Daily Readings - Thu Aug 21 2025
Judges
29Therefore, the Spirit of the Lord rested upon Jephthah, and circling around Gilead, and Manasseh, and also Mizpah of Gilead, and crossing from there to the sons of Ammon30he made a vow to the Lord, saying, "If you will deliver the sons of Ammon into my hands31whoever will be the first to depart from the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the sons of Ammon, the same will I offer as a holocaust to the Lord.32And Jephthah crossed to the sons of Ammon, so that he might fight against them. And the Lord delivered them into his hands33And he struck them down from Aroer, as far as the entrance to Minnith, twenty cities, and as far as Abel, which is covered with vineyards, in an exceedingly great slaughter. And the sons of Ammon were humbled by the sons of Israel34But when Jephthah returned to Mizpah, to his own house, his only daughter met him with timbrels and dances. For he had no other children35And upon seeing her, he tore his garments, and he said: "Alas, my daughter! You have cheated me, and you yourself have been cheated. For I opened my mouth to the Lord, and I can do nothing else.36And she answered him, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me whatever you have promised, since victory has been granted to you, as well as vengeance against your enemies.37And she said to her father: "Grant to me this one thing, which I request. Permit me, that I may wander the hillsides for two months, and that I may mourn my virginity with my companions.38And he answered her, "Go." And he released her for two months. And when she had departed with her friends and companions, she wept over her virginity in the hillsides39And when the two months expired, she returned to her father, and he did to her just as he had vowed, though she knew no man. From this, the custom grew up in Israel, and the practice has been preserved
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 guests11Then the king entered to see the guests. And he saw a man there who was not clothed in a wedding garment12And he said to him, ‘Friend, how is it that you have entered here without having a wedding garment?’ But he was dumbstruck13Then the king said to the ministers: ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the outer darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth14For many are called, but few are chosen.’
Sermon
In today’s readings, we encounter two powerful stories that invite us to reflect on the nature of faith, commitment, and the consequences of our choices. The first reading from Judges tells the tragic story of Jephthah, a judge of Israel, who makes a rash vow to God in exchange for victory over the Ammonites. Upon his triumph, his only daughter greets him with joy, unaware of the fate that awaits her. Jephthah, bound by his vow, sacrifices his daughter, and her only request is time to mourn her virginity before meeting her destiny. This story challenges us to consider the weight of our promises and the importance of discernment in our commitments to God.
The Gospel reading from Matthew presents a very different narrative, yet one that complements the first. Jesus tells the parable of the wedding feast, where those initially invited refuse to come, and others are gathered from the streets to fill the celebration. The king’s anger at the refusal of the invited guests reflects God’s disappointment with those who reject His invitation to life in the kingdom. The parable takes a deeper turn with the man who appears without a wedding garment, symbolizing the need for interior preparation and a life of faith to truly belong to the kingdom. This parable reminds us that being called is not enough; we must also respond with hearts and lives transformed by grace.
Both readings call us to examine our relationship with God and the choices we make in response to His call. Jephthah’s story warns us against making hasty or ill-considered commitments, while the parable of the wedding feast urges us to embrace the invitation to the kingdom with readiness and sincerity. In our daily lives, we are invited to live as children of God, to respond to His love, and to prepare our hearts for the eternal feast He has prepared for us. Let us ask ourselves: How do we respond to God’s invitation? Are we living in a way that reflects our commitment to Him? May we strive to be faithful and prepared, knowing that the choices we make have eternal consequences.