32nd SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

MT 25:1-13

The idea of separation which will be made at the Last Judgment was first in-troduced into this section of teaching at 24:37ff.: Noah and the rest; the two men and the two women; the faithful and wise servant and the wicked servant. This distinction dominates the remainder of the discourse - the parables of the bridesmaids, the servants, and the sheep and the goats. (Cf. the similar contrasts at the end of the first section of teaching, 7:13-27.)

The bridesmaids are waiting at night for the bridegroom to come so that they can go with him to the bride's house, and then go with them both to his house, where the ceremony will take place. Five are ready when he comes, but five are not ready and so they miss the marriage feast.

The point of the parable, in its present context, is that the disciples are to be prepared, and be ready when the Lord comes and thus enter the kingdom.

The parable as it stands has no parallel in the other Gospels, but there are sayings in Luke 12:35ff and 13:23ff which are similar.

Matthew has certainly adapted the parable for its present context: the state-ment in v. 5 (that they all slumbered and slept) does not go well with the conclu-sion of the parable (Cf. v. 13. Watch therefore ….). It may be that as in the case of other parables the original reference was to the crisis caused by the ministry of Jesus, and the Church or the Evangelist has applied it to the second coming.

v. 1. Then the kingdom of heaven will be like ten virgins who took their lamps and went out to meet the bridegroom.

Then (tote): It refers to the last judgment, as also in 24:40, 25:31.

The kingdom of heaven shall be compared to ten maidens: The phrase does not mean that the kingdom is like the bridesmaids, but that the situation at the last judgment will be like the situation in which these maidens found themselves: some ready for it, some not ready.

To meet the bridegroom: The meeting place would be at his house. They would then accompany him to fetch the bride from her home.

v. 2. Five of them were foolish and five were wise.

For the distinction wise and foolish, compare the end of the first teaching sec-tion, 7:24ff (the parable of the wise man and the foolish man who each built a house).

vv. 3f. The foolish ones, when taking their lamps, brought no oil with them, but the wise brought flasks of oil with their lamps.

In the original parable, the emphasis may have been on those who had oil, and those who had none.

Oil is a symbol for repentance: cf. 6:17, “anoint your head”, i.e. repent of your sins.

v. 5. Since the bridegroom was long delayed, they all became drowsy and fell asleep.

See 24:48 and 2Pt 3:4.

v. 10. While they went off to buy it, the bridegroom came and those who were ready went into the wedding feast with him. Then the door was locked.

Those who were ready: Cf. 24:44.

Into the wedding feast: Cf. 22:2ff and Rev 19:7.

The door was shut: Cf. 7:7f. 13f.

v. 11. Afterwards the other virgins came and said, ‘Lord, Lord, open the door for us!’

Lord, Lord: Cf. 7:21f, and notice especially, “On that day many will say to me, Lord, Lord…”

v. 12. But he said in reply, ‘Amen, I say to you, I do not know you.’

“I do not know you” is an Aramaic formula meaning “I will have nothing to do with you”; cf. 7:23. “I never knew you.”

v. 13. Therefore, stay awake, for you know neither the day nor the hour.

The verse repeats the refrain of 24:36. 42. 44. 50.

Prayers for Undas

You might find this useful to make our Todos Los Santos not just a social event but a prayerful event as well.

The prayers below were taken here and there in the internet.

VISIT TO THE CEMETERY

INTRODUCTION
Reader 1:
Let us all understand that death is not an eraser. It does not remove the deeds or the meanings that existed in anyone's life. It does not make poor men rich or great men fallible. And when death comes, let us not romanticize its presence nor the person it takes from us. Let us see death for what it really is: a border that we all must cross; a border that, more than any other, defines the lives we are able to lead. Do not mourn for those who cross over. Rather, reflect on the definition they've left behind. It is the only truth we are able to know here on earth. When the definition is great, then celebrate it. When it is lacking, then learn from it and improve on it. And use it to make your own definition more truthful and loving and miraculous. (from 'Gideon' by Russell Andrews)

OPENING PRAYER
All:
Lord Jesus, our Redeemer, You willingly gave Yourself up to death so that all people might be saved and pass from death into a new life. Listen to our prayers; look with love on Your people who mourn and pray for their dead brothers and sisters.

