Gospel: 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.”
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Reflection:
Jesus compared The
Kingdom of heaven to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. When it was
the day of the wedding feast none of the invited guest arrived for they all had
their preoccupations. How could they refuse the graciousness of the king?
The kingdom of
heaven and the wedding feast that Jesus speaks about is within our midst which
is the celebration of the Holy Mass. And
just like the king who invited guest, Jesus is inviting us also to be present
at Holy Mass most especially during Sundays. But do we make time for Holy Mass
to partake of the Body of Christ?
Like going to a
wedding banquet where the invited guests prepare their most elegant clothes. Do
we prepare ourselves before going to Holy Mass by having prior knowledge of the
gospel and the other readings?
In our gospel, the
expected guest refused the invitation of the king so the king was disheartened
by their refusal. The king then instructed his servants to go out again and
invite anyone (bad and good alike) they could find and many came to the wedding
banquet and ate to their hearts content.
Perhaps, many of us
do not also honor this invitation of Jesus to be present at Holy Mass. Why? Is
it because we are also busy like the invited guest in the gospel? We are
missing heaven on earth when we refuse to honor this invitation of Jesus for us
to go to His wedding banquet which is none other than the celebration of Holy
Mass.
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