Daily Gospel Reflection
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August 22, 2019
Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables
saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”‘
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
As a child growing up in a small farming community in the Midwest, the only thing more important than the farm was our church life. My mother was active in the Altar Society and, as such, often helped serve wedding receptions after a wedding Mass. I remember the great honor of serving my first wedding as an eight-year-old child. To do this job, I needed to be properly attired. Not only did I wear my Sunday dress, but I was also allowed to wear a wedding apron, which was a white organza creation, tied in a neat bow in the back. The apron clearly designated my role as a “wedding helper” for the reception.
If you recall the definition of a sacrament, it is “the outward sign of an inward grace.” There are many outward signs at a wedding, indicating an inward grace. And my outward sign (the apron) indicated my inward grace (service to the wedding party and their guests.)
As Catholics, we are presenting an outward sign every day, with every person we meet. In this Gospel, the king became very angry when someone came to the wedding feast, not properly attired. The lesson in this story is that the king is looking for the inward grace, shown by the guests’ choice of appropriate clothing, and for good reason. In our time, “wedding attire” still has a purpose. Wearing the right clothes and showing the right manner and behavior marks us as followers of Jesus. Dressing with respect and acting with love and respect allows others to see Jesus through us. If we dress and act like this, we are always ready for his banquet. And we have the opportunity to bring others to the banquet if we so choose.
This day marks the Queenship of Mary. Mary was given inward grace by our Father to bring Jesus into this world. I am eternally grateful to my mother for teaching me early on about the simple acts of service that we are called to perform, with grace, as Christ called us to do. Mary is rewarded for her fidelity and grace by being assumed into heaven body and soul, reigning now as the Queen of Heaven.
Prayer
Heavenly Father, you have sent prophets, apostles, and your only begotten Son to proclaim the coming of your Kingdom. We have often hardened our hearts, refusing to heed your countless invitations. We have mistreated your servants, and, by our sins, we are guilty of nailing your Son to the cross. In your loving mercy, forgive our sins. Give us grace to maintain the purity of our baptism and to faithfully live out our baptismal vocation to a life of holiness so that we may one day share in the banquet of your kingdom, where you live and reign forever and ever. Amen.
Saint of the Day
With this feast day the Church proclaims that Mary is Queen of Heaven because she so closely collaborated with Christ in the plan of salvation.
We call Jesus “Lord” and celebrate the feast of Christ the King in November, all the while recalling that his kingship is defined by his willingness to lay down his life for us. This model of leadership through service was taken up perfectly by Mary.
Mary laid down her life for us as well—she set herself aside when she said “yes” to God’s invitation to bear Jesus into the world. From that moment on, she remained close to Jesus, walking with him for every step of his earthly journey—including his ministry, suffering, and death. This closeness is depicted in an image in the Cavanaugh Hall chapel—Mary contemplates a crown of thorns while holding the infant Jesus.
This is why we revere Mary as Queen—we recognize her special place in the plan of salvation, while recalling that her queenship is really a participation in the lordship of Jesus. This is our calling as well—to conform ourselves to Christ by laying down our lives as Mary did.
This feast falls a week after the feast of Mary’s Assumption because major feasts in the Church are celebrated for a period of eight days (known as an “octave”). Mary’s coronation as Queen of Heaven is imagined in several scenes in the Basilica and in chapels across campus. The reliquary chapel in the Basilica contains a fragment of Mary’s veil.
Mary, Queen of Heaven, you laid down your life with Christ, pray for us!