August 22 - Thursday of the 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year II

(Ez.36:23-28;   Ps.51:12-15,18-19,Ez.36:25;   Mt.22:1-14)  “Cast me not out from your presence, and your Holy Spirit take not from me.” The Lord desires to “prove the holiness of [His] great name,” which has been “profaned among the nations” by the children of Israel.  And so He determines to “gather [them] from all the foreign lands,” to bring them back from their exile from His sight, and bless them again upon their “own land.”  He will “cleanse [them] from all [their] impurities… a new heart and… a new spirit within” them, and they shall be “careful to observe [His] decrees”: “You shall be my people, and I will be your God.” But when the time comes for the reign of God to be fulfilled in their midst, when all is prepared and they are invited to the “wedding banquet for His Son”… when indeed the Lord would wed the Israelites to Himself by the grace and blessing of the Messiah – they refuse the call.  “Come to the feast,” He cries out; eat your fill of my delights.  But they make excuses and even kill those by whom the invitation comes (laying hands even on the only Son).  And so the chosen city having rejected His offer, the Lord tells His servants to “go out into the byroads and invite to the wedding anyone [they] come upon.”  So do the apostles preach the Gospel to the ends of the earth; so are all now called to the wedding feast.  But will all be prepared? To “the chief priests and elders of the people” Jesus addresses His parable of the wedding banquet today, for it is these who refuse to hear Him – it is they who reject the call of the Lord.  And so, indeed, to the nations does His voice go; the Gentiles now hear the call.  And we, we who though founded firmly upon the rock of Judaism are in such great number of Gentile races, do we heed the call of the Lord and prepare our hearts to receive His food?  We are now the chosen city and the banquet table is now spread before us each day: His Body and Blood is the greatest food of which we could ever hope to partake.  But have we the wedding garment necessary to remain in His banquet hall, in His Church, or do we wander in ignorance of the gift and graces before us? Brothers and sisters, we must pray not to be cast from the Lord’s holy presence.  We must seek the purity of heart we need to receive His blessing, to partake of the food of His altar and grow in His grace.  We shall only avoid being thrown “out into the night” if we nurture the light that is with us and prepare well to meet our Jesus.  Only then will the Holy Spirit here remain. ******* O LORD, made pure in Jesus’ cleansing blood may we rejoice with Him in your kingdom. YHWH, you invite us to your wedding banquet, you call us to the feast prepared by your own hands, for you would wed yourself to us, making us your own holy children.  But we must turn from our sins; with contrite hearts only can we approach your table and feed upon the Body of your Son.  How shall we find our heavenly homeland if not cleansed in His blood?  How shall we celebrate your glory if not renewed by your Spirit? O LORD, bring us back to our own land, that with you we might dwell for eternity.  Your light and your love make our own; you alone let us worship.  Into your Temple let us come, that we might feast upon your Word, and upon your Son’s Body and Blood.  Then what would we be but your children?  What would we be but one with you? A white wedding garment of purity provide for our souls, dear LORD, that we might not be cast from your presence but glory in you forevermore.