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.”
+ + + + + + +
Reflection:
Do you always honor the invitation given to you?
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?
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.
Do you always honor this invitation of Jesus? -
Marino J. Dasmarinas
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