August 23, 2012 – Ezekiel 36:23-38 – The Renewal of Israel / Matthew 22:1-14 – The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Ezekiel 36:23-38 – The Renewal of Israel

I will sprinkle clean water upon you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleanness and from all your idols, I will cleanse you. A new heart will give you, and a new spirit I will put within you, and I will remove from your body the heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.….Then you shall remember your evil ways, and your dealings that were not good, and you shall loathe yourselves for your iniquities and your abominable deeds. It is not for your sake that I will act, says the Lord God, let that be known to you, Be ashamed and dismayed for your ways, o house of Israel.

Matthew 22:1-14 – The Parable of the Wedding Banquet

Once more Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave 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…..Then he said to his slaves, ”The wedding is ready but those invited were not worthy. Go therefore in the the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding banquet.” Those slaves went out into the street and gathered all whom they found, both good and bad, so the wedding hall was filled with guests. However, 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.”

 

Father Dan Donovan said that the message of the prophet varies according to the concrete situation to which it is addressed. In the first reading of Ezekiel, God declared that we need renewal of spirituality. Thus, in order to do well, we must become good, which means, we must be renewed in mind, heart, and soul. Create in us a clean heart and renew a right spirit within us. God will not despise a broken and humbled heart. The only way to be transformed within is to give a new heart and mind. We need to exert efforts to do what is right. Christianity is law or moral and our actions are justified by law and by faith in Christ. The sum of God’s messages is LOVE.   

August 22, 2012 – Exequiel 34:1-11 / Matthew 20-1:16

Ezequiel 34:1-11 – Israel’s False Shepherds

Thus says the Lord God, “I am against the shepherds; and I will demand my sheep at their hand, and put a stop to their feeding the sheep; no longer shall the shepherds feed themselves. I will rescue my sheep from their mouths, so that they may not be food for them.

Matthew 20-1:16 – The Labourers in the Vineyard

For the kingdom of heaven is like a landowner who went out early in the morning to hire laborers for his vineyard. After agreeing with the laborers for the usual daily wage, he sent them into his vineyard. When he went out about nine o’clock, he saw others standing idle in the market place; and said to them “You also go into the vineyard, and I will pay you whatever is right.” So they went. When he went out again about noon and about three o’clock, he did the same, and about five o’clock he went out and found others standing around, and he said to them, “Why are you standing here idle all day?” They said to him, “Because no one has hired us.” He said to them you also go into the vineyard. When evening came, the owner of the vineyard said to his anger, “Call the laborers, and give them their pay, beginning the last and then going to the first.” When those hired about five o’clock came, each of them received the usual day wage. Now when the first came, they thought they would receive more; but each of them also received the usual daily wage. And when they received it, they grumbled against the landowner, saying, “These last worked only one hour, and you have made them equal to us who have borne the burden of the day and the scorching heat.” But he replied to them, “Friend, I am doing you no wrong; did you not agree with me for the usual daily wage? Take what belongs to you and go: I choose to give to this last the same as I give to you. Am I not allowed to do what I choose with what belongs to me? Are you envious because I am generous? So the last will be first, and the first will be last.” 

Father Michael Coutts said his reflection about the book of Ezequiel contained bizarre or weird stories but God intervened and cared for the shepherds of Israel. God spoke to them “You will be my people. I will be your God. I myself will shepherd you.” His message is “The Lord will protect us from enemies.”

The gospel of Matthew cited about the problems in employment like unfair wages, unions, unfair labor treatment, etc. Father Michael said we cannot look at the generosity of the world but let us put everything to God.

Queenship of Mary

Today, we celebrate the memorial of the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary, the Queen of Angels, Queen of Apostles, and Saints, and Queen of Peace. Let us pray “O Mary, Queen of Heaven, pray for us.”

August 21, 2012 – Matthew 19:23-30 - The Rich Young Man

Then Jesus said to his disciples, “Truly I tell you, it will be hard for a rich person to enter the kingdom of heaven. Again, I tell you, it is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for someone who is rich to enter the kingdom of God.” When the disciples heard this, they were greatly astounded and said, “And then who can be saved?” But Jesus looked at them and said, “For mortals it is impossible, but for God all things are possible.”

The Peter said in reply, “Look, we have left everything and followed you. What then will we have?” Jesus said to them, “Truly I tell you, at the renewal of all things, when the Son of Man is seated on the throne of his glory, you who have followed me will also sit not twelve thrones, judging the twelve tribes of Israel. And everyone who has left houses of brothers or sisters or father or mother or children or fields, for my name’s sake, will receive a hundredfold, and will inherit eternal life. But many who are first will be last, and the last will be first.”

Father Damian McPherson mentioned that the gospel spoke about rich people with material possessions. He explained that the eye of the needle pertains to the gate around Jerusalem while the camel refers to the baggage or belongings, which one carries. This means that many of us have excess baggage or suffer a “sickness of materialism” which we need to get rid of in order to draw near to Christ. Let us overcome temptation to continue to live our religious commitment. Let us not allow ourselves to be distracted by the material world by creating our own “value system.”