Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people in parables, saying, "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. 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.
”
'
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 king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned 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 out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests, he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’But he was reduced to silence. 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.’Many are invited, but few are chosen."
Homily:
Today’s readings remind us that heaven is going to be like a big, joyful party. And since everyone is invited, we all need to accept the invitation and prepare ourselves for the festivities to come.
In the first reading, Isaiah describes our future as the ultimate party where shadows and tears are banished, and there’s only room for celebration.
In the second reading, Paul reminds us that moments of famine help us appreciate even more the moments of feasting.
In the Gospel, the parable of the wedding feast reminds us of two things: First, heaven will be a place of great joy and celebration for all eternity, and second, it’s up to us to accept the Lord’s invitation by preparing ourselves for this great event.
Sadly, some will completely ignore the King’s invitation. But the King will still make sure his banquet hall is filled with guests. In fact, he will go to great lengths to find anyone who’s willing to come and celebrate his son’s wedding feast.
Now, let’s take a quick look at the man with no wedding garment. He didn’t dress up, and he didn’t show any interest in the king or his son—and it was completely his own fault. You see, in ancient Palestine, one of the social customs at weddings was for the host to provide a festive garment for all the guests—sort of like the welcome gift is at our modern parties.
It was usually something simple like a colored scarf or a shawl. And with all the guests wearing the same thing, it helped create an atmosphere of unity and joy, while at the same time emphasizing the place of honor for the bride and groom who were wearing different garments.
In the parable, the king comes in to greet the guests. And lo and behold, he finds someone without a complimentary wedding garment. There are only two possibilities for why a person wouldn’t have a wedding garment: 1. He either sneaked in without being invited, or 2. He just didn’t care about the bride and groom and only wanted to enjoy the free food and drink.
In either case, such a person isn’t a guest at all, because he has no relationship to the bride and groom, and so he has no business being there.
When we try to follow Jesus without accepting his will and the teaching of his Church, we, too, are trying to get in to the wedding without the wedding garment. Christianity is not a buffet where we can pick and choose according to our personal preferences. It’s the revelation of God and his love for us—and it requires humility, obedience, and trust.
Today, at this very Mass, God the Father is inviting you to be a part of his Son’s wedding banquet. As we offer the food and drink of this banquet—his Body and Blood, his Soul and Divinity—will you show your love for him by wearing the wedding garment of humility, obedience and trust? I hope so.