Thursday of 20th week, even numbered year "Jesus began to speak to them in parables once again : ’ The kingdom of Heaven may be compared to a king who gave a feast for his son’s wedding.He sent his servants to call those who had been invited, but they would not come. Next he sent some more servants with the words, ’tell those who have been invited : Look, my banquet is all prepared, my oxen nd fattened cattle have been slaughtered, everything is ready. Come to the wedding.’
But they were not interested; one went off to his farm, another to his business, and the rest seized his servants, maltreated them and killed them."
We can have difficulty in understanding this Gospel passage, especially the last paragraph where one of the guests is sent away by the King. At first we do a historical reading of it and send the drama back to the First Covenant. Throughout the centuries, God invited his people to enter into a covenant with him and share his Love. Here this invitation is prefigured by the wedding meal where the Covenant is celebrated between his Son and humanity.
Men have often responded to the divine invitation through indifference, despise and even by rejecting prophets. And yet the invitation to enter the Covenant remains and the refusal of some enabled the invitation to be opened up and for a greater number to respond favourably to the invitation.
Jesus multiplies the images and parables so as to speak of his message of Love : the Kingdom of Heaven is like a king who gives a wedding feast for his Son.
It is a strong image, the announcement is clear, the Kingdom of God is great happiness.
God wishes to recreate once again divided humanity who has chosen death , He wishes to give His own Spirit, thus animating hearts of flesh with his own Spirit.
"The king was furious. He despatched his troops, destroyed those murderess and burnt their town. Then he said to his servants, ’The wedding is ready; but
as those invited proved to be unworthy, go to the main, crossroads and invite everyone you can find to come to the wedding."
We aren’t up to such a big invitation but we commend ourselves to the Mercy of God and wish to respond better and better each day.
In the Eucharist which announces the wedding feast of the Lamb we ask forgiveness several times. It is a way of recognising how our preparation to the welcome of the gift of God is to always t be remade in our lives. We are unable to draw close to the Lord without trying to please Him to be clothed in Christ, by accomplishing as He does what is pleasing to the Father. We are unable to respond to this invitation without trying to correspond to this invitation. Our preparation might be like climbing over a mountain and feeling all the hardship this inflicts on us. But this hardship is well rewarded. The Eucharist is an extraordinary meal prepared by God who saves us.
The whole of humanity is invited to it, without distinction nor privilege.
Communion with the Lord brings about communion with our sisters and brothers in humanity and in Church. Our participation to the Eucharist is linked to a way of life where we weave the wedding garments that we celebrate with the Lord.
Happy are we to partake in the Lamb’s wedding feast.
"So these servants went out onto the roads and collected everyone thy could find, bad and good alike; and the wedding hall was filled with guests. When the king came in to look at the guests he noticed one man who was not wearing a wedding garment, and said to him, ’How did you get in here, my friend, without a wedding garment?’ And the man was silent.
Then the king said to the attendants ’Bind him hand and foot and throw him into the darkness outside where there will be weeping and grinding of teeth.’ For many are invited but not all are chosen."
is through our vulnerable faith that we enter the Kingdom. We need to clothe Christ once again, for he the One who reintroduces us into the Homeland. The wedding garment is to be understood as the symbol of the works of our conversion. We express on the outside what we have welcomed inside of us in faith. We cannot try to participate in the wedding feast of the Lamb without trying to clothe our hearts once more with tenderness, goodness, humility and gentleness, patience. The wedding garment signifies our transformation in
reply to the invitation. The wedding guest adjusts himself to the greatness of the one who called him, to the honour given to us to enter into communion with God.
Happy are we to be invited to the supper of the Lord!
Each of our Eucharist is like an announcement and a anticipation of this big wedding feast. The wedding feast of the Son of the King of the beloved Son of the Father, the wedding feast of Christ who weds humanity.