Participation in the Kingdom of Heaven

Reflection on Today's Readings, Thursday of 20th Week in Ordinary Time, Year 1, August 19th, 2021

Texts: Judges 11:29-39a; Ps. 40:5.7-10; Mtt. 22:1-14
Today's Readings underscore a point that the participation in the kingdom of heaven is by grace and one's readiness to do so. The first group of people in today's gospel reading had the kingdom of heaven as a gift from God but they turned it down. They turned it down because they were busy with the affair of the world: farm and business, the means of earning living here on earth. They were only concerned with how to sustain their lives here on earth and had no concern for life after here.  Tie down to earth they were and looked not to heaven. They are those who have been called and baptised but abandon the truth of faith. They do not live the values of the kingdom. They do their own will instead of God's will.
The second group of people was ready but they  did not have the grace to participate in the kingdom. Their readiness manifested in putting on their wedding garments. The wedding garment is the virtue of the kingdom. The people were poor in the spirit. They were righteous and pure of heart. Their hearts were raised to heaven, concerned about life after here. They lived by faith, believing in the life to come, not the life here and now. As they live for life after here, they are not deterred by the suffering here and now but fixed their eyes on the vision of the world to come, where there is joy and peace in the Holy Spirit.
Today's first reading furthers the message in the gospel reading. Just as the banquet is prepared already by the King, so also the lot of the daughter of Jephthah was already determined. Our destiny in Christ is already predetermined. As our destiny is already predetermined by God, we can only fulfil it by living in obedience to Him who has predetermined it.  We are to yield to God's invitation. We see in the life of the daughter of Jephthah how to respond to God's invitation. Just like her we are to say, "My father, if you have opened your mouth to the Lord, do to me according to what has gone forth from your mouth." In today's psalm, we are instructed to put it thus: "See, I have come, Lord, to do your will." Let us always seek to do the will of God, not our will.
We are to offer ourselves to God as a burnt offering. This brings to mind the words of St. Paul, "I urge you, then, brothers, remembering the mercies of God, to offer your bodies as a living sacrifice, dedicated and acceptable to God; that is the kind of worship for you, as sensible people. Do not model your behaviour on the contemporary world, but let the renewing of your minds transform you, so that you may discern for yourselves what is the will of God -- what is good and acceptable and mature" (Rom. 12:1-2).

Lord our God, we thank You for inviting us to the kingdom of heaven; grant that we may live life worthy of the kingdom. Amen.

Fr. Andrew Olowomuke