MY daily reflection and prayer:
Thursday, August 20, 2015
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to Matthew 22:1-14
Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying, “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his slaves to call those who had been invited to the wedding banquet, but they would not come. Again he sent other slaves, saying, ‘Tell those who have been invited: Look, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready; come to the wedding banquet.’ But they made light of it and went away, one to his farm, another to his business, while the rest seized his slaves, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged. He sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his slaves, ‘The wedding is ready, but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore into the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.’ Those slaves went out into the streets and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad; so the wedding hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing a wedding robe, and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?’ And he was speechless. Then the king said to the attendants, ‘Bind him hand and foot, and throw him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.’ For many are called, but few are chosen.”
This is the Gospel of the Lord. Praise to you Lord Jesus Christ.
***
THE Gospel today tells us Jesus’ parable that the kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. Everyone was invited to the wedding banquet.
With this parable, Jesus Christ gives us a sense of the heaven that he is preparing for us. He wants to celebrate with us in eternity. He wants us to have a glimpse of the joy with him in heaven.
Unfortunately, although he invites us, our response is not what he has hoped for. We sometimes rejected his generosity. We prefer our own less-than-stellar lives over accepting the invitation and participating in his rejoicing.
In the Holy Mass, before receiving Jesus’ Body and Blood we pray, “Lord I’m not worthy to receibe you but only say ths word andvI shall be healed.” In the Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist we can recite the same prayer. There while worshipping him, we let him sanctify us.
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, the gift of heaven you have gained for us is beyond any merit of our own. It shows us how great your generosity is. May we strive each day to respond to and accept with joyful humility all the graces you want to give us, even when it is most difficult for us. May we accept willingly any difficulty and hardship that comes our way to respond to your love everyday. Help us to prepare to be received into your heavenly kingdom now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
