Fr. Marcel’s Bulletin Message for the Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time, Year A

Dearest beloved, in today’s gospel taken from Matthew 22:1-14, Jesus again speaks in parable. He tells of a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son. But the invited guests refused to come. Obviously they were neither hungry nor have any need. Some were property owners; some had farms; others had businesses. Some were arrogant; some just ignored the invitation, while some went as far as heaping insults and killing the servants sent by the king as messengers. The king became furious. In anger, he sent his army to wipe out the murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: “The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.” The servants went to the streets and invited everyone, ‘the bad as well as the good.’ The banquet hall was filled up. 

But when the king came in to greet the guests, he saw a man who wasn’t dressed in the white garment which was considered proper for a wedding banquet. When he challenged him on it, the man had nothing to say. So the king told his guards, “Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.”

But what’s wrong with the people who refused the king’s invitation? Why would they exclude themselves from the experience of a wedding feast? The answer is, they don’t have any relationship with the king. In this parable of the wedding feast, our Lord Jesus Christ makes it clear that just being a member of the church with official approval is not enough. When the king came to see his guests, he saw a man who had been admitted by the king’s own servants, but wasn’t dressed up for the wedding feast. The man was physically present, but spiritually absent. He was present but worthily unavailable. 

To be in the Church is to be in a relationship of love with Jesus Christ. In this parable, the King who gave the wedding banquet is the Father. The Son is Jesus. The wedding banquet is that of the Lord found in Revelations 19:7, “Let us rejoice and be glad and give him the glory. For the wedding of the Lamb has come, and his bride has made herself ready.” It is the end of the time banquet which will mark the second coming of Jesus. Everyone is invited to this wedding feast. But only those who are prepared and ready, who are still wearing the spotless white garment given to us at our Baptism will be admitted into the Banquet Hall. At Baptism the priest usually place a white garment on the newly baptized say, “...... you have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of your Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” 

Dearest beloved, only those who retain this symbolic white garment given to them at Baptism unstained will be admitted into the banquet of the Lord. Keep the baptismal garment spotless by keeping yourself pure. Keep the garment pure by keeping your heart pure. Remember, in Matthew 5:8, Jesus says, “Blessed are the pure in heart, for they will see God.” If we want to be admitted into the wedding feast of Jesus, then let’s keep our relationship with him undivided by being pure in heart. Let’s not say it is difficult to be faithful. In today’s second reading from Philippians 4: 12-14, St. Paul assures us that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. Yes, we can be faithful! Yes, we can be pure in hearts! Yes, we can keep our love relationship with Lord unstained and undivided! Yes, we can love the Lord above all things! And yes, we will be admitted into the wedding banquet of Jesus our Lord!