Homily for 15 October 2023

 

When was the last time you had a lavish meal? At a wedding most probably. Don’t worry if you do not remember it exactly as the readings on this Twenty-Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time will surely refresh your memory. The 1st reading taken from the prophet Isaiah is a writing of praise to Yahweh for doing wonderful things and introduces an entirely new vision—that of a great banquet hosted by Yahweh, the Lord of hosts which means God of the armies of heaven. He will invite not only Israel but “all peoples.” The reading speaks of a feast of rich food and wine which given the situation of the people would be very rare and luxurious something that one could think of only during a wedding banquet.

Isaiah’s vision imagines the meal in eschatological terms. In Isaiah’s vision, on this mountain, the Lord of hosts will bring an end to death on earth, wipe away tears and remove the disgrace of his people and all the people of the world will partake in the ritual feast. The meal on Mt. Zion in Isaiah recalls the ritual meal taken on Mt. Sinai that served in part to ratify the covenant between God and the recently freed slaves from Egypt. As in Isaiah’s vision, that meal on Mt. Sinai also marked the people’s transition from death to life, from slavery under Pharaoh to life with YHWH. This reading is used while referring to the Messianic Banquet which is a symbolic portrayal of the blessings of the age to come in which those chosen by God share in a rich feast with the Messiah. We shall see this Messianic banquet again in the gospel.

In the second reading taken from St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, St. Paul shares with us the secret to a happy life – contentment and patience. It is good to recall that Paul writes this letter not from the luxury of an air-conditioned room but from prison. Paul’s contentment was not only theoretical, he lived it. He had been financially well-off and he had been financially in need and that experience helped him to realize that more important than one’s financial situation is one’s spiritual condition. Therefore, Paul emphasizes, ‘I can do all things through him who strengthens me.’  To be content in all things, he needed the strength of Jesus Christ. Paul ends his letter with a thank you to the Philippians that balances his gratitude for their gift with his desire to make sure they know their friendship is more than material support. The reading compels us to reflect on what are our needs and what are our wants. We all have legitimate needs for food, shelter and clothing. But the difficulty arises when we turn our needs into wants and the marketing and advertising agencies excel at this art.  Their worst enemy is a person who is content as they cannot sell them anything. They prey on discontentment and strive to create discontent. Needs can be satisfied but wants can never be satisfied. Let’s take the example of a mobile phone. We all need one, some according to their work need a basic phone while some require one a little more advanced. But when we confuse our needs and wants, we are never at peace with what we have purchased. There is always this nagging feeling at the back of one’s mind that if I had a little more money then I would have purchased that other model. Peace of mind doesn’t depend on our external situations but rather it depends on our inner disposition.

In the gospel taken from Matthew, we are again presented with the image of a lavish wedding banquet. This parable is the third parable in response to the challenge posed by the chief priests and elders about the source of Jesus’ authority. Similar to the previous parable this parable too is an allegory which means that each of the elements of the story has a hidden or symbolic meaning. “King” is a common metaphor for God, and a wedding can be a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel and a banquet is a sign of the covenant between them. The banquet is hosted by the king who is God for his son who is Jesus. The first group of slaves represent the prophets that called the Israelites who were the first guests invited to the banquet. The violence done to the slaves represents Israel’s rejection of the prophets and the king’s violent response might be interpreted as the fall of Jerusalem. The second set of slaves sent out to extend invitations to “both the good and bad” are thought to represent the early church and its missionaries. And, finally, the guest rejected for not wearing the right garments represents one who has not “put on” the Christian life.

There are two themes which come out strongly in this parable. The first is that of God’s grace and the second is that of the “worthiness” of the guests. When the first and second invitations were rejected, the third invitation was made to invite all - whether good or bad. Those who were invited – and who came – were utterly undeserving of the invitation, much less the wedding feast itself. The parable gives us therefore a glimpse into the boundless generosity and inclusive reach of God’s grace. At the same time, it is also implied that we have to be “worthy” of God’s gift. God keeps inviting us to his banquet but we have our own business to attend to. “Worthiness” involves being able to recognize the king’s “wedding banquet” for what it is and responding to it as one’s top priority. This parable demonstrates that those indifferent to the gospel, those hostile towards the gospel, and those unchanged by the gospel share the same fate. None of them enjoyed the king’s feast. This doesn’t mean that our worthiness depends on any particular action but rather that worthiness is a lifetime project.

Many a time we make the mistake of taking God’s grace for granted. The fact that God is a loving and forgiving father is not to be mistaken for a license to do as one pleases. We have to diligently work towards living a good life day in and day out to be able to truly experience the grace of God. This famous quote attributed to St. Ignatius would serve us well: Pray as though everything depended on God; act as though everything depended on you.

I pray that this week may be a time for us to experience contentment in our lives and be prepared with the wedding garment when we get our invitation to the wedding banquet. I also invite you to view the new series on the Bible - ‘The Bible Explained’ in which I have attempted to explain the complexities of the Bible in simpler terms. You will find the link at the end of this video and in the video description. May God bless us all.