READING OF THE DAY First reading from the Book of Isaiah IS 25:6-10A
On this mountain the LORD of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines, juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines. On this mountain he will destroy the veil that veils all peoples, the web that is woven over all nations; he will destroy death forever. The Lord GOD will wipe away the tears from every face; the reproach of his people he will remove from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken. On that day it will be said: "Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the LORD for whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!" For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Second reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Philippians 2PHIL 4:12-14, 19-20
Brothers and sisters: I know how to live in humble circumstances; I know also how to live with abundance. In every circumstance and in all things I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry, of living in abundance and of being in need. I can do all things in him who strengthens me. Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY From the Gospel according to Matthew MT 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and 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 he 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. The king 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."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER God’s goodness has no bounds and discriminates against no one. For this reason the banquet of the Lord’s gifts is universal, for everyone. Everyone is given the opportunity to respond to His invitation, to His call; no one has the right to feel privileged or to claim an exclusive right. All of this induces us to break the habit of conveniently placing ourselves at the centre, as did the High Priests and the Pharisees. This must not be done; we must open ourselves to the peripheries, also acknowledging that, at the margins too, even one who is cast aside and scorned by society is the object of God’s generosity. (Angelus, 12 October 2014)
S. FAUSTI - "My friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?", asks the king to one who has responded to the invitation to the wedding, but does not have a wedding robe. Those who participate in the wedding of the Son are the Christians who have welcomed the Messiah. It is not enough, however, to have said yes: not those who say "Lord Lord" will enter the Kingdom, but those who do the Father's will (7:21). In our midst, as well as in us, there is always a darnel in addition to wheat. What we read about murderous winegrowers also is valid for us. Biblical narratives are not a window on the courtyard of the past, to see what happened then. They are rather a mirror, which shows what is happening now in the reader. The story, like a mirror, permits us to see what we would never see otherwise: our face (Jc 1,23-25). This parable is a development of the previous one, where it is said that the same fate is for anyone who is confronted with the discarded stone. What Israel has done, so does the Church. It is a call to responsibility: to be part of God's people was not, is not and never will be a talisman of salvation. On the contrary, salvation comes from recognizing that we are equal to our fathers. It is not enough to say : "We have Abraham for a father"; we must bear fruits worthy of conversion, knowing that the Lord can make of our heart of stone a heart of son. On one condition, however . That we recognize that we are like the brother who says yes and does not, to become like the one who knows how to say no and then repents of it. To be called and to have answered does not mean to be automatically saved. We are all called; "chosen" is one who freely chooses to respond to the call not with words, but with facts and in truth, renewed when the banquet is ready, followed by rejection: it is the synthesis of the previous story that tells the story of the people of Israel from the exodus until the time of His Messiah. There is a new invitation, made again to Israel, which is that of the Apostles after the death of Jesus; in it is repeated the rejection, indifferent or violent. This rejection of one part of Israel becomes an opportunity of salvation for the others. The invitation is addressed to everyone, until the banquet hall is full. These diners constitute the Church, where, however, as everywhere, there are good and bad ones. The second part reminds us that in order to be part of the people who welcome the discarded stone, we must first accept to be among those who reject it: we are like the one without the wedding robe. Only in this way can we be among those who, listening to Peter who says: "That Jesus whom you have crucified is Christ and Lord". ...they feel their hearts pierced and convert themselves. We must experience that the Lord has come to save sinners, "of whom I am the first", as Paul says (1 Tim 1:15). Then we know the love of the Son who died for us, because we live of Him : we participate in the banquet with the wedding robe.
READING OF THE DAY
RispondiEliminaFirst reading from the Book of Isaiah
IS 25:6-10A
On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from every face;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.
Second reading from the second letter of St. Paul to the Philippians
2PHIL 4:12-14, 19-20
Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.
My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY
From the Gospel according to Matthew
MT 22:1-14
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and 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 he 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.
The king 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."
WORDS OF THE HOLY FATHER
God’s goodness has no bounds and discriminates against no one. For this reason the banquet of the Lord’s gifts is universal, for everyone. Everyone is given the opportunity to respond to His invitation, to His call; no one has the right to feel privileged or to claim an exclusive right. All of this induces us to break the habit of conveniently placing ourselves at the centre, as did the High Priests and the Pharisees. This must not be done; we must open ourselves to the peripheries, also acknowledging that, at the margins too, even one who is cast aside and scorned by society is the object of God’s generosity. (Angelus, 12 October 2014)
RispondiEliminaS. FAUSTI - "My friend, how did you get in here without a wedding robe?", asks the king to one who has responded to the invitation to the wedding, but does not have a wedding robe. Those who participate in the wedding of the Son are the Christians who have welcomed the Messiah. It is not enough, however, to have said yes: not those who say "Lord Lord" will enter the Kingdom, but those who do the Father's will (7:21). In our midst, as well as in us, there is always a darnel in addition to wheat. What we read about murderous winegrowers also is valid for us.
Biblical narratives are not a window on the courtyard of the past, to see what happened then. They are rather a mirror, which shows what is happening now in the reader.
The story, like a mirror, permits us to see what we would never see otherwise: our face (Jc 1,23-25).
This parable is a development of the previous one, where it is said that the same fate is for anyone who is confronted with the discarded stone. What Israel has done, so does the Church.
It is a call to responsibility:
to be part of God's people was not, is not and never will be a talisman of salvation.
On the contrary, salvation comes from recognizing that we are equal to our fathers.
It is not enough to say : "We have Abraham for a father"; we must bear fruits worthy of conversion, knowing that the Lord can make of our heart of stone a heart of son.
On one condition, however . That we recognize that we are like the brother who says yes and does not, to become like the one who knows how to say no and then repents of it.
To be called and to have answered does not mean to be automatically saved.
We are all called; "chosen" is one who freely chooses to respond to the call not with words, but with facts and in truth, renewed when the banquet is ready, followed by rejection: it is the synthesis of the previous story that tells the story of the people of Israel from the exodus until the time of His Messiah.
There is a new invitation, made again to Israel, which is that of the Apostles after the death of Jesus; in it is repeated the rejection, indifferent or violent. This rejection of one part of Israel becomes an opportunity of salvation for the others. The invitation is addressed to everyone, until the banquet hall is full.
These diners constitute the Church, where, however, as everywhere, there are good and bad ones.
The second part reminds us that in order to be part of the people who welcome the discarded stone, we must first accept to be among those who reject it: we are like the one without the wedding robe.
Only in this way can we be among those who, listening to Peter who says: "That Jesus whom you have crucified is Christ and Lord". ...they feel their hearts pierced and convert themselves.
We must experience that the Lord has come to save sinners, "of whom I am the first", as Paul says (1 Tim 1:15). Then we know the love of the Son who died for us, because
we live of Him : we participate in the banquet with the wedding robe.