Deacon Tom Anthony

Twenty-eighth Sunday in Ordinary Time
Lectionary: 142

Reading 1 Is 25:6-10a

On this mountain the LORD of hosts
will provide for all peoples
a feast of rich food and choice wines,
juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines.
On this mountain he will destroy
the veil that veils all peoples,
the web that is woven over all nations;
he will destroy death forever.
The Lord GOD will wipe away
the tears from every face;
the reproach of his people he will remove
from the whole earth; for the LORD has spoken.
On that day it will be said:
"Behold our God, to whom we looked to save us!
This is the LORD for whom we looked;
let us rejoice and be glad that he has saved us!"
For the hand of the LORD will rest on this mountain.

Responsorial Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6

R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
The LORD is my shepherd; I shall not want.
In verdant pastures he gives me repose;
beside restful waters he leads me;
he refreshes my soul.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
He guides me in right paths
for his name's sake.
Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
You spread the table before me
in the sight of my foes;
you anoint my head with oil;
my cup overflows.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Only goodness and kindness follow me
all the days of my life;
and I shall dwell in the house of the LORD
for years to come.
R. I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.

Reading 2 Phil 4:12-14, 19-20

Brothers and sisters:
I know how to live in humble circumstances;
I know also how to live with abundance.
In every circumstance and in all things
I have learned the secret of being well fed and of going hungry,
of living in abundance and of being in need.
I can do all things in him who strengthens me.
Still, it was kind of you to share in my distress.

My God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.
To our God and Father, glory forever and ever. Amen.

Alleluia Cf. Eph 1:17-18

R. Alleluia, alleluia.
May the Father of our Lord Jesus Christ
enlighten the eyes of our hearts,
so that we may know what is the hope
that belongs to our call.
R. Alleluia, alleluia.

Gospel Mt 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and elders of the people
in parables, saying,
"The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants
to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
'Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast."'
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.
Then he said to his servants, 'The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.'
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests,
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
The king said to him, 'My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?'
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.'
Many are invited, but few are chosen."

 MY BROTHERS AND SISTERS,

 The Wedding Feast that God invites us to is one where everyone is welcome regardless of stature, position, or prestige. In fact, those of us who find ourselves broken and downtrodden will be lifted up to a higher place of honor than those who have not experienced a life without God. The feast is continuous. There is no beginning or end just as there is no starting point or finish to God’s Love. As others arrive, those who have begun to celebrate welcome the new arrivals as ones who welcome a king. The new arrivals are dirty and worn; fresh from their experiences which were of nightmarish proportions. It is here, within the banquet hall that they can finally rest. The food that is eaten is that which comes from Jesus Christ. It nourishes us spiritually so that we are strengthened beyond our present condition whatever it may be.

At the same time, there has to be some recognition here. Who put on this feast? Who invited everyone to attend? It is God who called us forth to enjoy this great celebration which focuses on His only Son and His wedding. This wedding is all about Jesus Christ and the Holy Mother Church which was established by Him on this earth so that we may encounter Him in our daily lives and achieve salvation. Coming to the wedding feast indicates a commitment to Jesus and to His Church; we become witnesses to this glorious event and partakers in all the benefits that flow from it. Even though the celebration is about the wedding, we are all benefactors of what has happened. God has invited us into a relationship with Jesus and has offered everything to us in return for celebrating the event. We are then challenged in regards to how we are to react to it. We can callously come forward in expectation to reap the benefits of a free party or we can delve into the full experience and joy. God has offered everything out front without and preconditions. He just asks us to accept the invitation and everything that comes afterwards.

Usually, in our experiences, we are invited to a celebration only if we have some sort of significance or importance to the particular event. In this case, with God, we are invited solely because He loves us and because He wants us to enjoy the celebration. Jesus has become flesh and dwells amongst us. He has established His Church. In contrast where other peoples’ weddings are about themselves, He is actually offering all of these benefits to us. We are celebrating our own salvation and victory over Satan.

How are we going to treat this? Are we to arrive at the wedding feast without any recognition regarding to what it means? To do this means that we might be rejected. Coming forward with an interest but not a commitment to the celebration leads to an event such as that which occurred with the man not dressed in wedding attire. The message is clear: we must fully commit to what God is offering us through Jesus Christ. From there, we can experience the fundamental change in our lives which is necessary for salvation. God offers everything. We only need to accept it.

Paul reminds us in his letter today that whatever circumstance that he encounters is nothing in comparison to his relationship with Jesus Christ. That is the most important factor that keeps him going forward evangelizing the faith in Jesus. If things are good, then praise God. If things are bad, then praise God more. In the end, it doesn’t matter. He recognizes that God is with him through it all and he will be okay. Whatever he encounters will work out in the end for the greater glory of Our Lord Jesus Christ.

Jesus has a plan for all of us. He loves us so much that He doesn’t want to force us into His plan. We need to accept it, embrace it, and love it. It is our choice. He reminds us that the consequences of that choice will have a great impact on our future in this life and the next.

Deacon Tom