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:
There was
a man who died; a few moments after his death he saw two places one was with
fire and with souls in terrible torment. The other one was a brightly lighted
and heavenly place with joyous souls. An Angel asked him where would you chose
to be? The man quickly replied: I chose the heavenly place with pearly gates.
When he
was about to enter the pearly gates he was barred from going there. Then a loud
voice boomed and told him: Why are you trying to desperately enter now? Do you
remember when you were still alive? I invited you to church for countless times
but you did not give any importance to my invitations. You gave more priority
to your temporal earthly activities.
In our
gospel Jesus gives a parable about a wedding feast, the king ordered the servants
to invite the chosen guests. But they were all busy so they ignored the
invitation they instead went to their usual daily tasks. One was busy with his
farm, another with his business. And how about the others? They maltreated then
killed the messengers of the king.
The king
represents God and He perpetually invites us all to be present in the weeding
banquet that is the celebration of the Holy Mass. We oftentimes hear people
urging us to be present in the Holy Mass, to read the bible, to pray and be
connected with God. They are the messengers or servants of God sent by Him for
us to be closer to Him. For God desires our intimacy with Him this is the
primary reason why He always invites us to His feast.
But what
is our reaction to His perpetual invitations? We often times ignore it for the
reason that we are so much busy with the things of this temporary world. We
ignore it until we become aware of our own mortality so we are forced to know
and discover God because we are already in dire need of Him.
Why wait
for that time when we are already sick or near death? Why not respond now to His invitation while
we are still in the pink of health? – Marino J. Dasmarinas
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