MY daily reflection and prayer:
Thursday, August 18, 2016
Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
Dear my friends,
Here is the Gospel for us today according to St. 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.
***
IN the Gospel reading today, Jesus Christ tells us about the Kingdom of heaven which compared to a king who gives a wedding banquet for his son. He invites us all to come and enjoy his party, wearing the right clothes. What does it mean for us today?
Jesus Christ encourages us that God has created us to be with him. So we hope in him because he always gives us what we need to be with him. We are invited to love him because he continues to invite us, in spite of our reticence and sinfulness. He invites us even though we are sinners.
Being aware of this invitation to enjoy his merciful love, how dare we not accept! Thanks be to God, he invites us to accept freely the gift of union with him to which he calls us.
Perpetual Adoration of the Eucharist is one of his invitation to come to his merciful love. We can use our freedom well to accept it that can truly make us happy. How many times do we forget about God, no longer giving him the adoration and love he deserves as our Creator and Father?
Let’s pray: Lord Jesus Christ, grant us the grace to value heaven and to live in such a way that we can get there. So many times we give more importance to our own satisfaction than to centering our attention and efforts on achieving true communion with you. Help us to value your invitation to reach heaven through a truly Christian life that prefers virtue to sin and humility to pride now and forever. Amen.
Kredit foto: Ilustrasi (Ist)
