Twenty First Sunday After Pentecost

TWENTY-FIRST SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

Gospel : St. Matthew xviii. 23-35.

AT that time, Jesus spoke to His disciples this parable: “ The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who would take an account of his servants. And when he had begun to take the account, one was brought to him that owed him ten thousand talents. And as he had not wherewith to pay it, his lord commanded that he should be sold, and his wife and children, and all that he had, and payment to be made. But that servant, falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And the lord of that servant, being moved with pity, let him go and forgave him the debt.

But when that servant was gone out, he found one of his fellow-servants that owed him a hundred pence; and laying hold of him, he throttled him, saying: Pay what thou owest And his fellow-servant, falling down, besought him, saying: Have patience with me, and I will pay thee all. And he would not, but went and cast him into prison, till he paid the debt. Now his fellow-servants, seeing what was done, were very much grieved, and they came and told their lord all that was done. Then his lord called him, and said to him: Thou wicked servant! I forgave thee all the debt, because thou besoughtest me: shouldst not thou then have had compassion also on thy fellow-servant, even as I had compassion on thee? And his lord being angry, delivered him to the torturers until he paid all the debt. So also shall My Heavenly Father do to you, if you forgive not everyone his brother from your hearts.

Q. Of whom are this king and the debtor in the parable figures?

A. As in all the other parables so in this the king is a figure of God, master and judge of the universe; and the debtor represents sinful man, who must render an account of all his actions to the Divine Justice.

Q. Why is this servant represented as being so heavily in debt?

A. It is evident that the Divine Master thus represented him in order to express the enormity of sin, and the immense debt contracted with God by him who commits it.

Q. What fault had the wife and children committed, that they also were to be sold ?

A. This is an ornament of the parable, founded on the practice of certain very singular cases, as can be seen in Daniel. At any rate it may well signify that sometimes a whole family and an entire community must suffer for the sin of a father or of a member, in the same manner as all who were in the ship with the prophet Jonas were in danger of drowning, because he had been disobedient to God. All Egypt was punished on account of Pharao, and three thousand conquerors of Jericho were put to flight near the city Hai by a handful of uncircumcised men, on account of one only, Achan.

Q. How could the poor servant promise to pay so large a sum?

A. Strictly speaking, it was impossible for him to pay such an enormous debt, but this was said to signify that a sinner, although he cannot do anything of himself, can truly promise to satisfy the Divine Justice, relying on the infinite treasure of the passion and merits of Jesus Christ,

Q. How could the king be so easily moved to compassion and forgive so great a debt?

A. From this we should learn how great is the goodness of God, and how willingly He forgives him who sincerely confesses his sins and firmly resolves to amend his life. David and Magdalen are very eloquent examples of this.

Q. Of whom is that servant a figure who refused to have pity on his fellow-servant?

A. In this particular he is a figure of those Christians who refuse to forgive their neighbour, whilst they themselves dare to hope, or have even previously obtained the forgiveness of their sins, which are far more grievous.

Q. What are we to think of him when we see him having recourse to the tribunals to obtain satisfaction?

A. By acting in this manner he is the odious picture of those vindictive persons who make use of all imaginable means to obtain satisfaction for injuries received, and it makes us feel how disgraceful and revolting such conduct is.

Q. Why did his fellow-servants inform their master of the bad conduct of this man?

A. This signifies that the true servants of the Lord are always displeased and sorry for the acts of revenge done by Christians, and that, however just the satisfaction obtained may appear to be, the heavenly Master will always know it, will judge it rigorously, and will discover the secret malice thereof.

Q. But this master did not oblige the servant to cancel the obligations due him from others. Why, then, was he so angry with him?

A. Let us learn from this how angry the Lord will be with us if we exact satisfaction, knowing that He has strictly commanded us to forgive our neighbour from our heart, and that He has repeatedly assured us that we shall be treated by Him in the same manner as we have treated others.

Q. Why did the master deliver that servant to the torturers?

A. The Divine Teacher said this in the parable to let us know that whosoever does not sincerely forgive his enemies will be sentenced to the torments of hell.

Q. What are we to learn from this Gospel?

A. In the first place, we are to learn to acknowledge before God our great debts, that is, our sins, with sincerity and humility of heart. Secondly, we are to learn to have a firm purpose of making good our great debt as far as we can with the assistance of divine grace, by repentance, by receiving the holy sacraments, and by other good works. Lastly, we are to learn sincerely to pardon those who have offended us, and to fear the punishments with which God has threatened vindictive men. 

