Servant of the Word: Memorial of Saint Bernard, Abbot and Doctor of the Church

“St. Bernard” (detail)
by Georg Andreas Wasshuber, 1700s

Readings for Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time [1][2]

Commentary:

Commentary on Jgs 11:29-39a

This selection takes up the story of Jephthah who was a chieftain with a sullied past. Brought back from self-imposed exile where he formed a gang and raided neighboring communities, he was put in charge of the Israelite’s defense against the Ammonites. We join him at the onset were he clearly believes he has vowed human sacrifice, a tradition of his pagan neighbors (see also 2 Kings 3:27).

Perhaps because of this pagan vow, we see him punished as his only child, a young daughter, becomes the object of this sacrifice. Because bearing children is seen as the “greatest pride; to be childless was regarded as a great misfortune. Hence Jephthah's daughter asks permission to mourn the fact that she will be put to death before she can bear children.” [4]

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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10

R. (8a and 9a) Here I am, Lord; I come to do your will.

Commentary on Ps 40:5, 7-8a, 8b-9, 10

This selection of Psalm 40 has a teaching or didactic note as we hear the implied criticism of any who had not turned from false wisdom of pagans, idolatry and sacrifices. God’s harsh justice will be celebrated.

CCC: Ps 40:7-9 LXX 462; Ps 40:7 2824

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Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

Commentary on Mt 22:1-14

St. Matthew’s Gospel presents us with the parable of the King’s Wedding Feast. The reference to the first servants sent to invite the guests were the Prophets, rejected or misunderstood by the Jewish Leadership. The second servants sent represent Christ Himself who here predicts his own death at the hands of the people he was sent to invite.

In the second section, we see the feast that was prepared for God’s chosen people, the Hebrew Nation, those first invited, is left unattended. Therefore God’s mercy is extended to all people of all nations. There is a warning at the end. Those not clothed in Christ who attempt to enter by deception will be punished severely. This caution can be seen in two connotations. First, that those not properly disposed to participate in the wedding feast recreated in the Eucharistic feast commit a serious sin. It also can be seen as the rationale for purgatory since the process of purification dresses the faithful for the eternal banquet in heaven.

CCC: Mt 22:1-14 546, 796

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Reflection:

The part of the Parable of the Wedding Feast we always seem to avoid thinking about is that short phrase toward the end, in verses 11-14. It is the part about the king coming to the one who was not “dressed in a wedding garment”. This whole part seems, at least on the surface, to contradict the main thrust of the story.

The King (whom we know to be the Heavenly King – God) invites the Hebrews (the Chosen People) to the wedding feast (The Kingdom of Heaven as stated at the beginning of the parable). This invitation is issued by Jesus himself whom most of the Hebrews reject. They cannot come to believe that Jesus is the Anointed One, the Christ, the Messiah who comes, bringing salvation promised by the Law and the Prophets. They (the Hebrews) reject the wedding invitation so the King instructs his servants (the Apostles and their successors) to go out into the world and invite all peoples of all nations. This part of the parable is crystal clear.

Then we come to the wedding banquet and the King discovers this person who is not dressed for the occasion. What does this refer to? The proper garment, looking at the literal situation, would be a clean white garment. That was the traditional attire for a wedding in the day. Flowing from this allegory, there are several conclusions we can draw about what a wedding garment should be in this heavenly wedding feast.

The clean white garment is a symbol used in baptism and remembered in ordinations. It is the efficacious sign that sins have been forgiven and the one so attired has been freed from the poison of sin. It is a state of absolute purity achieved only through sacramental grace. That indelible change in character facilitates later sacramental intervention in Reconciliation. We are sent to the cleaners, so to speak and our grace is restored. The garment is clean once more. We trust that as we finally pass from this life to the next, we will have also received our final anointing. The last rites of our faith have the effect of cleaning that garment one last time so that upon entering that great hall we are appropriately dressed.

Still there is something more that needs to be done. As clean as our outer garment is, our soul must be spotless as well if we are to come before our Lord and God. This perfection takes a special time (we use the word time only because our language cannot describe that transitory state outside of our understanding required to achieve spiritual perfection). We call this state purgatory, a time of purification. When we come before the Lord, we must be completely transformed and perhaps that is part of St. Matthew’s understanding of the Parable as well.

Today we contemplate that wedding feast and our joy to be called to such rejoicing. We pray that our own attire may be found appropriate and our place assured. We pledge ourselves to the task of coming to that place of joy by following all the Lord has asked of us – in essence, accepting his invitation.

Pax

[1] S.S Commemoratio

[2] The picture is “St. Bernard” (detail) by Georg Andreas Wasshuber, 1700s

[4] See NAB footnote on Judges 11:37