Welcome to God’s Banquet!
Readings: 1st: Is 25, 6-10; Ps:23:1-6 2nd: Phil 4:12-14.19-20; Gos: Mt 22:1-4
This brief reflection was written by Fr. Njoku Canice Chukwuemeka, C.S.Sp. He is a Catholic Priest and a member of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans). He is a missionary in Puerto Rico. He is the Parish Priest of Parroquia la Resurrección del Senor, Canóvanas, and the Major Superior of the Congregation of the Holy Spirit (Spiritans), Circumscription of Puerto Rico and the Dominican Republic. He was the chancellor of the Diocese of Fajardo Humacao, Puerto Rico. Fr. Canice is a member of the Academy of Homiletics. For more details and comments contact him at: canice_c_njoku@yahoo.com, canicechukwuemeka@gmail.com
(https://orcid.org/0000-0002-8452-8392)
“He brought me to his banqueting table, and his banner over me was love” (Song of Solomon 2:4). Today, God invites us to His great banquet on the twenty-eight Sunday of Ordinary Time. It is a universal invitation for people of all nations. Hence, the good news this Sunday is that God is inviting each of us to his banquet!
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In the first reading, Isaiah brings us this good news of hope: “On this mountain, the Lord of Host will prepare a banquet of rich food…he will remove the mourning veil covering all people…He will destroy death forever.” My dear friends, the best response after this reading should be, Amen! However, we must consider two things here.
First, there is a location for this banquet – “On this Mountain.” So, we must hasten to be there. This is why it is an invitation, and we must make an effort to be there if we must enjoy “the banquet and have our tears wiped away!” The second and crucial consideration is that it is a universal invitation. So, rather than read: “strictly by invitation,” it reads “for all people!” In other words, each of us is a VIP at this banquet.
Hence, God invites us without any restrictions, but we must be on the mountain to partake of his blessings and favors. We can never go to this mountain and remain or return the same way we were. This mountain is God’s divine presence, the place and house of prayer. When was the last time you climbed up there?
In our second reading today, Paul makes two important statements. First, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me” He is contented with his place in Christ. So, nothing bothers him. Through this, Paul reminds us that if we respond fully to God’s invitation, He will continuously strengthen us with his blessings.
Second, he prays for us: “My God will fulfill all your needs in Christ Jesus.” Here, Paul appreciated the generosity of the Philippians towards him. Paul wishes them well for their generosity towards him and the mission of God. However, it is important to note that God will not fulfill dubious or selfish needs. Instead, it refers to genuine needs according to the will of God.
In today’s gospel, Jesus, the parable of the wedding feast, teaches us that God invites us all to his kingdom for a banquet. The first is that many of us, like the first invitees, have rejected God’s invitation due to the pursuit of worldly satisfaction and pleasure. The reason is simple. We are too busy to respond to God’s invitation. There is no time for prayer, but we have time for the mundane. The consequences of rejecting God’s invitation are great. The good news is that when God’s chosen people rejected His special invitation, He changed the Invitation Card to: “Everyone (nation) is cordially invited!”
Why was someone thrown out? The matter of the wedding garment is instructive. The man refused to wear the garment provided for the banquet. This was an insult to the king. Just as the king provided wedding garments for his guests, God provided faith and salvation for humanity. He has made these freely available to us through Christ.
So, refusal to be appropriately vested will result in being thrown out or allowed to the banquet. This is because, on God’s mountain, there is order and obedience. So, let us proclaim: “The Lord is my shepherd, there is nothing I shall want…surely goodness and mercy shall follow me all the days of my life, and I shall dwell in the Lord’s House forever and ever. Amen!”
Peace be with you all!
Maranatha!
frcanicenjoku 