAL PRAYERS: God, Lord of the world and Ruler of all peoples, from the beginning you have prepared a banquet for your children and you wish to gather us around your table to share in your own life. We thank you for having called us into your Church through Jesus your Son. May your Spirit make us ever attentive and ready to continue to accept your invitation and may we, through the same Spirit, put on the new person, created according to God in justice and in true holiness, in the image of Christ, so that we may enter the banquet of your Realm together with a multitude of brothers and sisters. Use us, if you so wish, to continue to call others to the universal banquet of your Realm. We ask this through Christ our Lord. Amen. It is by God’s mercy that we are saved. May we never tire of spreading this joyful message to the world. -- Pope Francis Ignorance of Scripture is ignorance of Christ. -- St. Jerome The Father uttered one Word; that Word is His Son, and He utters Him forever in everlasting silence; and in silence the soul has to hear it. -- St. John of the Cross
Posted on: Sun, 12 Oct 2014 00:01:32 +0000
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