Meditation Minute

My Dearest Brothers and Sisters in Christ:

 

“Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.” 

 

Gospel Reading: Matthew 22:1-14

 

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the 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 the king 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. He 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.”

 

In today’s gospel reading, Jesus tells us yet another parable about the Kingdom of heaven. Why does Jesus give us so much instruction about the Kingdom? Because it is not easy to enter the Kingdom.  We must want to get into heaven.  It doesn’t happen by accident.  This time Jesus uses a parable about a pending wedding feast.  The wedding feast is a celebration of the union between the bride and bridegroom.  In this particular story, a King’s son is to be married and the King sent out invitations well in advance of the celebration.  However, the invited guests, his supposed loyal subjects, the chosen people, ignored the invitation or brutalized the messengers.  In this parable, the King represents God the Father and the King’s son is Jesus, the heir to throne.  In the Gospels, Jesus is commonly referred to as the bridegroom and we the church his bride.  We are called to celebrate this union with Jesus around a great wedding feast. 

 

God has sent out many invitations, but the invitations are ignored.  As it states in the scripture, “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.”  Instead of listening to the word of God, we too often make light of our obligations to the master and ignore his requests.  We do not take seriously the call to obey the commandments and teaching of Jesus.  Instead, we decide to follow our own rules and do what we want even though contrary to will of God.  These become the distractions in our lives which prevent us from finding the Kingdom of heaven. These distractions are our farms and our businesses.  Worse than that, sometimes we even kill the messenger.  Jesus is waiting for us, he has invited us to join him at the great wedding feast. Are we willing to come to the table? 

 

Some of us may conclude that we are not worthy to join the feast.  The parable indicates that the wedding feast was attended by both “bad and good alike.”  God is inviting everyone, even sinners to the wedding feast.  All are welcome and no one is turned away; however, you need to be properly dressed for the festival.  If we come unprepared and improperly dressed, we will be turned away.  Even though God extends his grace, we must be willing to take on the responsibility of his grace.  God’s grace only comes into our souls when we are truly receptive and prepared to receive his grace.  God invites each of us to the table that we may celebrate in joy of Lord - be prepared and properly dressed.

 

A Simple Prayer

 

Father in heaven, your grace is enough,

You have prepared the banquet table for a feast

Help open my heart to your feast.

 

Yours in Christ

Michael Marcon