28th Sunday in Ordinary Time cycle A

MATTHEW 22:1-14
THAT PASSAGE FROM ISAIAH IS A DESCRIPTION OF HEAVEN, RIGHT? A WONDERFUL BANQUET, WITH FINE WINES; THE DESTRUCTION OF DEATH, THE WIPING AWAY OF EVERY TEAR, AND ETERNAL JOY. SO FAR, SO GOOD. WHICH ONE OF US WOULD HAVE IT ANY DIFFERENTLY? AND ISAIAH DOESN'T EVEN MENTION THE FACT THAT WITH ALL THAT WONDERFUL FOOD AND WINE, NO ONE IS GOING TO GET FAT OR INTOXICATED; NO HEART DISEASE, NO LIVER FAILURE.
BUT THEN WE GET TO THE GOSPEL, AND THE PICTURE IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT. REMEMBER THAT JESUS IS SPEAKING TO THE JEWISH LEADERS, AND HE HAS BEEN GIVING THEM EXAMPLE AFTER EXAMPLE OF THE KINGDOM OF HEAVEN. AND EVERY PARABLE SEEMS TO CONTAIN A LITTLE DIG AT THEM. LAST WEEK THE THE TENANTS OF THE VINYARD MISTREATED THE OWNER'S SERVANTS AND KILLED HIS SON. THIS WEEK THOSE INITIALLY INVITED TO THE WEDDING FEAST DON'T COME. THEY DON'T COME, NOT FOR GOOD REASONS, BUT ROUTINE THINGS – THE FARM, THE BUSINESS. AND OF THOSE WHO DON'T COME, SOME LAY HANDS ON THE KING'S SERVANTS, AND MISTREAT THEM AND MURDER THEM. SO AFTER THE KING EXPLODES WITH RAGE AND KILLS ALL OF THOSE INVITED TO THE FEAST, AND BURNS THEIR CITY, HE DRAGS IN EVERYONE HE CAN FIND, OFF THE STREETS AND OUT OF THE ALLEYS. HE DOESN'T CARE IF THEY ARE GOOD OR BAD.
UP TO THIS POINT, THE STORY MAKES SENSE TO US. THE USUAL INTERPRETATION IS THAT JESUS IS REMINDING THE JEWISH LEADERS OF THE HISTORY OF THE ISRAELITES. THEIR OWN SCRIPTURES SPEAK TO THE FACT THAT THE PEOPLE WERE NEVER FAITHFUL FOR VERY LONG, AND NO MATTER WHAT GOD DOES, THEY KEEP FALLING BACK INTO THEIR OLD WAYS. AND WHEN GOD SENDS PROPHETS, THE PROPHETS ARE MISTREATED, AND SOMETIMES PUT TO DEATH. AND WE CHRISTIANS SEE SALVATION HISTORY FROM THAT PERSPECTIVE; GOD OPENED SALVATION UP TO US GENTILES AFTER THE ISREALITES FAILED TO BE THE PEOPLE GOD WANTED THEM TO BE. WELL, MAYBE SO. BUT JESUS DOESN'T TELL PARABLES JUST SO WE CAN FEEL SUPERIOR TO THE ISRAELITES OF JESUS' TIME.
AND THEN THERE IS THIS MAN, THE MAN WITHOUT A WEDDING GARMENT, WHO CANNOT EVEN SAY WHY HE IS NOT WEARING ONE. THERE REALLY IS NO EXCUSE FOR HIM. THE KING, IN THOSE DAYS, PROVIDED THE WEDDING GARMENTS FOR HIS GUESTS. THEY WEREN'T TUXEDOS AND FORMAL GOWNS, BUT RATHER, A SORT OF OUTER GARMENT THAT YOU WORE OVER YOUR CLOTHES. IT WAS A SIGN THAT YOU ACCEPTED THE KING'S HOSPITALITY. SO IT WAS A MAJOR INSULT TO COME TO THE BANQUET, BUT NOT WEAR THE GARMENT, AND THE MAN ENDS UP OUT IN THE STREET.
