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Homily for Twenty Eight Sunday in Ordinary Time

READ: (Isa 25: 6 -10; Phil 4: 12-14, 19-20; Matt 22:1-14)

REFLECT: Rely on God to enter into the eternal Banquet of God…

Dear friends, today we are in the twenty-eight Sunday in ordinary time. The liturgy of the word invites us to prepare ourselves well to enter into the eternal banquet that God has prepared for us well in advance. This banquet is not something simple but extra-ordinary banquet, where God gathers all people without any division and differences to regard that we are one people under one God as our head and guide. We all of us know in today’s scenario, what it means to have a banquet, it costs a lot and it requires a huge place to accommodate great number of people. Traditionally, banquets are held in order to enhance the prestige or honor of the host or strengthen the social bonds and social ties with people. In a modern sense, the banquet would mean as well a gathering for ceremony or celebration of any event held in the family or society for various reasons and purposes. Sometimes, the sense of modern banquet could be quite misleading too as banquets are held for show off or self-projection. The banquet too reminds us that we have to call them in return because the other party has called us. However, the banquet that God arranges and offers us is free and selfless. For such a participation in the holy banquet, what we need is to rely on God. When we rely on God to enter the eternal banquet that God prepares, God gives us assurance, God gives us strength and God gives us the grace to choose what he wants of us, when we listen to his voice. So based on the liturgy of the word, I would like to share with you three points of reflection;

1. Rely on God’s assurance:

Relying on God’s assurance would mean that in a world filled with insecurity and uncertainty, one firmly believes in God’s presence for help and support. Perhaps, the assurance of a person’s security in God is one of the hallmarks of the authentic Christian living. Such assurance does not arise itself on the basis of our resources, abilities, strengths but a total confidence in the caring power and nature of God in our lives. One such assurance of God is what we see in the first reading of the day from prophet Isaiah. 

In the first reading we hear of the banquet, which is a joyous celebration of God’s rule by people from around the world. This gathering of a banquet is not just the twelve tribes or a small group of people made by choice and desire but it includes all; Jews and gentiles, slaves and freemen and women, rich and poor, the weak and the strong. Prophet Isaiah brings before us the picture of a great banquet, where all people will be gathered by the consolation and comfort of God, giving them relief from every sorrow and suffering. Therefore it is a prophecy that gives us a foresight of what God would do with us in the last times or last days of the world. Thus, it gives us the foretaste of the heavenly banquet that God prepares for us his people. It gives us the assurance of God that he does not abandon us his people rather he prepares plans well in advance to take care of us and to take us to the right place, where we supposed to be. 

The purpose of prophet Isaiah in the first reading is to bring comfort and consolation to the people with the assurance that God will find victory, when He begins to reign in Zion. Then the blessing in store for us will be manifested to the world, which the world has never thought of during the reign of God. That’s what very beautifully pointed out by Prophet Isaiah that God will swallow up death and will wipe away all tears from eyes. As the people of Israel were in exile, experiencing hardships and abandonment, God gives them the assurance that God waits with eager longing for them to come back to him and take delight in his divine banquet. The assurance of God is so sure that we see people praising God in confident hope and expectation. That’s why we hear in the first reading, “Behold, this is our God; we have waited for him, that he might save us.” Yes, that’s the love God shows for his people just as parents manifest their love for children, whenever they run away from them, they go and bring the children to be together.  

So today it is our confident hope and expectation and our willingness to put our trust in God, waiting for his time to answer us although at times it might be a long time of interval or intervention from God in our lives will help us to see the love that God has for and the promise that God assures us. Let us understand that the people Israel might have thought to themselves that God had abandoned them forever for acts that were displeasing to the Lord, yet, God makes them too as recipients of God’s grace and mercy, offering them the free offer of salvation, extending even to other nations, provided they assure God that they would set their ways and beliefs in God. At times we are spiritually blinded from seeing God’s glory; we thing that with our own efforts we find release and safety from the miserable situations, but we will never be able to succeed unless we trust in God and be assured of God’s presence and support in our lives. So there is no way or option left before us other than to take flight to God himself. Just as the people of God in the first reading from prophet Isaiah had to flee to Zion, the place of God from where all will be restored, so also we need to fly to God, our resting place for all things to function smoother and better. 

