DAILY- HOMILY

August 20, 2015 THURSDAY, 20TH Week in Ordinary Time

St. Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church   

Memorial, White     

Jgs 11:29 - 39a / Mt 22:1 - 14 

[Born in France, St. Bernard of Clairvaux (1090 – 1153) was a Cistercian abbot and preacher.]

Reading: Jgs 11:29 - 39a

     The Spirit of Yahweh came upon Jephthah. He went through Gilead and Manasseh, passed through Mizpah of Gilead, and then entered the territory of the Ammonites.

     Jephthah made a vow to Yahweh: "If you make me victorious, I shall sacrifice to you whoever first comes out of my house to meet me when I return from battle. He shall be for Yahweh and I shall offer him up through the fire."

     Jephthah crossed the territory of the Ammonites to fight against them, and Yahweh gave him victory. He pursued them from the city of Aroer to the entrance of Minnith and Abel Ker-amim, seizing twenty towns. So he defeated the Ammonites.

     When Jephthah returned home to Mizpah, his daughter came out to meet him. She was so happy to see her father that she danced to the sound of her tambourine. She was an only child; be-sides her he had no other daughter or son.

     When Jephthah saw her, he tore his clothes and cried out, "My daughter, you have shattered me; you have brought me misfortune. For I have made a foolish vow to Yahweh, and now I cannot take it back." She answered him, "Father, even if you have made 5:3 such a foolish vow, you have to do to me just as you promised, for Yahweh has avenged you and crushed your enemies. I only beg of you to give me two months to live with my companions in the mountains. There I shall lament because I will never marry."

     Jephthah said to her, "Go then." And he sent her away for two months. She and her companions went to the moun-tains and wept because she would never marry.

At the end of two months, she re-turned to her father and he fulfilled the vow he had made.

Gospel: Mt 22:1 – 13

     Jesus went on speaking to them in parables: "This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.     "Again he sent other servants , , ,  'I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.' But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and others to their work. While the rest seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.  

     "The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: 'The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.'

     "The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests. The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment. So he said to him: 'Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?' But the man remained silent. So the king said to his servants: 'Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.'"

Reflection:

     In the Gospel reading, Jesus emphasizes God's desire to invite all to eternal life with him. The Good News of our salvation is meant for all and is to be preached to all men of all time, "Go out to the whole world and proclaim the Good News to all creation. The one who believes and is baptized will be saved; the one who refuses to believe will be condemned." (Mk 16: 15 – 16)

     Similar to the king in the parable who invited many to his son's wedding celebration, God invites all to eternal life and happiness with him. The role of the Church which Jesus had commissioned to continue his work on earth is to inform all about Jesus and the Good News of salvation: "How beautiful on the mountains are the feet of those who bring good news, who herald peace and happiness, who proclaim salvation and announce to Zion: 'Your God is king!'"  (Is 52: 7)

     "All men are called to be part of this catholic unity of the people of God . . .   indeed the whole of mankind, for all men are called by the grace of God to salvation." (Vatican II, Lumen Gentium, 13)

WE PRAY FOR MTQ DAILY PRAYER DIARY INTENTIONS:

BIRTHDAY

     BEBET GASTON

     DETDET CRUZ

     FELIPE SANTOS

     HILDA T. SO

     JERSHENALE SY

     MICHELLE SISON

     TERESITA A. RONQUILLA-GALAO

     THELMA KIMPO PANGANIBAN

Finally, we pray for one another, for those who have asked our prayers and for those who need our prayers the most. 

Have a good day!

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