Thursday of the Twentieth Week in Ordinary Time
(Judges 11:29-39a; Matthew 21:1-14)
Today’s first reading upsets the soul so much that it cries
out for comment. It can be linked to the
gospel although it is not necessary to do so.
Both readings concern thoughtless action. The judge Jephthah makes a foolish vow that
he cannot be bound to keep. The dolt who
enters the wedding feast in the gospel parable should realize that society establishes
customs with good reason. To shamelessly
transgress these customs deserves penalty.
If Jephthah were observant at all, he should have realized
that human sacrifice is odious to God and therefore sinful. Since he recklessly made the vow to sacrifice
the first one – human or beast – to greet him, he should repent of his rashness
and do penance when he sees his daughter.
He infinitely multiplies his sin by fulfilling his imprudent vow. It is presumed that the man without a proper
garment at the wedding feast both knew about the custom and had access to a
garment. But he defies social convention
to do things his way. If he did not want
to wear a garment, he should not have come to the feast.
God has given us a process of thought to know what really
pleases him. There are a lot of
compunctions and rival feelings in our psyches that we must resist if we are to
do this. Making boastful vows and doing
things one own way might make us feel important, but they transgress God’s law.
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