Daily Readings - Sun Oct 11 2020
Isaiah
6And the Lord of hosts will cause all the peoples on this mountain to feast on fatness, to feast on wine, a fatness full of marrow, a purified wine7And he will cast down violently, on this mountain, the face of the chains, with which all peoples had been bound, and the net, with which all nations had been covered8He will violently cast down death forever. And the Lord God will take away the tears from every face, and he will take away the disgrace of his people from the entire earth. For the Lord has spoken it9And they will say in that day: "Behold, this is our God! We have waited for him, and he will save us. This is the Lord! We have endured for him. We will exult and rejoice in his salvation.10For the hand of the Lord will rest upon this mountain. And Moab will be trampled under him, just as stubble is worn away by a wagon
Philippians
12I know how to be humbled, and I know how to abound. I am prepared for anything, anywhere: either to be full or to be hungry, either to have abundance or to endure scarcity13Everything is possible in him who has strengthened me14Yet truly, you have done well by sharing in my tribulation19And may my God fulfill all your desires, according to his riches in glory in Christ Jesus20And to God our Father be glory forever and ever. Amen
Matthew
1And responding, Jesus again spoke to them in parables, saying2"The kingdom of heaven is like a man who was king, who celebrated a wedding for his son3And he sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding. But they were not willing to come4Again, he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell the invited: Behold, I have prepared my meal. My bulls and fatlings have been killed, and all is ready. Come to the wedding.5But they ignored this and they went away: one to his country estate, and another to his business6Yet truly, the rest took hold of his servants and, having treated them with contempt, killed them7But when the king heard this, he was angry. And sending out his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and he burned their city8Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding, indeed, has been prepared. But those who were invited were not worthy9Therefore, go out to the ways, and call whomever you will find to the wedding.10And his servants, departing into the ways, gathered all those whom they found, bad and good, and the wedding was filled with guests
Sermon
The readings today invite us to reflect on God’s invitation to us and our response to it. In the first reading from Isaiah, we hear a vision of a glorious feast on God’s mountain, where death is destroyed, and all peoples are gathered to celebrate. This is a powerful image of the ultimate fulfillment of God’s plan, where sorrow and suffering give way to joy and abundance. The prophet reminds us that this is not just a distant hope but a promise already spoken by God, who will save and restore His people. In the second reading, St. Paul writes about his own experience of living in faith, knowing both abundance and hardship, but always trusting in God’s strength. He expresses gratitude for the support of the Philippians and assures them that God will fulfill all their needs in Christ Jesus.
The Gospel parable of the wedding feast ties these themes together. Jesus tells the story of a king who invites guests to his son’s wedding, but they refuse to come, even treating the king’s servants with contempt. In response, the king opens the feast to all, gathering both good and bad from the streets. This parable is a reflection of God’s universal invitation to salvation. Like the king, God is generous and persistent, offering His grace to all people, even when some reject it. Yet, the parable also reminds us that this invitation requires a response. We cannot take God’s offer for granted or ignore it without consequences.
In our daily lives, these readings challenge us to consider how we respond to God’s invitation. Do we, like the first guests in the parable, allow ourselves to be distracted by worldly concerns or hardened by indifference? Or do we, like the servants in the Gospel, go out into the world to share the invitation with others? Isaiah’s vision and Paul’s words encourage us to trust in God’s providence and to live with joy and gratitude, knowing that He provides for us in all circumstances. Let us open our hearts to God’s invitation, embrace the feast He has prepared for us, and share it with others, so that His kingdom may be filled with guests.