28
TH
Sunday in Ordinary Time (Cycle A)
–
October 12, 2008Scripture ReadingsFirst
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Second
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel
Matthew 22:1-14Prepared by: Fr. Peter John Cameron, O.P.1.
Subject Matter
The meaning of ―salvation‖—
we recognize salvation because it corresponds to what our
heart has always ―looked for‖
The care and Providence of God
The meaning of the ―wedding feast‖
2.
Exegetical Notes
―Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us! This is the Lord for whom we l
ooked; let us
rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!‖ –
―In Isaiah 25:9, God is praised for keeping the
promises, for carrying out the plans formed in the beginning. There was long waiting, to be
sure; more than one generation asked the question, ‗How long, O Lord, will you tarry?‘ But onthe day of deliverance, the faithful will say, ‗This is the Lord for whom we have waited; let usbe glad and rejoice in his salvation.‘ The verse parallels the word of Psalm 9. In the song the
people affirm that God is theirs, that they have waited in the expectation that he would save
them, and they rejoice in that salvation.‖ (NIB)
―I can do all things in him who strengthens me‖ –
―Christ gives to his apostle the power to
endure all things for the sake of the spread of
the Gospel‖ (J. Fitzmyer).
―Tell those invited: Everything is ready; come to the feast‖ –
―The key to the meaning is the
reference to the forgotten wedding garment (
endyma gamou
), which is from the same root asthe word for putting on clothes (
endyein
). I
n the Pauline literature the image of ‗putting on‘ is
used frequently for assuming a definite way of life
‖
(J.R. Donahue).3.
References to the Catechism of the Catholic Church
234
The whole history of salvation is identical with the history of the way and the means bywhich the one true God, Father, Son and Holy Spirit, reveals himself to men "and reconcilesand unites with himself those who turn away from sin".
851
God "desires all men to be saved and to come to the knowledge of the truth"; that is,God wills the salvation of everyone through the knowledge of the truth. Salvation is found inthe truth. Those who obey the prompting of the Spirit of truth are already on the way ofsalvation. But the Church, to whom this truth has been entrusted, must go out to meet theirdesire, so as to bring them the truth. Because she believes in God's universal plan ofsalvation, the Church must be missionary.
1460
We who can do nothing ourselves, as if just by ourselves, can do all things with thecooperation of "him who strengthens" us. Thus man has nothing of which to boast, but all ourboasting is in Christ . . . in whom we make satisfaction by bringing forth "fruits that befitrepentance." These fruits have their efficacy from him, by him they are offered to the Father,and through him they are accepted by the Father.
1027
This mystery of blessed communion with God and all who are in Christ is beyond allunderstanding and description. Scripture speaks of it in images: life, light, peace, weddingfeast, wine of the kingdom, the Father's house, the heavenly Jerusalem, paradise: "no eyehas seen, nor ear heard, nor the heart of man conceived, what God has prepared for thosewho love him."
1329
The Lord's Supper, because of its connection with the supper which the Lord took withhis disciples on the eve of his Passion and because it anticipates the wedding feast of theLamb in the heavenly Jerusalem.
1612
The nuptial covenant between God and his people Israel had prepared the way for thenew and everlasting covenant in which the Son of God, by becoming incarnate and giving hislife, has united to himself in a certain way all mankind saved by him, thus preparing for "thewedding-feast of the Lamb."
4.
Patristic Commentary and Other Authorities
St. Gregory the Great: ―Any
one who has been able to reach out for the truth has been on fire
with this love. For this reason David said, ‗My soul has thirsted for the living God; when shall Icome and appear before the face of God.‘ It is right that the soul, after bearing in its he
art awound of love brought on by its burning desire, should reach out for healing at the sight ofthe doctor. The heart of a person who does not seek the face of his Creator is hardened byhis wickedness, because in itself it remains cold. But if it now begins to burn with the desireof following him whom he loves, it runs since the fire of love has melted it. It finds nothingagreeable outside of its Creator; things that one delighted the heart afterwards become
grievously oppressive.‖
St. Augustine: ―Wha
t is that sufficiency which we shall possess when we shall have notneed? God will give his glory to us so that we may enjoy it. God himself will be the entiresufficiency which we shall possess as our own. What does anyone, for whom God is notenough, seek from God?
St. Augustine: ―All sorts of people indeed can suffer poverty, but to know how to suffer
poverty is a mark of greatness. Likewise, who is there who may not abound? But to knowhow to abound belongs to none but those who are not corrupted by abu
ndance.‖
St. John Chyrsostom: ―Any achievement I have had belongs not to me but to the One whogave me strength.‖
Ambrosiaster: ―It is indeed the glory of Jesus Christ when by the will of God the desires of
Christians are fulfilled in accordance with the t
eaching of the Gospel.‖
St. Gregory the Great: ―The Father made a marriage feast for his Son by joining the Churchto him through the mystery of his Incarnation.‖
St. Maximos the Confessor: ―Indeed, God‘s desire for our salvation is the primary and
preeminent sign of his infinite goodness, and it was precisely in order to show that there is
nothing closer to God‘s heart that the divine Word of God the Father, with untold
condescension, lived among us in the flesh, and that he died, suffered, and said all that wasnecessary to reconcile us to God the Father when we were at enmity with him, and to restoreus to the life of blessedness from which we had been exiled.
‖
St. Gregory the Great: ―The one who sees himself despised when he issues the invitations
will not have the marriage feast of his son the king empty. He sends for others, because
although God‘s word is in danger from some, it will find a place to come to rest. Often it isthose who meet no prosperity in their earthly actions who come readily to God.‖
Apollinaris: ―But grace is even given to the rejected and outcast, to the evil and to the good, if
it is that they really obey the calling to do good, having clothed themselves with the new
humanity.‖
St. Augustine: ―The garment that is required is in the
heart, not on the body. The wedding
garment is charity from a pure heart, a good conscience, and a faith unfeigned.‖
St. Gregory the Great: ―What then must we understand by the wedding garment but love? Hemay have faith, but he does not have love.‖
Vener
able John Henry Newman: ―Christ made his feast for the poor, the maimed, the lame,
and the blind. It is the widow and the fatherless, the infirm, the helpless, the devoted, boundtogether in prayer, who are the strength of the Church. It is their prayers, be they many orfew, the prayer of Mary and such as Mary, who are safety, under Christ, of those who fight
the Lord‘s battles.‖
Fr. Hans Urs von Balthasar: ―Thanksgiving arises from the Church, who becomes a bride by
means of the meal. The Father gives his last and best; he has nothing better. Therefore, hewho scorns this most precious gift can expect nothing more. He judges himself, he falls intoruin. There are two forms of scorning the invitation. There are two forms of scorning theinvitation. The first form is indifference: those invited care nothing for the grace offeredthem
—
they have better things to do, their earthly business is more pressing. But since Godhas entered into a covenant with man, he cannot tolerate this sort of contempt for his offer.The second form of unworthiness is that of the man who strolls into the EucharisticCelebration as if entering a pub. God bestows things on us without measure. But he doesthis to the end that we will learn to give ourselves without calculating, without stinginess. Thebest thanks, the thanksgiving that makes God happiest, is that we absorb something of thespirit of self-
giving sacrifice, understand it, and implement it.‖
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