Daily Catholic Mass Readings for August 20, 2020
First Reading: Ezekiel 36.23-28
23I will show the holiness of my great name, which has been profaned among the nations, the name you have profaned among them. Then the nations will know that I am the LORD, declares the Sovereign LORD, when I show myself holy through you before their eyes.24"'For I will take you out of the nations; I will gather you from all the countries and bring you back into your own land.25I will sprinkle clean water on you, and you will be clean; I will cleanse you from all your impurities and from all your idols.26I will give you a new heart and put a new spirit in you; I will remove from you your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.27And I will put my Spirit in you and move you to follow my decrees and be careful to keep my laws.28You will live in the land I gave your forefathers; you will be my people, and I will be your God.
Psalm 51
1Have mercy on me, O God, according to your unfailing love; according to your great compassion blot out my transgressions.2Wash away all my iniquity and cleanse me from my sin.3For I know my transgressions, and my sin is always before me.4Against you, you only, have I sinned and done what is evil in your sight, so that you are proved right when you speak and justified when you judge.5Surely I was sinful at birth, sinful from the time my mother conceived me.6Surely you desire truth in the inner parts; you teach me wisdom in the inmost place.7Cleanse me with hyssop, and I will be clean; wash me, and I will be whiter than snow.8Let me hear joy and gladness; let the bones you have crushed rejoice.9Hide your face from my sins and blot out all my iniquity.10Create in me a pure heart, O God, and renew a steadfast spirit within me.11Do not cast me from your presence or take your Holy Spirit from me.12Restore to me the joy of your salvation and grant me a willing spirit, to sustain me.13Then I will teach transgressors your ways, and sinners will turn back to you.14Save me from bloodguilt, O God, the God who saves me, and my tongue will sing of your righteousness.15O Lord, open my lips, and my mouth will declare your praise.16You do not delight in sacrifice, or I would bring it; you do not take pleasure in burnt offerings.17The sacrifices of God are a broken spirit; a broken and contrite heart, O God, you will not despise.18In your good pleasure make Zion prosper; build up the walls of Jerusalem.19Then there will be righteous sacrifices, whole burnt offerings to delight you; then bulls will be offered on your altar.
Gospel: Matthew 22.1-14
1Jesus spoke to them again in parables, saying:2"The kingdom of heaven is like a king who prepared a wedding banquet for his son.3He sent his servants to those who had been invited to the banquet to tell them to come, but they refused to come.4"Then he sent some more servants and said, 'Tell those who have been invited that I have prepared my dinner: My oxen and fattened cattle have been butchered, and everything is ready. Come to the wedding banquet.'5"But they paid no attention and went off--one to his field, another to his business.6The rest seized his servants, mistreated them and killed them.7The king was enraged. He sent his army and destroyed those murderers and burned their city.8"Then he said to his servants, 'The wedding banquet is ready, but those I invited did not deserve to come.9Go to the street corners and invite to the banquet anyone you find.'10So the servants went out into the streets and gathered all the people they could find, both good and bad, and the wedding hall was filled with guests.11"But when the king came in to see the guests, he noticed a man there who was not wearing wedding clothes.12'Friend,' he asked, 'how did you get in here without wedding clothes?' The man was speechless.13"Then the king told the attendants, 'Tie him hand and foot, and throw him outside, into the darkness, where there will be weeping and gnashing of teeth.'14"For many are invited, 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.