FEAST OF JOY
One basic and undeniable fact of our Christian life is that God always calls or invites us to the feast of joy. The Eucharist and communitarian liturgical celebrations are enriching with the Word of God and the communion of brothers and sisters.
God always invites us to a life of grace, joy, and celebration. He invites us to an intimate, rich, and abundant life with Him and in Him. God´s invitation is with a wide-armed, open-hearted, and generous hospitality. That is gratuitous, full, and lavish.
However, the tragedy is that we never respond favourably to God´s invitation to abundant life, grace, mercy, and eternal joy. That is, man is known for his rejection, resistance, and rebellion to God´s generous gift of grace, love, joy, and mercy.
Fundamentally, it is important to note that overall, God´s invitation is pure grace and nothing more nor less. Hence, the Christian life is nothing but grace. No one merits it or deserves it.
OUR THEMES
The readings of this Sunday are the continuation of Jesus’ teaching with a parable. Especially, about the rejection of him, his disciples, and his proposal of God´s kingdom by Jewish religious leaders. A rejection that we too participate in when we resist or rebel against God´s abundant grace, love, and mercy.
The readings are clear on the Christian life as a life of grace given not merited. They invite us to the lasting joy of the heavenly banquet. A place of transformation where God changes our sad, miseries, and horrible history and experiences into overwhelming joy, happiness, and peace.
Finally, there is a need to appreciate life along with its blessings, and difficulties. To learn to make do with what life affords us and be thankful to God and others for their contributions to our lives.
FIRST READING: ISAIAH 25:6-10
The prophet Isaiah prophesized the heavenly banquet. The Messianic banquet which God makes for all people is the universal feast for all. It is a sacrificial banquet of all good things: rich food and well-aged wines.
It is also a salvific banquet of God´s victory over death, sufferings, and sorrows. This beautiful image of Isaiah symbolizes the blessings God has in store for His People: joy, peace, healing, and goodness.
Prophet Isaiah gave us a vivid image of the heavenly Kingdom that waits for us: a blissful home free of stress, difficulties, pains and even death. A place of feasting or merriment on the finest dishes and most succulent juicy wine. Men!What a beauty to behold!
One important quality of the Kingdom of God is the ability to fellowship, connect or celebrate with others in the context of feast or feasting.
In Psalm 22/23, the Psalmist presents us with the image of the good shepherd who will provide for us, guide us, protect us, and prepare a banquet for us with superabundance.
SECOND READING: PHILIPPIANS 4:12-14, 19-20
Saint Paul generously expressed his gratitude for the gift his beloved Christian community of the Philippians had sent to him. He also expresses his experience of living through bountiful times and scarce times. It is important to note that he was dissatisfied with his state. Rather he had learned the gift of content in life and his ministry.
Interestingly, for Paul the gift of content is God-sufficient. Hence, he declared, “I can do all things through him who strengthens me.” Paul could face anything because in every situation he had Christ; the man who walks with Christ can cope with anything.
For Paul too, no gift or act of generosity makes one poorer. He who gives makes himself richer, for his gift opens to him the gifts of God. Thus, he was profoundly grateful for the gift of the Philippian Church.
Essentially, St. Paul advises the Philippians to put their trust in the power and goodness of a providing God, Who, in Jesus, has given His Church everything His followers will need to participate in the Heavenly Banquet.
THE GOSPEL: MATTHEW 22:1-14
The gospel image of the wedding feast corresponds to the Messianic banquet of the prophecy of Isaiah. Here, God is the king who gave his Son the wedding feast: Jesus Christ. Where some privileged few (the people of Israel) were invited.
However, they had excuses and ill feelings towards the Host of the feast-God. Jesus in the Gospel of today gave us the fullest picture of God´s most generous and choicest banquet, where the first to be invited turned it down though it was a free feast for all.
Yet, the odds are handpicked and punished for being at the wrong place in the wrong mood: not worthy of the Lord´s banquet. An uncelebrated personality cold, withdrawn without joy, serenity and happiness in the Christian fold and gatherings, especially in the context of the Eucharist is the man without the wedding garment.
This parable contains both local and universal lessons.
1. First and foremost, the parable reminds us that the invitation of God is to a feast as joyous as a wedding feast.
2. This implies that Christianity cannot and would not be a gloomy faith or life. Christians must and always bring joy, laughter, happiness, and sunshine to Christian life, fellowship, and celebrations.
3. Equally, man´s excuses and rejections of God´s invitation to be joyful, happy, and abundant are tragedies of life. Man giving up the best thing in life: God and his blessings for petty things.
4. The most significant human tragedy today is the rejection of God. Where he misses eternal joy, bliss, and happiness that only God can give.
5. God’s invitation is the invitation of grace. Those who were gathered from the highways and the byways had no claim to the king´s feast. It was an unmerited grace or favour. It came to them from nothing other than the wide-armed, open-hearted, generous hospitality of God.
6. The special guests were the religious leaders and people of Israel and the highways and byways guests were the Gentile nations and us.
7. Grace is not only a gift; it is a grave responsibility.
8. Rejection of God has greater consequences.
9. We cannot remain the same after meeting Jesus or embracing Christianity. We must be clothed with Christ. That is our identity.
10. The most striking point is that the door is open to all just as God´s invitation is to all. But the door is not open for the sinner who comes and remains a sinner. No. it is open for the sinner who comes and becomes a saint. This is the misfit of the man without a wedding suit.
11. The spirit behind our actions speaks volumes of our intent. The parable of today is not about the clothes we wear to God´s house. It is about the spirit in which we go to God’s house.
12. There is a garment of the heart, mind, spirit, and soul of a Christian. It is the garment of humility, penitence, reverence, faith, joy, peace, hope, and preparedness to do God´s will and live in his grace.
There are important lessons from the readings of this Sunday.
a. The Eucharist and liturgical gatherings are moments of celebration, joy and sharing.
b. We must learn to share what we have with others. Like St. Paul, who knew the height of abundance and the base of poverty and lack, yet was willing to share his life, talents, time and resources with others in need. Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20.
c. It is fundamental we ask God to help us with his grace and be generous and self-giving trusting like him as we pray daily: My God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus. To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.
d. Today’s Scriptures invite us all to raise our sights, and our hearts when thinking of the future. Beyond this present life, God has planned a great future for all of us.
e. Isaiah’s prophecy of the heavenly banquet is an invitation to think of our eternal destiny. There is more to live for than what we see in this present world, interesting and challenging though it is. What really counts, indeed, is whether we succeed in reaching our eternal happiness with God.
OUR PRAYER FOR THE WEEK
Lord Jesus Christ, too often we go to God’s house with no preparation at all. If only every man and woman in the Church came prepared to worship, after a little prayer, a little thought, and a little self-examination. Then our worship would be worship indeed- in which and through which things happen in men’s souls and the life of the Church and the affairs of the world. Lord help to live in your grace always. Amen
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