Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 142
It-Tmienja
u għoxrin Ħadd matul is-Sena
Missalin A p 390
Reading
Qari I Isaija 25,
6-10a Jaghmel il-Mulej ta’ l-ezerçti ghall-popli kollha
fuq din il-muntanja, mejda b’ikel fin, mejda bi nbejjed helwa, b’laham imsemmen
bil-mudullun, u nbejjed fini. U jçarrat minn minn fuq kull wiçç, u jhassar
l-ghajb tal-poplu tieghu minn
Responsorial Psalm _______________________ PSalm 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I
shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I
shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I
shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I
shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Salm Responsorjali Salm
22 (23), 1-3a.3b-4.5-6 Il-Mulej hu
r-raghaj tieghi, xejn ma jonqosni; f’merghat
kollha ˙dura jqeghedni. Hdejn l-ilma, fejn nistrieh, jehodni; hemm hu
jrejjaqni. R/ Nghammar
f’dar il-Mulej sakemm indum haj!
Imexxini fit-triq tas-sewwa minhabba
l-isem tieghu. Imqar
jekk nimxi f’wied mudlam, ma
nibzax mill-hsara, ghax inti mieghi Il-hatar
tieghek u l-ghaslug tieghek, huma jwennsuni. R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm
indum haj!
Int thejji mejda ghalija quddiem
l-ghedewwa tieghi. Biz-zejt
tidlikli rasi, u l-kalçi tieghi
tfawwarli. R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm
indum haj!
Mieghi, iva, jimxu t-tjieba u
l-hniena il-jiem kollha ta’ hajti. U
nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm
indum haj! R/ Nghammar f’dar il-Mulej sakemm
indum haj!
Reading
Qari II mill-Ittra lill-Filippin 4, 12-14.19-20 Huti, naf nghix fl-ghaks; u naf nghix fil-gid; kollox drajt u noqghod ghal kollox: ix-xaba’ u l-guh, il-gid u l-ghaks. Ghal kollox niflah bis-sahha ta’ dak li jqawwini. Ghamiltu sewwa hafna meta qsamtu mieghi tbatijieti. Jimliekom Alla tieghi b’kull gid fil-htiega taghkom, skond l-ghana tal-glorja fi Kristu Gesù. Lil dan Alla u Missierna, glorja ghal dejjem ta’ dejjem. Amen. Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
Gospel _______________________ MatThew 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." This is
the Word of The Lord.
Evangelju Mattew 22, 1-14 F’dak iz-zmien, lill-qassisin il-kbar u lix-xjuh tal-poplu Gesù raga’
qabad ikellimhom bil-parabboli u qalilhom: «Is-saltna tas-smewwiet tixbah lil
wiehed sultan li ghamel festa ghat-tieg ta’ ibnu. U baghat ghall-mistednin
mal-qaddejja tieghu biex jigu ghall-festa; imma dawk ma ridux jigu. U rega’
baghat qaddejja ohra, u qalilhom: “Ghidu lill-mistednin: Ara, il-mejda tieghi
lesta; il-barrin u l-ghogiela msemmna diga’ maqtula u kollox lest; ejjew
ghall-festa.” Izda dawk ma tawx kas; min mar l-ghalqa, min ghan-negozju tieghu,
u l-bqija qabdu lill-qaddejja tas-sultan, Zebilhuhom u qatluhom. Is-sultan
inkorla hafna, u baghat is-suldati tieghu, qered lil dawk il-qattiela, u
harqilhom il-belt taghhom. Imbaghad qal lill-qaddejja tieghu: “Il-festa mhejjija,
imma lil dawk ma kienx ta’ min jistedinhom ghaliha. Mela morru f’salib it-toroq
u sejhu ghall-festa lil kull min issibu.” Dawk il-qaddejja hargu fit-triqat u gabru
lil kull min sabu, ziena u tajba, u s-sala mtliet bin-nies ghall-mejda. Mela
jidhol is-sultan halli jara min kien hemm fuq il-mejda, u hemmhekk lemah wiehed
li ma kienx liebes ghall-festa tat-tieg; u qallu: “Habib, dan kif dhalt hawn
m’intix liebes ghall-festa?” Dak tbikkem. Imbaghad is-sultan qal lil dawk li
kienu qeghdin iservu: “Orbtulu riglejh u idejh u waddbuh ’il barra fid-dlam;
hemmhekk ikun hemm il-biki u t-tghazziz tas-snien!” Ghax hafna huma l-imsejhin,
imma ftit il-maghzulin!» Il-Kelma tal-Mulej
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Matthew’s parable of the wedding feast and the declined
invitations (22:1-14) is the last of three successive parables of judgment
(beginning in 21:28) against Israel
In today’s parable, the king represents God; the son, Jesus; and the
wedding banquet, the time of divine-human celebration symbolized by the
kingdom. The beautiful spousal imagery of the Lord (YHWH) and Israel
Matthew has provided many allegorical traits to today’s story, e.g. the
burning of the city of the guests who refused the invitation (22:7), which
corresponds to the destruction of Jerusalem
Matthew’s parable appears in significantly different form in Luke
14:16-24. Today’s story most likely comes from “Q,” a hypothetical written
source for the Gospels of Matthew and Luke. “Q” (short for the German Quelle or “source”) is defined as the
“common” material found in Matthew and Luke but not in the Gospel of Mark. This
ancient text supposedly contained the logia or
quotations from Jesus.