 

 

 

Sermon for children on praying for parents

 God often makes children little apostles for the conversion of others. A person in Paris gave the following account of his conversion: “I had been brought up,” he said, “in ignorance of the truth, with no respect for religion, and hating the Catholic Church. I had a little child, which was wild, passionate, and stupid. I was cross and severe to this child. Sometimes my wife used to say to me: ‘Wait a little, the child will be better when it makes its first communion.’ I did not believe it. however, the child began to go to Catechism, and from that time it became obedient, respectful, and affectionate. I thought I would go myself to hear the instructions on the Catechism, which had made such a wonderful change in the child. I went, and I heard truths which I had never heard before. My feelings towards the child changed. It was not so much love as respect I began to feel for the child. I was inferior to it, it was better and wiser than I was. The week for the first communion was come: there were but five or six days remaining.

One morning the child returned from Mass, and came into the room where I was alone. ‘Father,’ said the child, ‘the day of my first communion is coming, and I cannot go to the altar without asking your blessing and forgiveness for all the faults I have committed and the pain I have often given you. Think well of my faults, and scold me for them all, that I may commit them no more.’ ‘My child,’ I answered, ‘a father forgives every thing.’ The child looked at me with tears in its eyes and threw its arms around my neck. ‘Father,’ said the child again, ‘I have something else to ask you.’ I knew well, my conscience told me, what the child was going to ask. I was afraid, and said, ‘go away now, you can ask me to-morrow.’ The poor child did not know what to say, so it left me, and went sorrowfully into its own little room, where it had an altar with an image of the Blessed Virgin upon it. I felt sorry for what I had said; so I got up, and walked softly on the tips of my feet to the room door of my child. The door was a little open; I looked at the child, it was on its knees before the Blessed Virgin, praying with all its heart for its father. Truly, at the moment, I knew what one must feel at the sight of an angel. I went back to my room, and leaned my head on my hands, I was ready to cry. I heard a slight sound, and raised my eyes—my child was standing before me, on its face there was fear, with firmness and love. ‘Father,’ said the child, ‘I cannot put off till to-morrow what I have to ask you—I ask you, on the day of my first Communion, to come to the holy Communion along with mamma and me.’ I burst into tears, and threw my arms round the child’s neck, and said, ‘Yes, my child, yes this very day you shall take me by the hand and lead me to your confessor, and say, ‘Here is Father.’” 

So this child converted its father. Little child, if you have parents who do not lead a good life, God looks to you for their conversion. But what can you do? The good example of a child speaks to the heart of a parent. Then there is prayer—will God turn a deaf ear to the prayer of a child, praying for the conversion of its father or mother? No; the Hail Mary, which you say every day for their conversion, the prayer you say for them each time you hear Mass, the holy Communions you offer for them, the sighs of your heart, all rise up before God, and are not forgotten by him; and the day will come when God will send down from Heaven the grace of conversion into the heart of your parents.

NINETEENTH SUNDAY AFTER PENTECOST.

 Gospel : St. Matthew XXII. 2-14.

AT that time: Jesus spoke to the chief priests and Pharisees in parables, saying: “The kingdom of heaven is likened to a king, who made a marriage for his son. And he sent his servants to call them that were invited to the marriage: and they would not come. Again he sent other servants, saying: Tell them that were invite: Behold, I have prepared my dinner; my beeves and fadings are killed, and all things are ready: come ye to the marriage. But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his farm and another to his merchandise. And the rest laid hands on his servants, and, having treated them contumeliously, put them to death. But when the king had heard of it he was angry, and, sending his armies, he destroyed those murderers, and burnt their city. Then he saith to his servants: The marriage indeed is ready: but they that were invited were not worthy. Go ye therefore into the highways; and as many as you shall find call to the marriage. And his servants, going forth into the highways, gathered together all that they found, both bad and good: and the marriage was filled with guests. And the king went in to see the guests: and he saw there a man who had not on a wedding garment. And he saith to him : Friend, how earnest thou in hither not having a wedding garment? But he was silent. Then the king said to the waiters: Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the exterior darkness: there shall be weeping and gnashing of teeth. For many are called, but few are chosen.”

Q. What was the object of this parable?

A. It was to warn the Jews of the danger and of the fatal consequences of their obstinacy in refusing to recognize in Him that Messias Who came to call them in the name of His Eternal Father to partake of the kingdom of heaven.

Q. What does the kingdom of heaven signify, who is the king, and who is the bridegroom ?

A. The kingdom of heaven is the Church, in which God exercises His power over the minds and heart; the royal father who prepares the nuptial feast is the same God Who invites all mankind to enter the Church, and the bridegroom is Jesus Christ, true God and true man, Who is united to the Church by the strongest ties.