Lord Jesus, You alone are holy and compassionate; forgive them their sins. By dying You opened the gates of life for those who believe in You; do not let them be parted from You, but by Your glorious power give them light, joy, and peace in heaven where You live forever and ever. Amen.

READING

Reader 2:
A reading from the book of Wisdom. (Wis 4: 4-15)

The virtuous man, though he die before his time, will find rest. Length of days is not what makes age honourable, nor number of years the true measure of life; understanding, this is man’s grey hairs, untarnished life, this is ripe old age. He has sought to please God, so God has loved him; as he lived among sinners, he has been taken up.

He has been carried off so that evil may not warp his understanding or treachery seduce his soul; for the fascination of evil throws the good into the shade, and the whirlwind of desire corrupts a simple heart.
Coming to perfection in so short a while, he achieved long life; his soul being pleasing to the Lord, who has taken him quickly from the wickedness around him.

Yet people look on, uncomprehending; it does not enter their heads that grace and mercy await the chosen of the Lord, and protection, God’s holy ones.

This is the Word of the Lord.

All:
Thanks be to God.

CONCLUDING PRAYER
All:
God our Father,
Your power brings us to birth,
Your providence guides our lives,
and by Your command we return to dust.

Lord, those who die still live in Your presence,
their lives change but do not end.
I pray in hope for my family,
relatives and friends,
and for all the dead known to You alone.

In company with Christ,
Who died and now lives,
may they rejoice in Your kingdom,
where all our tears are wiped away.
Unite us together again in one family,
to sing Your praise forever and ever.

Amen.

In the name of the Father….

31st SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example.

Mt 23:1-2

Jesus warns the crowds and his disciples not to follow the example of the scribes and Pharisees. They increase the duties of religion for others, but do not practice any charity; they are ostentatious in the performance of religious practices, and look for honor and reward from men in the present, rather than from God in the future. The true way is the opposite of this: to be a servant and humble in the present, and so to be exalted by God in the age to come.

Matthew has used Mark 12:37bff. as the occasion for this much longer denunciation of the scribes and Pharisees; but he has also made use of some of the Marcan wording in vv. 1f., 6f. Verse 4 is similar to Luke 11:46. Vv. 11f. may be alternative versions of sayings in Mark 9:35, Luke 18:14, etc. Verses 3, 5, 8ff. have no parallel in the other Gospels.

v. 1. Then Jesus spoke to the crowds and to his disciples….

Cf. the first section of teaching, which is -given to the disciples in the presence of the crowds (5:1f, 7:28).

v. 2. Saying, “The scribes and the Pharisees have taken their seat on the chair of Moses.

The chair of Moses is not just a- figurative expression, meaning 'have the teaching authority of Moses'. Moses' seat is the name of a piece of furniture in the synagogue, the seat from which the teacher delivered the sermon. Cf. Luke 4:20ff.

v. 3. Therefore, do and observe all things whatsoever they tell you, but do not follow their example. For they preach but they do not practice.

Their teaching is to be followed, but not their example. Cf. 7:21ff. for the antithe-sis between saying and doing.

In “they preach but do not practice”, “preach” is an unfortunate translation of the Greek word (legein): in Matthew, preach is a different word (kerussein) and it means to proclaim the coming of the kingdom; the word used here means 'speak', 'talk'.

It is difficult to believe that Jesus really commanded obedience to the teaching of the scribes and Pharisees; this seems to have been the attitude of Matthew or of one of his sources. See 5:19.

v. 4. They tie up heavy burdens [hard to carry] and lay them on people’s shoulders, but they will not lift a finger to move them.

They tie up heavy burdens: See 16:19, 18:18 for binding and loosing, i.e, making regulations and exceptions. The charge against the scribes and Pharisees here is that they increase the regulations; contrast what Jesus says of his own teaching, My yoke is easy, and my burden is light (I1:30); and the two commandments on which all the law and the prophets depend (22:40). '

They will not lift a finger to move them: The meaning of this may be that they have nothing positive and constructive to say to those who have broken the laws.

v. 5. All their works are performed to be seen. They widen their phylacteries and lengthen their tassels.

