“I SHALL GIVE YOU A NEW HEART AND PUT A NEW SPIRIT WITHIN YOU” (Ezek 36:26)

⏰Thursday of the Twentieth Week of Ordinary Time 2 (23 August 2018)

📖Ezek 36:23-28; Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19 (R. Ezek 36:25); Matt 22:1-14

My dear, the steadfast love of the Lord never ceases nor gets exhausted (Lam 3:22). The problems of the Israelites came from many angles. Some were caused by the misguidance of the leaders, others from the sins of their ancestors, and some others from the sins (laissez-faire attitude) of the people themselves.

Now, irrespective of the source, the Lord promises through the prophet to give them a new heart and spirit, that is a new disposition to accepting his word. He says in Rev 21:5, “Behold, I shall make all things new.”

With this newness of disposition, the people shall be readily available to answer God’s invitation to the eternal banquet the Lord has prepared for all.

The question for all of us is on whether we shall be ready to cooperate with that effort God is making to bring us into newness of life. In the gospel (Matt 22:1-14), many people gave excuses why they cannot answer him. Even among the ones that got the second invitation, some were not putting on the right clothes.

Sin is that wrong cloth we normally wear to God’s presence. Let us learn from the experience of that young man (Matt 22:13) and then approach God to be cleansed. He is ever ready and able to cleanse us into what is acceptable to him (see Isa 1:18).

“If you are willing and obedient, you will eat the good things of the land” (Isa 1:19). Have a grace-filled day with willingness of heart to follow Christ and remain ever blessed. Amen.

Peace be with you.