The King’s Feast
In today’s story, the king has gone to great trouble preparing a wedding
feast for his son, slaughtering enough oxen and fatted calves to feed several
hundred people. It was not uncommon in Jesus’ day that invitations would be
sent out in two instalments: first, a general invitation to a future event;
then, on the day itself or just before, a “reminder” to come since everything
was prepared for the celebration. Not only do the guests refuse, but some of
them seize the king’s messengers and kill them. In response, the king sends his
troops to burn their city. Then he sends out another invitation requesting that
all persons – the “good” and the “bad” – be brought to the celebration.
The succession of invitations corresponds to God’s declaration of truth
concerning his Kingdom and his Son – first to Israel
Proper attire for the feast
Matthew’s addition of the guest without the wedding garment (22:11-14)
can certainly leave the reader perplexed. I remember my first reaction to
reading about this poor man without the proper vesture. Who is this king who
dared to ask the poor man: “Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding
garment?” Was it not the king who commanded his slaves to go out to the highways
and byways and bring in anyone they could find? How then could the king be so
cold and harsh to someone who has been “rounded up” for the royal feast,
without even having the time to procure clean and proper clothing?
It is important to recall that this story is an allegory and doesn’t
necessarily follow normal ways of thinking and acting. Some scholars believe
that the king provided the proper attire for his guests. It is not surprising
then that the king becomes furious upon seeing a man improperly attired. This
shows that this man deliberately refuses to receive the generous gesture of the
king in providing proper attire.
The garment of righteousness and holiness
The parable of the wedding feast is not only a statement of God’s
judgment on Israel
The saying: “For many are called, but few are chosen” (22:14), should
not be taken as a forecast of the proportion of the saved to the damned. Rather
the saying is meant to encourage vigorous efforts to live the Christian life.
The wedding feast is not the Church but the age to come. Matthew’s parable
confronts us with the paradox of God’s free invitation to the banquet with no
strings attached and God’s requirement of “putting on” something appropriate to
that calling. Who are the many and the few concerning the wedding garment? Are
there some people God doesn’t choose? How is being chosen different from being
called?
The wedding garment of love
Let us consider the moving words of St. Augustine of Hippo in his sermon
(#90) on this Sunday’s Gospel passage:
“What is the wedding garment that the Gospel talks about?
Very certainly, that garment is something that only the good have, those who
are to participate in the feast... Could it be the sacraments? Baptism? Without
baptism, no one comes to God, but some people receive baptism and do not come
to God... Perhaps it is the altar or what a person receives at the altar? But
in receiving the Lord’s body, some people eat and drink to their own condemnation
(1 Corinthians 11:29). So what is it? Fasting? The wicked also fast. Going to
church often? The wicked go to church just like others...
“So what is this wedding garment? The apostle Paul tells us:
“What we are aiming at... is the love that springs from a pure heart, a good
conscience, and sincere faith” (1 Timothy 1:5). That is the wedding garment.
Paul is not talking about just any kind of love, for one can often see
dishonest people loving others... but one does not see among them this love
“that springs from a pure heart, a good conscience, and sincere faith. ” Now
that is the love that is the wedding garment.
“”The apostle Paul said: “If I speak with human tongues and
angelic as well, but do not have love, I am a noisy gong, a clanging cymbal...
If I have the gift of prophecy and, with full knowledge, comprehend all
mysteries, if I have faith great enough to move mountains, but have not love, I
am nothing” (1 Corinthians 13:1-2). He said that even if he had all that,
without Christ “I am nothing.” It would be useless, because I can act in that
way for love of glory... “If I have not love, it is of no use.” That is the
wedding garment.
Examine yourselves: if you have it, then come to the Lord’s
banquet with confidence.
Invite everyone to the banquet
Let us consider section #22, “Evangelizers and Educators as Witnesses,”
of the Lineamenta for the 2012 Synod of Bishops
on the New Evangelization:
“The formation and concern needed to sustain those already
engaged in evangelization and recruiting new forces should not be limited
simply to practical preparation, albeit necessary. Instead, formation and
pastoral care is predominantly to be spiritual in nature, namely, a school of
faith, enlightened by the Gospel of Jesus Christ and under the guidance of the
Spirit, which teaches people the implications of experiencing the Fatherhood of
God. People are able to evangelize only when they have been evangelized and
allow themselves to be evangelized, that is, renewed spiritually through a
personal encounter and lived communion with Jesus Christ. Such people have the
power to transmit the faith, as St.
Paul
“The new evangelization, then, which is primarily a
task-to-be-done and a spiritual challenge, is the responsibility of all
Christians who are in serious pursuit of holiness. In this context and with
this understanding of formation, it will be useful to dedicate space and time
to considering the institutions and means available to local Churches to make
baptized persons more conscious of their duty in missionary work and
evangelization. For our witness to be credible, as we respond to each of these
areas requiring the new evangelization, we must know how to speak in ways that
are intelligible to our times and proclaim, inside these areas, the reasons for
our hope which bolsters our witness (cf. 1 Pt 3:15).
Such a task is not accomplished without effort, but requires attentiveness,
education and concern.”
Questions for reflection this week
- Do our Christian communities
plan pastoral activity with the specific aim of preaching conformity to
the Gospel and conversion to Christianity?
- What priority have individual
Christian communities placed on the commitment to attempt bold new ways of
evangelization? What initiatives have been most successful in opening
Christian communities to missionary work?
- How do the local churches view
the role of proclamation and the necessity of giving greater importance to
the genesis of faith and the pastoral programme for baptism?
- How are our Christian
communities displaying their awareness of the urgency of recruiting,
forming, and supporting persons to be evangelizers and educators through
the witness of their lives?
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