Second Reading: Phil 4:12-14, 19-20
Gospel: Mt 22:1-14
In this month of October we
observe the world day of food. The significance of this day is to value the most
important need of human living; the food.
Everyone needs food to live and moreover needs good food to lead a healthy and
long life. In all our celebrations, the one thing that we give more attention
and importance is food. God used this same physical need of the human being as
typos to communicate the mysteries of our divine life. The Eucharistic celebration
is a shared meal. Word of God is presented as food for the souls. Prophets were
called to eat the divine word (Ezk 3:3). Hence, just as the material food is the
symbol of celebration in the earthly life, there is a heavenly food through which
we are called to celebrate our life with God in spirit. Eucharist is the
concrete manifestation of this heavenly food. The physical reception of the tiny
host which may not be enough to fill one’s stomach, nevertheless has immense
power to transform the person. The Eucharistic meal is a preparation for the
reception of great festive meal which all the faithful would share with the
Lord in heaven (Rev 19:1-9). The wedding feast mentioned in the first and the
gospel readings are about that heavenly meal.
In the Gospel, the host of
the wedding banquet is the king who offers this special meal for the wedding of
his son. This king is none other than our Heavenly Father. The wedding feast is
the marriage of His Son Jesus, the bridegroom who marries the Church, the bride.
In the parable the king sends out his slaves to call those who have been invited
for the wedding feast. Sadly, their response is indifference (Mt 22:3). They hardly
pay any attention to that invitation. The King out of his mercy sends some
other slaves to invite them for a second time, thinking that they may turn up
as he has changed the personnel. This time they respond very negatively, rather
they even harm the messengers (Mt 22:6). This infuriates the king. No one can
imagine such a situation. If one receives the invitation from a higher ranking
official in the society for a party, who would ask for an excuse. Yet, in Jesus’s
parable there is an excuse, indifference and violent reply toward king’s servants.
The people who denied the invitation for the festive meal in the parable are
Israelites who consistently resisted the slaves of God whom God had sent to them
continuously in the form of patriarchs, judges and prophets. Their rejection
opens the way for the others to be part of this grant party (Mt 8:11-12).
The gentiles get access to
the king’s wedding celebration as the invitees have deserted their privilege. It
is very interesting to note that the rejection of the Israelites opens the door
not for any other particular group, rather for all kinds of people (Mt 22:9-10).
Earlier God chose one particular group of people as His heir. Now when the heirs
renounce their right to inheritance, it is shared with all. The refusal of one
group benefits many ethnic, linguistic and cultural groups. Albeit everyone is
welcomed to the party, not all are accepted. The king throws out the one who is
present in the party without the weeding garment (Mt 22:11-14). The kingdom of
God is for all; good and bad, righteous
and unrighteous. All types of people receive invitation for the wedding
banquet. This invitation from the king who call everyone without looking at their
status is a gracious act. The psalmist sings beautifully; it is through the greatness of thy love and mercy that I have got
access to thy house. Our status as Christians comes from the mercy of God. We
don’t deserve this right, yet we are given access to life in God. The man who
attended the weeding feast without proper garment signifies people who
passively partake in Christian life. Anyone who receives the undeserved
invitation from the king to enter his palace would surely present him/herself
with best clothing that one has. All who enter the palace for the wedding
banquet would surely adhere to the protocols and disciplines of the palace. As Christians
we are called to present ourselves in the kingdom as best as one could and
fulfil the demands of the kingdom. We need to confirm ourselves with the demands
of the Kingdom. The man who entered the wedding banquet without proper dress
remains speechless when king confronts him (Mt 22:12). This attitude of silence
is the representation of many Christians who profess Christianity only in their
certificates. There is no place for silent and passive Christians. Just as
Jesus professed His allegiance to the Father openly, we all need to witness
Christ in our word and deed. Being a salt and light for the world is our call
(Mt 5:13-16). Israelites were thrown out since they neglected the call. We who
have received mercy should not miss the opportunity. What is the use if we have
accepted the call, yet failed to enjoy the meal? In that case it is better to
be Israelites than passive Christians.
Yes, Christian life is very
demanding. All are welcomed yet not all are included. The inclusion depends on
us. St. Paul could be our model for our Christian living. In the second
reading, St. Paul speaks about his richness and poverty. He was able to live in
plenty and in little (Phil 4:12). There are privileges as well as challenges in
Christian life. We must be able to live in all circumstances. For that we need
to rely on God who strengthens us in all situations (Phil 4:13). When we do
this we are included in the kingdom. We have received and accepted the
invitation to be part of God’s divine life. Today let us reflect and see how we
are adorning ourselves to get hold of the wedding banquet. May God bless you
all!
Comments
Post a Comment