1ST READING
We
should be careful not to make unreasonable commitments such as the one
of Jephthah in today’s reading. There is nothing to be gained from such a
ridiculous vow! God will not be any more convinced to listen to our
pleas with such a promise. Let us trust that God is a reasonable God and
that placing our needs before Him in faith will be sufficient for Him
to pay attention to us.
Judges 11:29-39
29 The
Spirit of the Lord came upon Jephthah. He passed through Gilead and
Manasseh, and through Mizpah-gilead as well, and from there he went on to the Ammonites. 30 Jephthah made a vow to the Lord. “If you deliver the Ammonites into my power,” he said, 31 “whoever
comes out of the doors of my house to meet me when I return in triumph
from the Ammonites shall belong to the Lord. I shall offer him up as a
burnt offering.”
32 Jephthah then went on to the Ammonites to fight against them, and the Lord delivered them into his power, 33 so
that he inflicted a severe defeat on them, from Aroer to the approach
of Minnith (twenty cities in all) and as far as Abel-keramin. Thus were
the Ammonites brought into subjection by the children of Israel. 34 When
Jephthah returned to his house in Mizpah, it was his daughter who came
forth, playing the tambourines and dancing. She was an only child: he
had neither son nor daughter besides her. 35 When
he saw her, he rent his garments and said, “Alas, daughter, you have
struck me down and brought calamity upon me. For I have made a vow to
the Lord and I cannot retract.” 36 She
replied, “Father, you have made a vow to the Lord. Do with me as you
have vowed, because the Lord has wrought vengeance for you on your
enemies the Ammonites.” 37 Then
she said to her father, “Let me have this favor. Spare me for two
months, that I may go off down the mountains to mourn my virginity with
my companions.” 38 “Go,” he replied, and sent her away for two months. So
she departed with her companions and mourned her virginity on the
mountains. 39 At the end of the two months she returned to her father, who did to her as he had vowed.
P S A L M
Psalm 40:5, 7-8, 8-9, 10
R: Here I am, Lord; I come to do Your will.
4 [5] Blessed the man who makes the Lord his trust; who turns not to idolatry or to those who stray after falsehood. (R) 6 [7] Sacrifice or oblation you wished not, but ears open to obedience you gave me. Burnt offerings or sin-offerings you sought not; 7 [8] then said I, “Behold I come.” (R) “In the written scroll it is prescribed for me,
8 [9] to do your will, O my God, is my delight, and your law is within my heart!” (R) 9 [10] I announced your justice in the vast assembly; I did not restrain my lips, as you, O Lord, know. (R)
GOSPEL
The
grace of God is always at work in our lives but this does not mean that
we can take it for granted, let alone abuse its presence and the power
it gives us. Grace is a fragile commodity in that it can be used or
responded to well only with humility. It is just like any other gift
that we receive: we ought to be grateful for having received it; we
ought to respect the giver; we ought to use the gift well! Furthermore,
being an unmerited gift from God we also ought to try to use the gift of
grace for the benefit of others as well as of ourselves.
GOSPEL ACCLAMATION
If today you hear His voice, harden not your hearts.
Matthew 22:1-14
1 Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priest and the elders of the people in parables, saying, 2 “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. 3 He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 4 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.”’ 5 Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. 6 The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. 7 The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. 8 Then the king said to his servants,
‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. 9 Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ 10 The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. 11 But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. 12 He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding
garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. 13 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.’ 14 Many are invited, but few are chosen.”
think: God is a reasonable God and placing our needs before Him in faith will be sufficient for Him to pay attention to us.
T O D A Y’S BLESSING LIST
Thank You Lord for: __________________
____________________________________
God’s special verse/thought for me today_
_____________________________________
READ THE BIBLE IN ONE YEAR Isaiah 29-32
No comments:
Post a Comment