Daily Scripture Reflection & Prayer: August 22, 2024

Date: Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time/Memorial of the Queenship of Mary

Scripture Text:  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."

Breaking the text open – background and summary:

The gospel for today from Matthew recounts Jesus’ parable of the guest invited to the wedding feast. The first part of the parable concerning the king’s invitation, the people’s rejection of his invitation, and their mistreatment of his servants symbolizes the rejection of the prophets and ultimately of Christ, the Son of the Almighty Father. The second group invited to the wedding feast represents the inclusion of others in Christ’s salvific mission. But, opening the door to the feast and being worthy of the feast are not the same. The man who comes but without “changing” will be turned away.

Meditating on the text with personal questions:

How do I respond to the LORD’s invitations daily? Do I accept His invitation to change?

Praying:

LORD, Almighty Father, Beloved Son, Most Holy Spirit, always and everywhere, You call to me to “come.” You set before me the promise of life in abundance with You, but it means I must set down my will for yours, it means I must choose You over my wants in the moment. Help me, LORD, to hear your call, to respond with faith and to open myself to what is possible because of your love. Glory be to the Father, and to the Son, and to the Holy Spirit, as it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen.