Daily Gospel Reflection for August 22, 2024

Join us as we reflect, ponder, and pray together inspired by today's Gospel.

Today's Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14

"The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.” Matthew 22:2-3

Among that feast prepared by God is an abundance of grace.

Grace is mystical and, at times, mystifying to our human understanding but can be simplified at its core to the undeserved yet freely given gift of God's own Spirit within us. Grace is as necessary in our lives as air, food, and water. "Since it belongs to the supernatural order, grace escapes our experience and cannot be known except by faith" (CCC 2005). God is generous, not expecting us to succeed independently but providing us with His same power, the fuel for navigating every aspect of life. Mary, full of grace, understood that better than anyone.

Today the Church celebrates the Queenship of the Blessed Virgin Mary. First instituted in 1954 by Pope Pius XII, it related to Jesus, her Son, as king and the dogma of Mary as "Mother of God." In his encyclical Ad Caeli Reginam, the Pope proclaimed, "We are instituting a feast so that all may recognize more clearly and venerate more devoutly the merciful and maternal sway of the Mother of God." Mary, the first to believe and experience the infinite power or possibilities of God, is our greatest intercessor.

In Davidic times, the Queen Mother possessed the unique duty and privilege of being the king’s trusted advisor. Subjects would go to her to seek favor with the king. Our generous God offers this incredible queen and goes even further, bestowing her as our mother. From the cross, when it  pained our Savior to breathe forth every word, he announced, "Behold, your mother" (John 19:27)—grace upon grace.

Ponder:

In what way could your family use the Queen of Heaven's intercession today?

Pray:

Blessed Mother, Queen of Heaven and Earth, pray for us.

Copyright 2024 Allison Gingras