20TH THRUSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14) - THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
- NHA CHUA CHA
- Aug 22
- 5 min read
FIRST READING - Judg 11:29-39a
“Whoever comes out of the doors of my house, I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.”
A reading from the Book of Judges
29 The spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and Manasseh, and through Mizpah of Gilead as well, and from Mizpah of Gilead he crossed over against the Ammonites. 30 [a]Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, 31 “whoever comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return from the Ammonites in peace shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer him up as a burnt offering.”
32 Jephthah then crossed over against the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his power. 33 He inflicted a very severe defeat on them from Aroer to the approach of Minnith—twenty cities in all—and as far as Abel-keramin. So the Ammonites were brought into subjection by the Israelites. 34 When Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came out to meet him, with tambourine-playing and dancing. She was his only child: he had neither son nor daughter besides her. 35 When he saw her, he tore his garments and said, “Ah, my daughter! You have struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow[b] to the Lord and I cannot take it back.” 36 “Father,” she replied, “you have made a vow to the Lord. Do with me as you have vowed, because the Lord has taken vengeance for you against your enemies the Ammonites.” 37 Then she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Do nothing for two months, that I and my companions may go wander in the mountains to weep for my virginity.” 38 “Go,” he replied, and sent her away for two months. So she departed with her companions and wept for her virginity in the mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, and he did to her as he had vowed.
GOSPEL OF THE DAY - Mt 22:1-14
"Invite to the feast whomever you find."
✠From the Gospel according to Matthew
1 Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying, 2 “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast[b] for his son. 3 [c]He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 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.”’ 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 [d]The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,[e] and the hall was filled with guests. 11 [f]But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. 12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. 13 [g]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.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
20TH THRUSDAY IN ORDINARY TIME - Gospel (Matthew 22:1-14)
THE WORD OF GOD FOR EVERYONE
Dear People of God,
The Word of God in today's Gospel, God wants to tell all mankind the mystery of the Kingdom of Heaven through the parable of a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.
What is the Kingdom of Heaven? The Kingdom of Heaven is the place where God is present—where there is only love, charity, compassion, forgiveness, holiness, and all that is good. Therefore, in today's parable of the "Wedding Banquet," Jesus teaches us that the Kingdom of Heaven is always ready to open its doors to welcome all who live with love, kindness, and forgiveness.
When the king held a banquet to welcome his guests, he invited all the qualified guests to attend the wedding banquet, but all of them refused the king’s invitation. Through this parable, God wanted to tell all mankind that the king is the image of God. He invited all the guests who were considered worthy to enter His Kingdom of Heaven—those who were in the Church. On the condition that they must live to please Him, follow His commandments, and obey His will. However, those noble guests, driven by arrogance and a desire for fame, power, and status, refused the feast of love. They rejected the invitation of the good King—God the Father—and refused to live according to His commandments of love.
However, God is always forgiving and patient; therefore, He continues to invite others to the wedding feast. He welcomes people from all walks of life into the wedding banquet of the Kingdom of Heaven by inscribing the law of love upon each person’s heart, so that all may live according to His commandments, guided by the voice of their conscience. God also revealed:
The image of the king coming to observe the guests at the banquet symbolizes the day when God comes to judge mankind.
The image of the person invited to the wedding feast but not wearing a wedding garment represents someone who has not lived according to God's teachings, has not put on the law of love, has not renewed their souls, and has no charity or forgiveness.
Through the incident of the king expelled the guest from the banquet, God also illustrates that whoever is in His Church and becomes part of the Body of Christ, but does not keep the commandment of love, will likewise be excluded from the Kingdom of Heaven.
Today’s Word of God teaches us that, in order to attend the wedding feast of the Kingdom of Heaven, each person must renew their soul, live in humility and self-denial, and faithfully follow God’s commandments. One must put on the person of Jesus Christ—clothed in the wedding garment of God’s love. Only then will that person be able to partake in the Kingdom of Heaven with Him in the life to come.
Thanks be to God. Amen.
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