INVITED TO THE WEDDING FEAST?

If you are, you better be prepared!

Today's, August 23, Gospel is the parable of the wedding feast from Matthew 22. Jesus is telling us both about the past of salvation history and the situation in our world today. . A king throws an elaborate wedding feast for his son. The invited guests make excuses, simply don’t show up, or even attack and kill his messengers. The king destroys these people and invites others. He tells his servants to invite all they find in the streets. One of these invitees is not properly dressed with a wedding garment, and so is thrown out. Jesus concludes by summarizing the parable: "Many are invited, but few are chosen."

God invites many to the wedding feast of his Son, an image of the Kingdom of God. Do we accept or reject the invitation? In salvation history, many of those originally invited, the Israelite people, did not accept, and the invitation was extended to all nations. Today, all people are invited by God into the wedding feast of his Son, the Eucharistic banquet which is found in the Church, called catholic because it extends to all nations. However, one cannot carelessly accept this invitation, but must make himself worthy to approach such a sacred feast. In Baptism, we are cleansed of sins and brought into the Church, and put on a white garment that calls to mind this necessary wedding garment. Further, as a wedding garment must be kept clean for the feast, and washed it if it gets dirty, we must prepare ourselves for the Eucharist through having our sins forgiven in the Sacrament of Penance. God's invitation does go out to all people: inviting them to the wedding feast of the Lamb of God, his Son, in the Eucharist.

Lord, give us the grace to accept your generous invitation. Help us, Mary and all the saints, to use the means He has given us to prepare and be ready when the call comes!