9781644135945

The Light of the World
opened. The doors are closed, and they who were called but were not prepared, are excluded.
“I know you not” (Mt 25:12).
“For many are called, but few are chosen.” Israel was called, but by its own fault it missed that
call. “For if God hath not spared the natural branches, fear lest perhaps He also spare not thee”
(Rom 11:21) if you make yourself unworthy of election.
“Our fathers were all under the cloud and all passed through the sea. And all in Moses were
baptized in the cloud and in the sea; and did all eat the same spiritual food [the manna]. And all
drank the same spiritual drink [the water which Moses struck from the rock by the command
of God], . . . but with most of them God was not well pleased; for they were overthrown in
the desert. Now these things were done in a figure of us, that we should not covet evil things,
as they also coveted. Neither become ye idolators as some of them. . . . Neither let us commit
fornication as some of them committed fornication. . . . Neither do you murmur as some of
them murmured and were destroyed by the destroyer. Now all these things happened to them
in figure; and they were written for our correction. . . . Wherefore he that thinketh himself to
stand, let him take heed lest he fall” (1 Cor 10:1–12).
Prayer
Almighty and merciful God, in Thy loving kindness shield us from all adversity, that being
prepared in soul and body, we may with free minds perform the works that are Thine. Through
Christ our Lord. Amen.
Wednesday
The king makes a marriage feast for his son and calls the guests, but those whom he invited do
not come. They despise the wedding dinner that the king has prepared for them and turn to
other occupations. One goes to his farm, another to his business; and thus they are excluded
from the wedding dinner of the king.
“All things are ready; come ye to the marriage” (Gospel). The King is God the Father. He makes
a marriage feast for His only-begotten Son, whom He has sent into the world that He, too, may
become a man. The Son of God assumes our human nature in the womb of the Virgin, and
draws our human nature into an intimate union with His divine person. Through the human
nature which He assumed at His Incarnation, we also, in a certain sense, share the nature of
Christ. Through His union with the human nature which He received from Mary, He wedded
Himself to the whole of mankind and to each one of us. Thus we are espoused to the Son of
God. He has espoused us with an infinite love, and He will pour out the riches of His Godhead
upon us and upon all mankind.
“Come ye to the marriage.” The primary purpose of man’s life on earth is to seek Christ and
to become daily more intimately united to Him through faith and love. The King “sent His servants,”
the teachers, the priests, the Church, outward tribulations and inward lights and graces,
“to call them that were invited to the marriage, and they would not come.” He called again.
“But they neglected, and went their ways, one to his farm, and another to his merchandise”
(Gospel). Poor wayward humanity of antiquity! Poor wayward men of today! They go their
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