Letters From Home

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Memorial of Sts. Isaac Jogues and John De Brébeuf by Ms. Joan Watson.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Feast of St. Luke by Dr. John Bergsma.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for the Memorial of St. Ignatius of Antioch by Dr. Shane Owens.

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The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Monday of the Twenty-Eighth Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. Scott Hahn.

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Readings:
Isaiah 25:6–10
Psalm 23:1–6
Philippians 4:12–14, 19–20
Matthew 22:1–14

Our Lord’s parable in today’s Gospel is again a fairly straightforward outline of salvation history.

God is the king (see Matthew 5:35), Jesus the bridegroom (see Matthew 9:15), the feast is the salvation and eternal life that Isaiah prophesies in today’s First Reading. The Israelites are those first invited to the feast by God’s servants, the prophets (see Isaiah 7:25). For refusing repeated invitations and even killing His prophets, Israel has been punished, its city conquered by foreign armies.

Now, Jesus makes clear, God is sending new servants, His apostles, to call not only Israelites, but all people—good and bad alike—to the feast of His kingdom. This an image of the Church, which
Jesus elsewhere compares to a field sown with both wheat and weeds, and a fishing net that catches good fish and bad (see Matthew 13:24–43, 47–50).

We have all been called to this great feast of love in the Church, where, as Isaiah foretold, the veil that once separated the nations from the covenants of Israel has been destroyed, where the dividing wall of enmity has been torn down by the blood of Christ (see Ephesians 2:11–14).

As we sing in today’s Psalm, the Lord has led us to this feast, refreshing our souls in the waters of Baptism, spreading the table before us in the Eucharist. As Paul tells us in today’s Epistle, in the glorious riches of Christ, we will find supplied whatever we need.

And in the rich food of His body, and the choice wine of His blood, we have a foretaste of the eternal banquet in the heavenly Jerusalem, when God will destroy death forever (see Hebrews 12:22–24).

But are we dressed for the feast, clothed in the garment of righteousness (see Revelation 19:8)? Not all who have been called will be chosen for eternal life, Jesus warns. Let us be sure that we’re living in a manner worthy of the invitation we’ve received (see Ephesians 4:1).

Lecturas:
Isaías 25, 6–10
Salmo 23, 1–6
Filipenses 4,12–14.19–20
Mateo 22,1–14

La parábola que Nuestro Señor nos da en el Evangelio de esta semana es nuevamente un claro compendio de la historia de la salvación.

Dios es el rey (cf. Mt 5,35), Jesús es el novio (cf. Mt 9,15), el banquete es la salvación y la vida eterna que Isaías profetiza en la primera lectura de este domingo. Los israelitas son los primeros que Dios ha invitado por medio de sus siervos, los profetas (cf. Is 7,25). Al rechazar continuamente las invitaciones de Dios, Israel ha sido castigado y su ciudad ha sido conquistada por ejércitos extranjeros.

Ahora, establece claramente Jesús, Dios ha enviado nuevos siervos, sus Apóstoles, para llamar no sólo a los israelitas, sino a todos los pueblos—buenos y malos—al banquete de su reino. Esa es una imagen de la Iglesia, a la que Jesús compara en otras partes con un campo sembrado de trigo y cizaña, o con una red de pesca en la que han caído tanto peces buenos como malos (cf. Mt 13,24–43; 47,50).

Hemos sido llamados a este gran banquete de amor en la Iglesia donde, como Isaías predijo, ha sido destruido el velo que una vez separó a las naciones de las alianzas de Israel; donde el muro divisorio de la enemistad ha sido derrumbado por la sangre de Cristo (cf. Ef 2,11–14).

Como cantamos en el salmo de esta semana, el Señor nos ha guiado a su banquete, ha refrescado nuestras almas con las aguas del bautismo, ha preparado la mesa ante nosotros en la Eucaristía. Como San Pablo nos dice en la epístola, en la espléndida riqueza de Cristo encontraremos satisfacción para cualquiera de nuestras necesidades. Y en el rico alimento de su Cuerpo, y el precioso vino que es su Sangre, pregustamos el banquete eterno de la Jerusalén celestial, en que Dios destruirá la muerte para siempre.

Pero, ¿llevamos un traje adecuado para el banquete?¿Estamos revestidos con prendas de justicia? (cf. Ap 19,8). Jesús advierte que no todos los llamados serán escogidos para la vida eterna. Asegurémonos de vivir en modo digno de la invitación que hemos recibido (cf. Ef 4,1).

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Saturday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time by Mr. Clement Harrold.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com

The St. Paul Center's daily scripture reflections from the Mass for Friday of the Twenty-Seventh Week in Ordinary Time by Dr. John Bergsma.

Learn more about the Mass at www.stpaulcenter.com