October 15, 2017

Gospel: Mt 22:1-14
Jesus continued speaking to them in parables: ”This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven: A king gave a wedding banquet for his son. He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the banquet, but the guests refused to come.
Again, he sent other servants, instructing them to say to the invited guests, ‘I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now, everything is ready. Come to the wedding! But they paid no attention and went away, some to their farms, and some to their work. Others seized the servants of the king, insulted them and killed them.
The king was furious. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants, ‘The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy. Go instead to the main streets, and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.‘
The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.
The king came in to see the wedding guests, and he noticed a man not wearing a wedding garment. So he said to him, ‘Friend, how did you get in without the wedding clothes?‘
But the man remained silent. So the king said to his servants, ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the outer darkness, where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.‘
For many are called, but few are chosen.”

REFLECTION:
Read: Isaiah talks about the fine banquet God prepares on the mountain. Jesus elaborates on the gratuitous banquet with the imagery of a wedding reception. From his own experience, Paul assures that God provides everything that we ever need.
Reflect: The invitation to the banquet of the Kingdom is freely offered to all. Everyone is invited. However, not everyone accepts it. And those who accept must play by the rules of the Kingdom. That is why the one without the wedding garment is thrown out. Sometimes we have an erroneous understanding of God‘s mercy–that He forgives everything and therefore, anything goes. It doesn‘t.
Pray: Let us pray for all people in the world to accept the invitation to the Kingdom.
Act: Invite a fallen away Catholic to join you at the Eucharist today.