Thursday, August 22, 2013
20th Week in Ordinary Time
First Reading: Jdg 11: 29-39
Gospel Reading:
Mt 22:1-14
Jesus began to address the chief priests and elders of the people, once more using parables:
“This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.
“Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests: ‘I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and others to their work. While the rest seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.
“The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’
“The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.
“The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment. So he said to him: ‘Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?’ But the man remained silent. So the king said to his servants: ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’
“Know that many are called, but few are chosen.”
D@iGITAL-EXPERIENCE (Daily Gospel in the Assimilated Life Experience)
There is a standing invitation to salvation for all. But there are few takers because of onerous conditions like the reconstruction of one’s hierarchy of values. Just as wrong values led people away from the king’s banquet, so we will end up giving up heaven for the fleeting consolations of this world if we fail to align our values with those of Christ.
Another onerous condition is the donning of the new man. Baptism has clothed all of us in Christ (Gal. 3:27) and has pre-qualified us to salvation. Donning the new man is a continuing requirement that commits us to the promises we had made at baptism. Just as the king in the parable booted out the improperly dressed guest, so we will be ejected and end up gnashing our teeth in the dark if we renege on our baptismal promises.
There is a standing invitation to salvation for all. But unless we overhaul our value system, we will lose our reserved seats to prostitutes and criminals who will find their way to heaven ahead of us. – Rev. Fr. Dan Domingo P. delos Angeles, Jr., DM. Email: [email protected]. Website: www.frdan.org.
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