Thursday 22 August

Mary, Mother and Queen (m)

Judges 11:29-39; Psalm 40; Matthew 22:1-14

Clothed with Christ

The Judges story is appalling, revealing the foolishness of rash vows. Human sacrifice was forbidden (Leviticus 18:21), so priests are unlikely to have fulfilled this holocaust. The daughter spent two months bewailing her ‘virginity’. Many scholars believe she was set apart to never marry. Being Jephthah’s only child, this meant great sacrifice for them both, and despite our distaste for the story, their faithfulness and integrity shine out. In the Gospel, wedding guests refuse invitations. As Gentiles, we see ourselves as gathered from the roadsides. Christ himself clothes us in baptism, but we must fully embrace the gift we have received. Today, we ask Mary to pray for us.