May Jesus Christ be
praised and may his holy Mother pray for us.
The Prophet Isaiah
spoke of a feast for all people. The
Lord Jesus spoke of a wedding feast.
Saint Paul wrote about the source of all strength. Our readings focus today on the invitation of
God, the celebration of God, and the power to respond to the invitation.
In our reading from the
Gospel we hear the parable of the wedding feast. The king in the parable had prepared the
wedding feast for his son and sent out servants and messengers with the
invitation. The servants and messengers
were met with rejection. Some were met
with violence. The invitation that was
freely and generously given was freely and selfishly rejected. The king extended the invitation to all who
could be found. The king would share the
joy of the wedding feast of his son with everyone who would respond to the
invitation. This was the extension of
the invitation of God to all peoples.
In our reading from the
book of the Prophet Isaiah, we hear of the feast for all peoples celebrated on
the mountain of God. On this mountain,
the Lord God provides an abundant feast of rich foods and choice wines. It is the banquet of the Messiah. It is the banquet that celebrates that death
has been conquered and the veil has been lifted. It is the banquet where forgiveness has been
granted, the reproach and the punishment have been removed, and the people cry
out in exultation at the glory of God.
On this mountain, the hand of the Lord God feeds his people in
abundance. On that mountain, all who
would respond to the invitation of God join in the celebration of God.
At this altar, all who
will respond to the invitation of God will join in the celebration of God. This is the wedding feast of the Son of God. This is the banquet that celebrates that
death has been conquered and the veil has been lifted. This is the banquet where forgiveness has
been granted, the reproach and the punishment have been removed, and we cry out
in exultation at the glory of our God.
Not only with the Church on earth, but with angels and archangels, with
thrones and dominions, with the cherubim and seraphim, and with all the saints
in glory, we cry out Holy, Holy, Holy.
We come to the wedding feast of the Son of God because we have responded
to the invitation of God. We have come
to Christ and we celebrate with Christ in the power and the strength of Christ.
Saint Paul reminds us
that we can do all things through Christ who strengthens us. In Christ we hear the invitation of the
Father. In the power of Christ we reject
every invitation that does not come from the Lord God. In Christ we reject every invitation of earth,
so that we can accept the invitation of Heaven. In Christ, we receive our
wedding garment. We received our wedding
garment at our baptism, with the instruction to bring it unstained to the
wedding feast of heaven. We cleanse our
wedding garment in the sacraments of reconciliation and Holy Communion. Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ
we receive the invitation of the Father.
Through Christ and with Christ and in Christ we accept the invitation of
the Father.
We have come to the
holy mountain at the invitation of God.
In his goodness he has called us to wedding feast of his Son. He has given us our wedding garment. Dear brothers and sisters, let us enter the
feast. Amen.
Preached
at Our Lady of Lourdes Catholic Church, Monroe, NC
