Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 20, 2020
First Reading: Ezekiel 36.23-28
23And I will vindicate the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, and which you have profaned among them. And the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Lord GOD, when through you I vindicate my holiness before their eyes.24I will take you from the nations and gather you from all the countries and bring you into your own land.25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you shall be clean from all your uncleannesses, and from all your idols I will cleanse you.26And I will give you a new heart, and a new spirit I will put within you. And I will remove the heart of stone from your flesh and give you a heart of flesh.27And I will put my Spirit within you, and cause you to walk in my statutes and be careful to obey my rules.28You shall dwell in the land that I gave to your fathers, and you shall be my people, and I will be your God.
Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your steadfast love; according to your abundant mercy blot out my transgressions.2Wash me thoroughly from my iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin!3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is ever before me.4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you may be justified in your words and blameless in your judgment.5Behold, I was brought forth in iniquity, and in sin did my mother conceive me.6Behold, you delight in truth in the inward being, and you teach me wisdom in the secret heart.7Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones that you have broken rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins, and blot out all my iniquities.10Create in me a clean heart, O God, and renew a right spirit within me.11Cast me not away from your presence, and take not your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation, and uphold me with a willing spirit.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will return to you.14Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, O God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing aloud of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16For you will not delight in sacrifice, or I would give it; you will not be pleased with a burnt offering.17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18Do good to Zion in your good pleasure; build up the walls of Jerusalem;19then will you delight in right sacrifices, in burnt offerings and whole burnt offerings; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Gospel: Matthew 22.1-14
1And again Jesus spoke to them in parables, saying,2"The kingdom of heaven may be compared to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son,3and sent his servants to call those who were invited to the wedding feast, but they would not come.4Again he sent other servants, saying, 'Tell those who are invited, See, I have prepared my dinner, my oxen and my fat calves have been slaughtered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding feast.'5But they paid no attention and went off, one to his farm, another to his business,6while the rest seized his servants, treated them shamefully, and killed them.7The king was angry, and he sent his troops and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.8Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding feast is ready, but those invited were not worthy.9Go therefore to the main roads and invite to the wedding feast as many as you find.'10And those servants went out into the roads and gathered all whom they found, both bad and good. So the wedding hall was filled with guests.11"But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment.12And he said to him, 'Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?' And he was speechless.13Then the king said to the attendants, 'Bind him hand and foot and cast him into the outer darkness. In that place there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'14For many are called, but few are chosen."
Sermon
In today's readings, we encounter two profound messages from Ezekiel and Matthew, each offering insights into God's grace and our response to it.
Ezekiel 36:23-28 speaks of God's promise to sanctify His name and restore His people. This passage, addressed to exiles, brings hope of renewal. God pledges to cleanse them, give them a new heart and spirit, and enable them to live according to His precepts. This is a message of divine initiative, where God takes the lead in transforming His people, making them holy and a source of His sanctified name among the nations.
Matthew 22:1-14 presents the parable of the wedding feast, where a king's invitation is repeatedly spurned, leading to the destruction of the unresponsive and the inclusion of the unexpected. This parable, directed at Jewish leaders, critiques their refusal of Jesus' invitation and highlights God's offer to all. The story emphasizes the importance of not just receiving the invitation but also being prepared, as the improperly dressed guest is cast out.
Connecting these readings, Ezekiel illustrates God's grace in cleansing and renewing, while Matthew underscores the need for an appropriate response. Ezekiel's new heart and spirit parallel the wedding garment in Matthew—both symbolize the transformation and readiness required to participate in God's kingdom.
In daily life, this means accepting God's invitation with humility and readiness. We must not be complacent but rather live in a way that reflects our commitment to God. This involves repentance, faith, and living guided by the Holy Spirit.
The moral lesson is clear: God's grace demands a response. We must clothe ourselves in the righteousness offered by Christ, ensuring we are prepared to enter the kingdom. Let us embrace God's invitation with gratitude and live in a manner that honors His grace.