Today, the eternal banquet that Isaiah speaks of can also be compared to the Holy banquet, the Holy Eucharist that we participate every day. We Christians are privileged to participate in such a holy banquet. The Holy Eucharist is the greatest of all divine banquets, where we experience the divine touch and divine power of God to strengthen and sustain our lives in the Lord.  We need to ask today, what is our attitude and approach to the Holy banquet that God inaugurated in and through Jesus Christ for us? I am sure, if we only understand the importance of the Holy Eucharist, the Holy Banquet that God manifests everyday in our lives, we will be able to understand the reality of our eternal banquet with God. So let us participate with devotion and right motive in the Holy Eucharist, so that we will be able to obtain God’s assurance and presence in our lives. 

2.              Rely on God’s Strength:

Pope Francis rightly warns us saying, “If we rely on our own strength in this journey, we will be discouraged and disappointed, “because the world often proves resistant to the laws of love.” Yes, we know at times we rely too much on our strength and power that can dethrone us or put into shame, when things do not go as we think and wish. Whenever, we rely on our own strength, we forget there is someone who is more powerful or strong than us, that is, God himself. When we rely on God for strength, we are made stronger to face the problems or sufferings in life. In all surety, we could say that St. Paul needed no introduction and conclusion about relying on God’s strength. Because, he has uttered a powerful statement that attest to the fact of life St. Paul lived, “It is not I who live but Christ who lives in me,” (Gal 2:20)  “I count everything as a loss, because of the precious worth of knowing Christ” ( Phil 3:18).

Somewhat similar are the words of message and conviction that we read in the second reading from St. Paul’s letter to Philippians. We see St. Paul striking a spiritual balance. He was neither affected by riches of the world nor by the poverty of the world, because all that affected his life was with the life of Christ. He totally understood that Christ is the only person who can suffice life and the rest of it would make his life empty however much he has or has not. Such was the conviction of St. Paul as he says in the first reading of today, “I know what it is to be in need and to have plenty. I have learned the secret of being content in any and every situation, whether well fed or hungry, whether living in plenty or in want.” 

Indeed, what was a great matter of fact for St. Paul was his relationship with Christ rather than with the world. He perceived in his life the profound God experience that Christ only mattered to him and with Christ he can do all things possible. That was his conviction and he was convinced about it since the Damascus experience till the end of his life.  That’s why when many people were preoccupied with so many things about food and worldly desires and comforts, St. Paul could rise above any such situations that could prevent him for walking with and towards Christ. It is a challenge for all of us today as Christians to be completely preoccupied with Christ and Christ’s work in our live. Once we are absorbed in Christ and Christ becomes completely saturated in us, then we don’t become what we want but what Christ wishes through our lives. 

The reason perhaps for Paul to such an acquaintance with Christ is his dependency on Christ. Paul totally depended on Christ for strength. That’s why St. Paul could easily and emphatically utter, “I can do all things through Christ, who gives me the strength.” Yes, Christ had taken complete control of St. Paul and Paul was completely moved by Christ. Because of which, St. Paul was able to accomplish all that God wanted through him in the strength he provided through Jesus Christ. Today we all of us Christians need to understand clearly that success or victory we obtain in life, when we depend on God’s strength. God’s strength enables each one to withstand all odds and obstacles in life and makes us free from such hurdles that hinder us to come closer to God. However, the strength we obtain from God is not ours it is God’s. So we have no right to take credit over the strength and work of God for us. That’s why St. Paul ends the first reading with the note glory and honor that is due to God. That’s the purpose of life and the life’s culmination too, giving glory to God for all the blessings and favors we received or receive in life. Let us make earnest efforts to rely on God’s strength and bring glory to God always. 

3.              Rely on God’s voice:

Relying on God’s voice would help us to make a better choice in life. God’s voice is a reminder for each one of us to understand the vibes that God creates in our life situation to be vibrant in life. God’s voice always takes us on right ways. God’s voice vouches for eternal life. For past two Sunday’s we have been hearing parables that gives warning to chief priests and Jewish authorities or leaders that rejection of Christ is as equal as rejecting the free offer of salvation that God has inaugurated in and through Jesus Christ. 