A different charge begins in this verse - the charge of religious ostentation. It is a repetition of 6:1ff. “Beware of practicing your piety before men in order to be seen by them”. Examples of this follow.

They widen their phylacteries: This is the only place in the New Testament where phylacteries are mentioned. Apparently they were texts written on parchment and worn on the forehead and forearm at times of prayer, perhaps to ward off demons.

And lengthen their tassels: The Israelite was obliged to wear 'tassels' on the four corners of his outer garment, according to Num. 15:38f. and Deut. 22:12. See also 9:20 and 14:36. The Marcan parallel is: Beware of the scribes, who like to go about in long robes (Mark 12:38). Matthew may be explaining what long robes means.

v. 6. They love places of honor at banquets, seats of honor in synagogues….

See Mark 12:39. The seats of honor in the synagogues were those on the bench in front of the ark where the scrolls were kept, facing the congregation.

v. 7. … greetings in marketplaces, and the salutation ‘Rabbi.’

Greetings in the marketplaces (from Mark 12:38): The rule was that 'a man must salute his superior in the knowledge of the Law'; therefore to love salutations is to love to be, or to be recognized as, superior to others.

And the salutation ‘Rabbi.’: The word rabbi originally meant 'great' and so, 'lord, master, teacher'. In this Gospel, Jesus is addressed as rabbi only by Judas Iscariot (26:25. 49).

v. 8. As for you, do not be called ‘Rabbi.’ You have but one teacher, and you are all brothers.

“As for you” is emphatic in the Greek. The disciples are to be different from the scribes and Pharisees. Cf. 20:26.

You have one teacher: i.e. Jesus.

And you are all brothers: The word 'brother' was used of members of the Church; cf. 1Cor. 8:11. The idea of brothers leads on to the idea of father in the next verse.

v. 9. Call no one on earth your father; you have but one Father in heaven.

Call no one your father on earth: The title' abba', father, was used of the patriarchs and great Jewish teachers of the past.

You have but one Father in heaven: The fatherhood of God is more frequently mentioned in this Gospel than in the others; and Matthew is particularly fond of the antithesis on earth ... in heaven.

v. 10. Do not be called ‘Master’; you have but one master, the Messiah.

This verse repeats v. 8; the word master (kathegetes) means 'teacher', possibly 'interpreter'.

v. 11. The greatest among you must be your servant.

Notice the play on “rabbi” (great) in v. 8. The saying appears in different forms elsewhere in the Gospels.

Some translations have “shall be your servant”. This is then to be taken as a warning of what will be the punishment for pride, rather than the way of humility as the means to greatness.

v. 12. Whoever exalts himself will be humbled; but whoever humbles himself will be exalted.

The passive voice (will be humbled, will be exalted) refers to the punishment and reward that God will give at the judgment.

30th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind.You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

Mt 22:34-40

The Pharisees plan another attack on Jesus, when they hear that their rivals, the Sadducees, have been silenced. One of them asks Jesus the question which was frequently discussed among the rabbis, Which is the great commandment in the Law? Jesus replies that the first and great commandment is the commandment to love God; and that there is another like it, to love your neighbor as yourself. Both of these commandments are quotations from the Old Testament: the first is part of the words which every Jew was expected to recite every day, the Shema. The second is like an answer which a rabbi had given to a similar question, 'What thou hatest for thyself, do not to thy neighbors.' It is possible, though not certain, that the commandments to love God and to love your neighbor had been brought together by the Jews in pre-Christian times.

Matthew here considerably shortens Mark 12:28ff, omitting Mark 12:32-34. There are agreements here with Luke 10:25ff, and it has sometimes been thought that Matthew and Luke had in addition a source other than Mark for this section.

v. 34. When the Pharisees heard that he had silenced the Sadducees, they gathered together….

