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August 20, 2009
Thursday of 21st Week in Ordinary Time
Feast of St. Barnard
Jgs 11: 29-39; Mt 22: 1-14
Dc. Larry Brockman
How foolish we can sometimes be in our relationship with God? Take the stories in the two readings for example.Â
First, in the Old Testament reading, Jephthah makes a foolish vow to God, one that ends up costing him dearly- the sacrifice of his only daughter. Sounds pretty far fetched, doesn’t it. But the fact is, people today make foolish promises to God all the time. People will say, “if only you do this for me God, then I promise to never do such and such again”. Does that sound familiar? But, we cannot bargain with God. We can pray to God, and ask sincerely that what we pray for be granted. But bargaining with God is out of the question, and the story of Jephthah demonstrates how foolish it is.  Â
And then there is the guest in the Gospel who shows up at the wedding without the proper clothes. What a foolish thing that would be for us to do- to show up at gates of the Kingdom of God unprepared. And yet, for most of us, our daily lives consume our time, so much so that thinking about being prepared for our ultimate meeting with Christ just isn’t a priority with us. We think that it can always wait- being prepared before God. But, the fact is that we have an obligation to be prepared at all times. We have an obligation to know God and to know what He expects of us; sort of like the guest knowing what the proper preparation for a wedding would be. And we have an obligation to live the life God gives us in the way He intended it to be lived- that is putting on the mantle of what it means to be a Christian, just like the guest had an obligation to put on the right wedding clothes.Â
Indeed, these two stories remind us that our prayers to God must be sincere; and that our commitment to God must always be met if we are to enter into His Kingdom.Â