The 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time, Year A
When we hear the parables of Jesus in the Scriptures, it seems like fairytales, but when we take a moment to meditate on them, we find out that they are really very relevant and applicable to us today. For instance, the parable of the king who gave a wedding feast for his son we heard in today’s gospel reading from the gospel of Saint Matthew 22:1-14 clearly gives us three important messages to help us grow in our faith in God. It informs us of the ingratitude of the chief priests and elders of the people to God. It goes on to remind us of how those invited to the banquet treated the servants sent to deliver the king’s message to them; as they mistreated some of them, and killed the rest. Then this parable also teaches us that the kingdom of heaven is open to all God’s children and not just restricted to a select few.
The people who received the first invitation, the Jews, rejected God’s invitation, so He extended His invitation to other non-Jews, the Gentiles without discrimination, and they responded to His invitation. But even with this open invitation, there still exists a proper code of dressing or conduct to be observed in order to participate well in the king’s banquet as we heard in the parable.
The chief priests and elders of the people were the first ones to be invited but they ignored the invitation, mistreated the messengers and killed some. Just like the chief priests and the elders of the people, we have been invited to the heavenly banquet of God in His kingdom and we have shown our ingratitude to God and have done the same exact evil acts as the chief priests and elders of the people by ignoring God’s invitation to participate well in His banquet. We have also mistreated God’s messengers clergy and laity by our attitude towards them, by our words to them and by our actions towards them too. We have even killed some of them physically and mentally with our hurtful and malicious words and actions to them. So this parable as we can see is not far fetched from us because we are still doing the same exact things the chief priests and elders of the people did and even worse today. Ask yourself today, am I living my life as a true Catholic Christian? Have I answered or am I answering God’s invitation to His banquet? Have I welcomed His messengers and His message? Am I really participating in the proclamation of His kingdom in our world today?
My dear brothers and sisters in Christ, as our gospel reading today the parable of the king who gave a wedding feast for his son informs us of our ingratitude to God; it is time to wake up from our spiritual slumber by living out our Catholic faith when we live out the gospel of Christ. So let us do so firstly, by truly Accepting God’s Word into our lives. Secondly, by sincerely Living out the Word of God we have received and accepted. Thirdly, by Carrying our crosses daily and following Christ. Fourthly, by Fighting the temptations that come our way as we answer our call to discipleship. And lastly, by Loving God and our neighbors as ourselves. Amen!