In Mark, the question is asked by a scribe. Matthew brings back the Pharisees.
They gathered together (synechthesan epi to auto) is a quotation from Ps. 2:2 [(The rulers) take counsel together] which Matthew uses again at 26:3.

v. 35. And one of them [a scholar of the law] tested him by asking…

A lawyer (nomikos): This is the only place where Matthew uses this word. Luke uses it six times. Mark never. Even here in Matthew it is omitted by a small group of authorities, and may be a later addition, from Luke 10:5.

To test him: Matthew adds these words; cf. 22:18.

v. 36. “Teacher, which commandment in the law is the greatest?”

Teacher is another Matthean addition, to make the introduction to this question conform to the introductions to the two previous questions, vv. 16 and 24.

v. 37. He said to him, “You shall love the Lord, your God, with all your heart, with all your soul, and with all your mind."

The quotation is from Dt. 6:5.

This verse is part of the “shema”, the basic and essential creed of Judaism, the sentence with which every Jewish service opens and the fist text which every Jew-ish child commits to memory.

v. 39. The second is like it: You shall love your neighbor as yourself.

“The second is like it” has the sense of “the second is equally important”. The two commandments are equally important but NOT interchangeable. Loving one’s neighbor does not mean you don’t have to mind loving God anymore and loving God does not require you to love your neighbor anymore.

The quotation is from Lv. 19:18; it has been quoted before in this Gospel at 5:43 and 19:19. “As yourself” means loving one’s neighbor totally, that is with your whole heart etc. The second commandment is not a recommendation to love oneself first and then one’s neighbor. It does not also counsel loving one’s neighbor in the same way as you love yourself.

v. 40. The whole law and the prophets depend on these two commandments.”

Mark had “There is no commandment greater than these”; Matthew changes it, to say that all the law and the prophets can be deduced from these two commandments; cf. 7:12. This was the teaching of the Jewish rabbis, and Matthew is here bringing Jesus into line with them.

29th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

Repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.

Mt 22:14-21

The rest of this chapter describes the questions which the Jewish leaders ask Jesus, and the question which he puts to them. Their aim is to trap him, so that they may have a charge to bring against him before the council of the Jews, and before the Roman governor.

First come the Pharisees with the Herodians: they begin with a flattering introduction, and then ask whether it is lawful for the Jews to pay the Roman taxes. Jesus perceives the reason why they ask this question: it is a test question, to see whether Jesus will declare himself on the side of the zealots who refuse to pay, or on the side of those who collaborate with the Romans.

Jesus says that the money for the tax bears the emperor's portrait and name, and is therefore his; so it should be paid to him. But then he goes beyond the terms of the question, and demands that the Jews should also return to God what belongs to him; and we recall here that in the parable of the vineyard the Jews were accused of not rendering to God the fruit which was his (21:33ff).

v. 15. Then the Pharisees went off and plotted how they might entrap him in speech.

To entangle (pagideuein): The word is rare in Greek, and is only used here in the New Testament. It is a hunting term, meaning to 'snare' or 'trap'.

v. 16. They sent their disciples to him, with the Herodians, saying, “Teacher, we know that you are a truthful man and that you teach the way of God in accordance with the truth. And you are not concerned with anyone’s opinion, for you do not regard a person’s status.

Their disciples: Disciples of the Pharisees are only mentioned here and in Mark 2:18. The word 'disciples' implies a teacher, and the Pharisees were not teachers, except for those of them who were also scribes.

The Herodians: They were the supporters of Herod the Great and of his family; they favored collaboration with the Romans, who were ruling Palestine with the Herods as their puppet-kings. The Herodians would have been in favor of paying taxes to Caesar; the Pharisees would not.

v. 17. Tell us, then, what is your opinion: Is it lawful to pay the census tax to Caesar or not?”

Tell us, then, what is your opinion: It is a Matthean addition. Cf. 17:25.

v. 18. Knowing their malice, Jesus said, “Why are you testing me, you hypocrites?

Aware of their malice ... you hypocrites: Possibly Matthew has in mind the attack on the hypocrisy of the scribes and Pharisees in Chapter 23
.

v. 19. Show me the coin that pays the census tax.” Then they handed him the Roman coin.