Today’s parable of the wedding banquet is like the other two parables which precede it and reflected two previous Sundays (the parable of the wicked tenants and the parable of the two sons), and speaks of people who do not live up to expectation of God, reject the free offer of salvation that God grants and so lose their privileged place and position in the sight of God. It is a clear picture of warning against the chief priest and leaders of the Jewish authorities and the people, who question Jesus’ identity and become a stumbling block for him to communicate and the free offer of salvation that God offers humanity in Jesus Christ. Definitely, today’s parable is yet one such another parable that depicts us how the offer of salvation is being blinded by people, who refuse the invitation to the wedding banquet that God offers. 

However, we find in today’s parable three sections. First, the Kings invitation is rejected by many (Matt 22: 1-7); Second, the king invitation is extended to strangers (Matt22: 8-9); and third, the invited persons are still expected to be in proper disposition (Matt 22: 10-14). The first section is speaks of God’s initiative to the chosen people and the Jewish people who were repeatedly invited by God failed to come. They were even the cause of downfall of many messengers who brought God’s invitation. The second section speaks of God turning his mind from Jewish people to Gentiles and strangers. The third section speaks of the appropriate response to God’s gracious invitation and be prepared well to participate in the banquet that God offers. Perhaps, the parable speaks as a whole, the salvation history of God freely offered to humanity. It is the failure of God’s people to reject this offer and choosing to be where they want to be rather than where God wants each one to be. 

Today just imagine a place and a banquet that God arranges for us his people. It is pure love from God for us. We see today many banquets being held in our society for a wedding or a party or any gathering. We plan the best way possible to keep things ready for the banquet, best of best items we decide to provide, make it orderly and proper etc. If we as humans could think of best things and unimaginable ways for the ordinary banquet on earth, imagine in what range and how best would God prepare a banquet for us all, his children. It is the best banquet of all banquets we would have in life. Because, God gives us the best and his generosity has no boundaries. Just as the king in the parable laid an open invitation for all to the banquet at last, so also God is symbolically represented by a king, God opens the universality of salvation and inclusion of all, provided one is properly disposed and prepared. 

This proper disposition and preparedness to be part of the eternal banquet takes us to another important move of a king in the parable, a proper wedding dress is mandatory. The king throws the one without proper wedding garment into eternal damnation and punishment. This act of God represented by a king in the parable manifests to us that each one of us who are invited need to be properly disposed and be sufficiently or aptly prepared for the banquet that God arranges. Lack of suitability for a banquet or insufficient preparation for the banquet would only lead us away from God’s free offer of salvation. Ultimately, it is God who calls, chooses and decides where we want to be and we need to be docile to his ways and plans. That’s why the gospel reading of the day ends with a sentence, “Many are called, but few are chosen.” Yes, God calls each one of us, giving us free offer and choice to choose to be part of the banquet, but we fail to respond to him promptly, properly and so God takes upper hand ultimately, when we reject the free offer of God. 

Today we need to realize that God calls many people to his kingdom, but outright rejection, poor response, inappropriate preparation from us lead us eternal damnation or condemnation. All of us need to understand and pay attention carefully that none of us are exempted from the eternal damnation or punishment, when we do respond to God’s invitation or replace the message of Christ or substituting it with our own desires and designs. Therefore, we need to listen to God’s message and respond to him immediately, accepting Jesus and his teaching as normative for our lives. Then the life we lead will be pleasing to God. 

Pope Francis very beautifully distinguishes the voice of God while he speaks of the voices of good and evil. He says, “There different voices resonate within us. There is God’s voice, which speaks kindly to the conscience, and there is the tempting voice that leads to evil. One can learn to discern these two voices. They speak two different languages, that is, they have opposite ways of knocking on the door of our hearts. God’s voice never forces us: God proposes Himself, He does not impose Himself. Instead, the evil voice seduces, assails, forces: it arouses dazzling illusions, emotions that are tempting, but transient.” So let us allow ourselves to be moved by God’s voice. Once we listen to God’s voice, we will be able to make the best choices in life and will be able to avoid eternal damnation or condemnation of life. Let us make the best of choices from God’s voice or his ways in our lives.  

RESPOND:

Do we rely on God’s assurance that He is ever ready to watch over us and protect us?

Do we rely on God’s strength than our own strength which is weak and vulnerable?

Do we rely on God’s voice and rectify the choices that we make to be part of the eternal banquet that God has prepared for us?

Let us rely on God’s assurance, God’s strength and God’s voice to enter into the eternal banquet that’s in store for us. Amen. 

God bless us all! Live Jesus!

Fr. Ramesh George MSFS

rameshvkmsfs@gmail.com

9500930968