October 15, 2023

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time Cycle A

Isaiah 25:6-10a; Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22:1-14

This weekend, Bishop Jacques will be here to confer the Sacrament of Confirmation on 32 of our teenagers. This is an important sacrament, and for many of them it will be the first important step they will take as a matter of conscious will as a member of the Church. Sure, most were above the age of consent when they had their First Communion, but they were young and I'm sure many didn't really understand the true importance of that Sacrament of Initiation at that age. I'm still not sure I really understand the Eucharist as much as I can, and even today I read up on aspects of it that I had never considered. The Eucharistic Revival has provided a unique opportunity to delve deeper into this sacred mystery for all of us, and tonight our Confirmandi will have that same experience in regards to how the Holy Spirit will further engage their soul, lighting a fire in their faith and guiding them into a life of spiritual blessings that comes with being an active citizen of the Kingdom of God.

One of the things that our bishop has said since he was installed last year is that he doesn’t want to see a bunch of sad faces when he celebrates the sacraments. While of course liturgies are solemn and holy rites that worship our great God, they are also joyful events that celebrate the salvation our God offers us, if we would only take part. All of the readings today reinforce this basic teaching of the joy that is the Church.

The first reading, the psalm, and the gospel all present the theme that what God has given us is a great banquet. They talk about rich foods, choice wines, fattened cattle. Isaiah in the first reading is reminding the Israelites that these things are their heritage because of the covenants that their ancestors made with God. The psalm today is the great Twenty-third Psalm, which unfortunately is relegated mostly to funerals. It begins with the famous comparison of God as the Good Shepherd leading us through the valley of death, but then at the end of the psalm the comparison switches to a great celebration, with a table spread before the guests, overflowing cups, and the anointing of the guests with aromatic oils. Finally, the Gospel discusses the parable of a wedding feast, an occasion that is special already, but this is the wedding of the king’s son, the heir to the throne, a once-in-a-lifetime event.

But there is a problem. People don’t want to accept the invitation that God is offering. The first reading is part of a larger prophesy, and Isaiah will warn Israel that their current evil ways will result in the loss of God’s favor and an end to the feast, which did happen during Isaiah’s lifetime with the Babylonian exile. And in the gospel, we have the invited guests declining to come, saying that they would rather carry on with their own lives and livelihoods rather than be bothered with taking time out for God.

Which brings me back to our teens who will be confirmed. As our bishop tells us, they – and we – should be glad that they have accepted the invitation to attend God’s banquet. As Saint Paul tells us in the second reading, “God will fully supply whatever you need, in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus” [Philippians 4:19 NABRE]. Now, you must remember the Paul is writing this letter from prison. We are not sure which prison, but many historians think it is from Rome, where he will spend the rest of his days until he is executed by Emperor Nero. Bishop Jacques asks, if Paul can rejoice under these circumstances, shouldn’t we all as well? Isn’t it the same Spirit? Isn’t it the same Christ, crucified for our salvation? God wants to give us his great love, but he’s given us free will, so he will not force us to accept it from him, let alone return it to him. I would hope that those receiving confirmation this weekend are at an age where they are asking for it, not because their parents said they were supposed to do this now but because they truly want it, truly want to attend the banquet of the Lord. I say this because there is a cautionary tale in the gospel in addition to the invitation.

My son, who one of those to be confirmed, was asking me the other day about some ways that he could make some money – you know, washing the cars, that sort of thing. I jokingly told him that I'd give him $20 if he'd write my homily for this weekend. You would think that his living with me fourteen years now he'd know better, but he took the bait. He said he'd do it, in that sort of non-committal way that teens have, and asked what the subject was. I told him that the gospel was about the royal wedding where the king invited people, but they didn't come, and then he asked all the passers-by to come instead. He then asked me, “is it that the weird one where the king then throws out one of those he asked in because he's not dressed properly?” I of course had to admit that, yes, it was that one, kinda proud that he remembered that was how it ended. Let's look at that for a second, since I used to think it strange too.

The thing about parables, or their secular counterpart fables, is that they are stories to bring out some aspect that the teller wishes to make a comparison to, which highlight an underlying truth. But they are not true in every aspect of the story. We are all familiar with the Aesop fable of the tortuous and the hare. It is a story to demonstrate several underlying human truths, such as the importance of not being distracted from your goal, or that slow and steady often outperforms fast but inconsistent. But it is not to demonstrate that two small animals can talk, let alone set up a racecourse. Similarly, if the wedding garment seems a little disjointed, the point that Jesus is making is not at all. The beginning of the story is meant to teach that we must accept the invitation of the king, that is to say God, and come to the feast – accept the love of God, have faith. The end of the story is that, once we are at the feast, we must act according to the will of God to stay there – act in accordance with Christ’s teachings, do the work of God in thanksgiving to God for his love and mercy.

Once again, we're back to our confirmation class this weekend. They all accepted the invitation when they were baptized into the Church, or at least their parents accepted on their behalf. Now, through the Sacrament of Confirmation, they are making a commitment before God and their fellow Christians that they want the power of the Spirit within them because they intend to stay at the feast and do the will of God. Let us pray for the confirmation class – may the Holy Spirit fill all of them to accept God’s invitation to the banquet that is his Body, the Church, and to fulfill his will by wearing their white baptismal garment, now transformed into the wedding garment of mature participation in the feast of God, faithfully throughout their lives. And may we, as we continue with the Mass, truly appreciate Christ’s invitation to the feast of the Eucharist, his Body and Blood. Let it strengthen our faith and nourish us to joyfully participate in the great feast that is the Kingdom of God. And finally, let us pray for the repose of the soul of Father Timothy, our dear departed parochial vicar. He joyfully answered the invitation to the earthly banquet of God, and wore his baptismal garment with pride, turning it into the wedding garment of a priestly alb, through which he brought many more people into the feast of the Lord, His Church. Now we pray that he enter the heavenly banquet of the Lord and forever enjoy the love and mercy of God, face to face. Eternal rest grant unto him, O Lord, and let perpetual light shine upon him. May his soul and the souls of all the faithful departed, through the mercy of God, rest in peace.