As in I7:24ff., it seems as though Jesus and his disciples have no money.

v. 20. He said to them, “Whose image is this and whose inscription?”

Whose likeness and inscription is this? The denarius would bear a portrait of the emperor Tiberius (A.D. 14-37) and this inscription: Ti[berius] Caesar Divi Aug[usti] F[ilius] Augustus.

v. 21. They replied, “Caesar’s.” At that he said to them, “Then repay to Caesar what belongs to Caesar and to God what belongs to God.”

Render (apodote) is a different word from pay (literally, 'give', didonai) which was used in v. 17; the change in words may mean, The taxes are not a gift; but a debt. The same word, render (apodidonai) was used in 21:41 of the tenants who would render to God his fruit.

28th SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME (A)

He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence.

Mt 22:1-14

THE PARABLE OF THE INVITATIONS TO THE WEDDING

Matthew inserts two more parables: the marriage feast and the wedding gar-ment. The first (marriage feast) has been highly allegorized. A king knvites guests to his son’s wedding feast, but they refuse to come. So he sends other servants, and they still refuse to come, and ill-treat and kill the servants. So the king sends his army and burns their city. Then the king sends the servants to find other guests - as many as they can find, both bad and good. .

We should notice first the similarities between this parable and the parable of the vineyard which it follows in Matthew: in both, two groups of servants are sent; those to whom the servants are sent refuse to do what the servants say, and kill some of them; those who have refused to obey are themselves destroyed; and they are replaced by others, who make up for what the first have failed to do.

Matthew clearly means his readers to understand the two parables in the same way: he is describing God's dealings with the Jews, their disobedience to him, and the new covenant which will include the gentiles.

The allegorical elements in the story, which strike the reader as strange and unnatural, e.g. the killing of those who bring an invitation to a wedding, the de-struction of guests, and burning of a city while a meal is waiting to be served, are no doubt additions, made by the Church or the Evangelist to an earlier and more straightforward parable. To some extent these additions show the influence of the parable of the vineyard in its Matthean form (e.g. 22:4 repeats words in 21:36).

Moreover, there is a similar parable in Luke 14:16ff. which is in some ways less allegorized, in other ways more developed - e.g. the reasons why the guests do not come are given more fully.

It is difficult to reconstruct the original parable of Jesus out of Matthew’s al-legory, but the purpose of it may have been to defend his fellowship with the tax collectors and sinners on the grounds that the Pharisees had refused his invitation to repent and to join him at his table, which was the anticipation of the messianic feast.

Matthew inserts this parable, and the parable which follows, between .Mark 12:12 and Mark 12:13 (= Matthew 22:15). It is usually thought that this parable, and the parable in Luke I4:6ff. are independent expansions of an original shorter parable; but it may be that here too Luke has used Matthew.

v. 1. Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying,

This verse is Matthew's composition, to introduce the two parables which he is inserting here.

v. 2. “The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.

The kingdom of heaven may be likened to: This method of introducing a parable is a translation of an Aramaic expression, and it means “It is the case with…as with…”. The kingdom is not like a king but a wedding feast.

A king: The king here is God, as in 5:35 (Jerusalem is the city of the great King), 18:23(a king who wished to settle accounts with his servants). In other places in this Gospel, Jesus himself is the King, e.g. 25:34.

A marriage feast: The kingdom is compared to a marriage feast again at 25:10, and in Rev. 19:7ff.

v. 3. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come.

Cf. the first group of servants sent for the fruit of the vineyard in 21:34f.; perhaps Matthew means the former prophets in both places.

v. 4. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’

Cf. the second group of servants in 21:36. One would expect these to be . the latter prophets, though it has been suggested that the apostles are meant, and their mission to Israel, 10:5ff.

vv. 5 &6. Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.

The story is inexplicable unless we recall the interpretation - the refusal of Israel to repent, and the persecution of the prophets (or of the apostles).

v. 7. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Cf. 21:41.43. The city stands for Jerusalem, destroyed by the Romans in A.D. 70.

v. 8. Then he said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come.