AND THERE HAVE BEEN MANY SPECULATIONS ABOUT THIS LAST EVENT. ST. AUGUSTINE SAYS THE GARMENT REPRESENTS CHARITY; MARTIN LUTHER SAID IT REPRESENTED FAITH. ST. PAUL TALKS ABOUT “PUTTING ON CHRIST” AND BEING CLOTHED IN RIGHTEOUSNESS”. AND MAYBE THAT MAKES THE MOST SENSE, THE WHOLE POINT OF CHRISTIAN LIFE IS TO BECOME LIKE CHRIST. IF WE AREN'T MAKING AN EFFORT TO DO THIS, WE HAVE NO RIGHT TO CALL OURSELVES CHRISTIAN. AND OF COURSE THE WAY WE IMITATE CHRIST IS TO KNOW HIM, THROUGH THE GOSPELS AND THE CHURCH; AND TO CHANGE OUR BEHAVIOR, THROUGH PRAYER, THROUGH CULTIVATING NEW HABITS AND GETTING RID OF OLD ONES, ALL IN KEEPING WITH THAT KNOWING.
THE KING GIVES A GREAT BANQUET. EVERYONE IS INVITED, GOOD AND BAD ALIKE. AND THE ONLY CONDITION IS THAT WE PUT ON CHRIST. AND EVEN THIS IS SOMETHING GOD DOES TO US IF WE LET HIM.
SO WHERE ARE WE IN THIS HEAVENLY BANQUET?
ARE WE THOSE WHO HAVE REFUSED THE INVITATION? OUR LIVES ARE SO BUSY, SO TIED UP WITH OUR JOBS, OUR FAMILIES, OUR ACTIVITIES, THAT WE HAVE VERY LITTLE PRAYER LIFE, HARDLY ANY TIME FOR REFLECTION, MEDITATION, OR SPIRITUAL READING. WE'LL NEVER HAVE TIME TO GET TO KNOW CHRIST AND BEGIN THE PROCESS OF TRANSFORMING OURSELVES INTO HIM.
ARE WE THOSE WHO NOT ONLY REFUSE THE INVITATION, BUT MISTREAT HIS MESSENGERS? SOME OF US DO THAT. OUR PASTORS, OUR BISHOPS, OUR HOLY FATHER ARE MESSENGERS; THEY SPEAK TO US WITH THE VOICE OF THE HOLY SPIRIT. WE CATHOLICS BELIEVE THAT THE SACRAMENT OF ORDINATION CONFERS UPON THEM THE GRACES THEY NEED TO SHEPHERD THE PEOPLE GOD ENTRUSTS TO THEM. BUT SOME OF US CHOOSE TO PUBLICLY CONTRADICT THEM, IGNORE THEM, OR SOMETIMES EVEN DO A LITTLE CHARACTER ASSASSINATION. AND SOME OF US ARE CAFETERIA CATHOLICS, WHO PICK AND CHOOSE AMONG THE TEACHINGS OF THE CHURCH SO THAT WE DON'T HAVE TO CHANGE OUR MINDS OR OUR HEARTS.
ARE WE THE WEDDING GUEST WHO IS NOT WEARING THE GARMENT, THE ONE WHO DOES ALL THE RIGHT THINGS, THE ONE WHO PRAYS AND COMES TO THE EUCHARIST AND DOES HIS OR HER DEVOTIONAL READING AND DOES EVERYTHING YOU WOULD EXPECT OF AN OUTSTANDING CATHOLIC; BUT NEVER CHANGES, NEVER LOSES THAT SELF-CENTEREDNESS, NEVER WORKS AND STRUGGLES TO MAKE THOSE INTERIOR CHANGES THAT HAVE TO BE MADE IN ORDER TO PUT ON CHRIST, AND YEARS GO BY AND THE PRAYER IS JUST THE SAME, “LORD, I THANK YOU THAT I AM NOT LIKE THE REST OF MEN.”
WHEN YOU WERE BAPTIZED, YOU WERE GIVEN A WHITE ROBE, A WEDDING GARMENT. THAT WAS A SYMBOL FOR YOU, A SIGN THAT YOUR DESTINY WAS TO PUT ON CHRIST, TO COVER YOURSELF WITH RIGHTEOUSNESS, SO THAT WHEN GOD THE FATHER LOOKED UPON YOU, HE WOULD SEE HIS SON, JESUS. AND TODAY WE NEED TO ASK WHETHER WE ARE STILL WEARING THAT GARMENT, WHETHER WE STILL ARE RESPONDING TO THE INVITATION OF THE KING.