In this past Sunday’s gospel (Mt. 22 NRSVCE) Jesus likens the Kingdom of God to a wedding feast given by a king for his son. The king dispatches his servants three times inviting guests to the wedding. The invited guests have various attitude responses. They refuse the first invitation. The second is met with indifference by many and the killing of the king’s servants by the rest. Finally, the third summons, inviting anyone else to the banquet, finds one man showing up very disrespectfully dressed. The king gives this man an opportunity to explain why he has come so impolitely dressed, but he remains silent. The king then has his attendants bind the man’s hands and feet. Then, he has them cast the man out into the darkness where there will be “weeping and gnashing of teeth” (Mt 22:13). Jesus finishes this parable by saying, “For many are called, but few are chosen” (Mt 22:14).
RSVP
We, the Church, are Christ’s bride invited to the wedding feast with Him, our Bridegroom, in the Kingdom of Heaven. He calls us to this feast continually throughout our lives with invitations as varied as our uniquely given souls. He awaits us to positively assent with our whole lives and come joyfully and gratefully to this eternal beatific wedding banquet.
Lackluster Attitude…
Sometimes we respond to Christ’s invitations to this banquet by shutting the door to Him completely. Other times we respond to His gospel messages with indifference. There are even times when we want to “shoot” His messengers because we refuse to even tolerate hearing His messages. Many of us, too, try to pass ourselves off as those who assent to His teachings but, ultimately, show ourselves “improperly dressed” by our disrespect and/or perversion of the gospel messages.
Adjustment Remedy
Each day we should say a quick prayer to the Holy Spirit that we will not miss any invitations from Our Lord summoning us to the magnificent banquet in store for us. Simply pray: “I give you my assent, Lord. Enlighten me so I do not come improperly dressed to the Banquet.“
