You are Invited!
In the readings this weekend the prophet Isaiah and Jesus describe God’s coming kingdom using the image of a feast or banquet. Isaiah says that on the mountain of Zion, which is a symbol of the heavenly Jerusalem, the Lord will provide a feast of the finest foods and choice wines for all peoples. Tears will be wiped away and death will be destroyed. Those who have looked to the Lord to save them will rejoice and be glad.
The Gospel comes from the latter chapters of Matthew, in which Jesus repeatedly speaks about our readiness for the end times and the coming judgment. This parable concludes with a man being thrown out of the king’s feast because he was not dressed in a proper wedding garment. Some have used this passage to indicate the importance of being properly disposed when receiving Holy Communion. In another sense we should not forget that in order to find a place at both the earthly and the heavenly wedding feast of the Lamb, we must strive to clothe ourselves with righteous deeds by cooperating with the grace God has given us in baptism.
God’s astonishing invitation to the feast applies to all humanity. Isaiah tells us that God “will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines.” The king in Jesus’ parable announces this same divine invitation: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”
Pope Francis wrote an Apostolic Letter on the liturgical formation of the People of God. In it he reflects on the beauty, truth, and profound meaning of the Eucharist and the liturgy in the Catholic Church. Francis tells us that the Eucharistic Liturgy flows from God's deep yearning to encounter and commune with humanity. The title of this document is, “Desiderio desideravi”, (“I Have Earnestly Desired”. This is the first part of a quote as Jesus speaks to his disciples at the Last Supper: "I have earnestly desired to eat this Passover with you before I suffer."
In his letter Pope Francis wrote: “The world still does not know it, but everyone is invited to the supper of the wedding of the Lamb.” As disciples of Jesus, our task is to be like the servants of the king in today’s Gospel. The Lord sends us out to bring everyone we find to the feast. Pope Francis tells us, “We must not allow ourselves even a moment of rest, knowing that still not everyone has received an invitation to this Supper or knowing that others have forgotten or have got lost along the way.”
In the rite of baptism, infants, children, and adults are clothed in a white garment as an outward sign of the grace just received in the sacrament. In the prayer that accompanies this part of the baptismal rite, the celebrant prays, “You have become a new creation and have clothed yourself in Christ. May this white garment be sign of your Christian dignity...bring it unstained into eternal life.
As baptized members of God’s family may we strive for the holiness that is expected of those who have “put on Christ” and as a result come to share in His heavenly feast. At each Eucharistic Celebration, we receive a taste of this heavenly feast. Let us prepare ourselves to accept God’s invitation to this heavenly banquet by clothing ourselves in the wedding garment of repentance and good deeds.
God bless you
Deacon Michael Braun