Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Today's Mass Readings
The parable of the wedding feast served as an important purpose in the early Christian community. These were very traumatic times. The early Christian community was undergoing a crisis – it’s painful separation from the Jewish Synagogue. In light of this separation, Christians interpreted the wedding feast as the Kingdom of God inaugurated by Jesus. Those who refused the invitation to the wedding feast are the Jewish people. The servants sent to invite them and were killed were the prophets. The ones invited from the main roads were the gentiles. The most puzzling character, however, is the one who slipped in without the wedding garment and got booted out. (Plesae see this Sunday's homily for an explanation).
The image of a wedding feast can evoke many sentiments in us. A wedding is associated with love, celebration, joy, happiness and life. Thus in today’s reading, the wedding feast is really a way to describe life with God. It is a good but perhaps a weak analogy. So, for a moment, forget the wedding feast. Let us think about the parable as God inviting each person to enter into the totality of God’s love, peace, joy and life.
The message of this gospel is as relevant today as it was when Matthew wrote the gospel. God invites all peoples to enter into the totality of God’s life. Some refused that invitation other accepted it. People refused the invitation for many reasons. Some were too busy, others did not make the time and yet others could not think how they could integrate God into their business or their newly married life. And then there were those who accepted the invitation to become part of the totality of God love and life. To them God offered the fullness of his love and life.
The motivation for accepting the invitation to be part of God’s life in its totality is found in today’s first reading. “On this mountain,” says Isaiah, “he [God] will destroy the veil that veils all peoples…” (Is 25: 7). For a moment, imagine standing face to face with God. No tears, no sadness, and no death; only God before our eyes. And we will say these words from Isaiah, “Behold our God, to whom we looked; let us rejoice and be glad for he has saved us” (Is 25:9).
Every day we live on this earth is a preparation for that day when we will see God face to face. However, if we want God to make us part of God’s life in its totality, then we must make God part of our totality in the here and now. God must be part of our finances, our sexuality, our social life, every relationship, our entertainment, and indeed every breath we take. Let us accept this invitation.
Fr. Satish Joseph