Q. What are we to understand by the nuptial feast?

A. That most bountiful feast of eternal life which is received in the Church, whether of doctrine, of grace, or of the merits of Jesus Christ.

Q. Why is such a feast said to be prepared by the royal father?

A. Because the holy Church was ordained and prepared by God from all eternity, and God sent His only begotten Son to become man to complete the great work begun by Him.

Q. Who are the invited, and who are they who did not accept the first invitation?

A. The invited are all the children of Adam, as well of the Old as of the New Dispensation, and those who refused the first invitation were principally the Gentiles, who did not believe in the Christ Who was to come, and did not profit by the example of the chosen people. They were also the Jews, who did not listen to the voice of the prophets, and refused to acknowledge the promised and expected Messias. Lastly, they are all those who did not and do not accept the truths of the gospel.

Q. Who were the servants sent out by the king to give the first invitation ?

A. They were the prophets who invited men to believe and to hope in the Messias, and who announced His coming, His sanctity, His miracles, and all the circumstances of His birth, life, passion, and death.

Q. Who were those sent to renew the invitation ?

A. They were the apostles and all their legitimate successors in the preaching of the gospel, and they are now all the ministers of the altar who announce the divine word and invite the people to drink with joy from the rich fountains of the Saviour.

Q. What do the animals that were killed for the feast signify?

A. All this food, which indicates the wealth and sumptuousness of an earthly table, signifies the abundance and the excellence of the food which God has prepared for our souls in the Church.

Q. How do we prove this abundance?

A. If we consider the promises of God made to the patriarchs, the predictions of the prophets, the figures of the sacrifices and of the legal ceremonies, and the foreshadowings in the events and in the famous personages of the Hebrew nation, we shall see with what abundance God prepared the nuptial feast of Jesus Christ ; that is, how many lights and how many means He prepared, in order that the promised Saviour might be known when in the fulness of time He should appear among men.

Q. Does this abundance stop here ?

A. Certainly not. If we consider the doctrines of Jesus Christ, His miracles, His example, His death, His merits, and His sacraments, the preaching of the apostles, the constancy of the martyrs, the prodigies which signalized the promulgation of the faith and the constant assistance of the Holy Ghost, we shall comprehend how abundantly God has provided food for our souls, for our faith, our hope, our charity, our perfection ; in a word, for the nuptials of the Church with the heavenly Spouse.

Q. Who are they who maltreated the servants?

A. First, they are the Jews, who stoned the prophets and crucified Christ. Secondly, they are the persecutors of the Church, who condemned the promulgators of the gospel to all kinds of torments ; and lastly, they are those who persecute the priests because they are the ministers of God and the teachers of religion.

Q. How was the revenge of the angry king realized in regard to the Jews?

A. You find the answer in the ruins of the city of Jerusalem, and in the Jews themselves, scattered over the face of the earth without throne or temple.

Q. Who are they who were called from all parts and partook of the marriage-feast?

A. They were the Gentiles and the people of every nation who, called by the apostles to the profession of the gospel, embraced the holy faith and filled the Church of Jesus Christ.

Q. Of whom was the man a figure who had not on a nuptial garment?

A. He was the sad image of all those who are indeed in the Church because they have been baptized, but who have not the nuptial garment; that is, who have not justice and sanctifying grace, because they are in the state of mortal sin.

Q. Why did the king call that man a friend?

A. From this we may learn that God hates sin, but not the sinner; because, although he is His enemy by sin, still he is His creature, created unto- His likeness, and redeemed by the blood of Jesus Christ; therefore He is inclined to treat him in a friendly manner whenever, accepting the invitation of His grace, he will ask pardon for his sins and provide himself by repentance with the nuptial garment, which he has not when in the state of sin.

Q. Why, then, did he sentence him to be punished?

A. In order to warn us that the sinner who is mute and does not confess his guilt and ask for pardon, as this man in the Gospel, will be banished from eternal joy, and will be sentenced to be cast out of the kingdom into eternal pain.

Q. What are we to learn from this parable of the Gospel ?

A. We are to learn principally three thingS: first, not to despise divine grace: second, to be sure that we have the nuptial garment, which is sanctifying grace ; and lastly, that it is not enough to be in the Church and to bear the name of Christian in order to be saved, as it was not sufficient for that man to be seated at the nuptial banquet, from which he was ignominiously banished.

  Taken from Analysis of the Gospel of the Sundays of the year. From the Italian of Angelo Cagnola.  By Rev. L. A. Lambert, LL.D.

 

 

 

++++++

 Children's sermon here