Those invited were not worthy: Cf. the instructions to the apostles in 10:13ff.

v. 9. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.

Go therefore (poreuesthe oun): Cf. the words with which Jesus sends the apostles to the Gentiles: Go therefore and make disciples of all nations (poreuthentes oun) 28:19. The new mission of the servants corresponds to the mission to the Gentiles which begins after the resurrection.

v. 10. The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests.

Both bad and good anticipates the next parable, in which a 'bad' guest is cast out of the wedding hall.

THE PARABLE OF THE WEDDING GARMENT

The second parable continues the story of the first: the king who has invited the guests comes into the hall to inspect them, and finds one who has no wedding garment: the king commands him to be thrown out. Again the parable has been allegorized - the outside of the hall is described as the outer darkness, where men will weep and gnash their teeth; that is, the hall is the life of the age to come, and outside it is hell. Also, it is clear that originally this was a separate parable; how could a guest be blamed for not being correctly dressed for a wedding, when he had been brought in in the manner described at the end of the previous parable?

There is a similar parable attributed to a rabbi who lived about the year A.D. 80, which describes a king sending invitations to a banquet, but giving no time. The wise attired themselves, while the foolish went on with their work. Suddenly the summons came, and those who were not dressed in clean clothes were not' admitted to the banquet. If Jesus' parable was originally used for the same pur-pose, then it taught readiness, that is, repentance; cf. 25:1ff.

Matthew uses it to show that it is not enough to hear the preaching: there must be a response to it, in good works: Bear fruit that befits repentance (3:8); compare the seed sown on the good soil, he who hears the word and understands it; he indeed bears fruit… (13:23). Matthew says that many are called - that is, invited into the kingdom by the preaching of the gospel; but few are chosen - that is, few will respond, and are worthy. The Jews themselves have demonstrated this principle: it will operate among the Gentiles also; they will be judged at the end of the world (see 25:31ff.). Cf. also the parable of the net (13:47ff.) for the idea of good and bad together in the Church.

These verses have no parallel in the other Gospels; and the latter part is full of Matthean expressions.

v. 11. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.

When the king came in to look at the guests: This is the last judgment; com-pare the parables in Chapter 13 (e.g. weeds of the field, the net). and in Chapter 25 (the ten bridesmaids, the talents. the sheep and the goats): in all of these there is a division or sorting out of the bad and the good.

A man who had no wedding garment: The wedding garment was not, apparently, a special garment, but ordinary clean clothes. It stands for the new life of good works which is to follow the preaching of the gospel. The fine linen is the righteous deeds of the saints (Rev. 19:8).

v. 12. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wed-ding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence.

Friend (hetaire): A word used only by Matthew in the New Testament, and always of people who are in the wrong; see 20:13.

How did you get in here without a wedding garment? The only demand which John and Jesus make is that men should repent in order to enter the king-dom (3:2, 4:17). This repentance expresses itself in a life of good works, or chari-ty. The man has tried to enter without this new life, and therefore he is condemned.

He was speechless: The Jews thought of good works as 'intercessors' before God; e.g. 'He who fulfils a command gains for himself an intercessor'. Cf Acts 10:4. The man has done no good works. Therefore, he is silent and there is no one to speak for him.

v. 13. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’

The attendants: A different word in the Greek from the servants in the pre-vious parable. They stand for the angels; Cf. 13:39ff.

Bind him hand and foot: Cf. the command to the servants in the parable of the weeds of the field, Gather the weeds first, and bind them in bundles to be burned (13:30).

Cast him into the outer darkness; there men will weep and gnash their teeth: For the same expression; see 8:12 and cf. 13:42. 50; 24:51; 25:30.

v. 14. Many are invited, but few are chosen.

For many are called, but few are chosen: The word called (kletoi) is from the same root as the word translated invited in vv. 3ff.

Chosen (eklektoi) means chosen by God for the life of the kingdom; the chosen or elect will be gathered into the kingdom by the angels (24:31). The saying may be a Jewish proverb; and it means that though many are offered the gospel by the preaching of the prophets and apostles, few will respond to it by repentance and good works.