Isaiah 25:6-10A
Psalm 23:1-3A, 3B-4, 5, 6
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14 or 22:1-10
Summary
Today’s gospel is a parable about the king who invited special guests
to his son’s wedding banquet. The A-list refused to attend – even re-
fusing to offer excuses and brutalizing the servants who delivered the
message. Matthew tells us that at the king’s direction, “The servants
went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good
alike, and the hall was filled with guests.” However, the king insisted on
proper garments.
Reflection
Scripture scholars tell us that this parable is an allegory. The king is
God, and his son is Jesus. The servants are the prophets and religious leaders
who call others to be in union with God. The first invitees were too preoccupied
with their own lives to accept the invitation. The street people value the invitation,
acknowledging their need and their hunger.
When I read this parable, what came to mind was James Joyce in describing the
Catholic Church, “Here comes everybody!” That describes those of us who have
accepted the invitation to the great banquet, the Eucharistic feast. We come to
the feast with our goodness, our frailties, our imperfections, our joys, our sor-
rows, our needs and our hunger. We are multi-ethnic from all walks of life, edu-
cational backgrounds, economic backgrounds, age groups, and much more. We
are “Everybody” – and we are the Body of Christ.
Scholars suggest that the garment may signify total dependence on God, who
gives us life in both Word and Sacrament. The temptation for us all is, I think, to
become a bit smug, to see ourselves as the righteous ones, the “good people”
who come to Mass. We sometimes seek only consolation and comfort, although
trust in God and God’s Word requires so much more. The theologian, Megan
McKenna, says that if we have heard the Word and not been a little uncomfort-
able, we have not listened carefully.