One Minute Reflection – 23 August – Thursday of the Twentieth week in Ordinary Time, Year B – Today’s Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14 and the Memorial of St Rose of Lima (1586-1617)
“But when the king came in to look at the guests, he saw there a man who had no wedding garment and he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in here without a wedding garment?’...Matthew 22:11-12
REFLECTION – “What is that “wedding garment” then? … The wedding garment” is such charity as this. “Though I speak with the tongues of men and of Angels and have not charity, I am become as sounding brass and a tinkling cymbal.” Tongues have come in alone and it is said to them, “How came ye in hither not having a wedding garment?” “Though,” said he, “I have the gift of prophecy and understand all mysteries and all knowledge and though I have all faith, so that I could remove mountains and have not charity, I am nothing.” See, these are the miracles of men who very often have not “the wedding garment.” “Though,” he says,” I have all these and have not Christ, I am nothing.” … If then I have not charity, though I bestow alms freely upon the poor, though I have come to the confession of Christ’s Name even unto blood and fire, these things may be done even through the love of glory and so are vain.
… For “the wedding garment” is taken in honour of the union, the union, that is, of the Bridegroom to the Bride. You know the Bridegroom – it is Christ. You know the Bride – it is the Church. Pay honour to the Bride, pay honour to the Bridegroom . If you pay due honour to them both, you will be their children. Therefore in this make progress. Love the Lord and so learn to love yourselves, that when by loving the Lord, you shall have loved yourselves, you may securely love your neighbour as yourselves.
…So then, have faith with love. This is the “wedding garment.”…St Augustine (354-430) Father & Doctor
“Thus, then, the obedient man,with the light of faith, in the truth burning in the furnace of charity … receives his end from Me, his Creator.”…St Catherine of Siena (1347-1380) Doctor of the Church
PRAYER – “God our Father, for love of You, St Rose of Lima left the world and gave herself to a life of penitence, austerity and charity. Help us by her prayers, so to follow the path of life on earth, in complete love of You and thus of Your children, that we may obtain the fulness of joy in Your presence in heaven and be clothed fit for the wedding feast. We make our prayer through Christ our Lord, in the unity of the Holy Spirit, one God forever, amen.
