Jesus makes clear the stark truth in this parable: many are invited, few are chosen. God invites, we choose whether to accept the invitation.
In this parable of the king’s wedding feast, some refused the invitation, some ignored it, some reacted with hostility, some came unprepared, and some were ready. So it is with the call of God. The invitation is to everyone; the response is our choice.
Some of those invited to the wedding feast refused the invitation outright. Polls show that a vast majority of Americans say they believe in God, yet only about 25% attend church. Some would prefer to sleep in or to enjoy sports or leisure. I was among them for a while. God got my attention at a difficult moment in my life. In times of trial, selfishness and indifference fail us.
Some were so preoccupied with work and routines that they were too busy and so ignored the invitation of the king. One went to his farm, another to his business. These are not bad in themselves. The everyday affairs of life need our attention, but they and we are passing. Seek the higher things St. Paul urges us. When we confront moral choices in life we struggle because they are often hard or inconvenient. We want to live the values Christ taught such as respect for all life, for justice, equality, purity, but there are practical considerations which encourage us as they did St. Augustine to say, no yet. However time is not on our side.
Some rejected the king’s invitation with anger and arrogance. The gospel tells us that they “ laid hold of the servants, the messengers”. Some do in our day. Religion is the opium of the masses or for the weak minded some say. It goes against reason the freedom from religion devotees preach. The Church as messenger of Christ’s invitation is mocked as irrelevant, denounced as old fashioned, sued as a threat. But we need her to help us say yes to the invitation to the heavenly banquet which will come someday.
Some found themselves at the feast, brought in from the by-ways, though not properly attired, not prepared.
St. Gregory the Great wrote of this parable: “The marriage is the wedding of Christ and his Church, and the garment is the virtue of charity: a person who goes into the feast without a wedding garment is someone who believes in the church but does not have charity.”
During the baptismal rite a white garment is received with the words: “You have become a new creation, and have clothed yourself in Christ. See in this white garment the outward sign of our Christian dignity. With your family and friends to help you by word and example, bring that dignity unstained into the everlasting life of heaven.” We are given the proper clothes at baptism. How we treat others and honor God reflects on whether that baptismal garment has been stained.
The legend is told of the prophet Elijah who often went out in disguise to find out how people were treating one another. One day he disguised himself as a beggar and went to a mansion where there was a wedding party in progress. The father of the bride answered the door, saw his filthy rags and said, “I don’t know what you are doing here. You are not welcome,” and slammed the door. Elijah returned a little later dressed in splendor. The father of the bride answered the door, saw his fine clothing and welcomed him into the home. To the shock and horror of the host and guests, Elijah seated at the banquet proceeded to spill food and wine all over his good clothes. He explained: ”when I came as a beggar I was thrown out. When I returned in elegant clothes I was welcomed. But I am the same person; all that has changed is my clothes. So since my clothes were welcomed to the feast, why should they not be fed it?”
How often do we use surface aspects of one another – race, ethnicity, color, gender, language, age – to divide us and therefore show us to be improperly attired, with a lack of charity?
A family was enjoying a day at the beach. The children were playing in the ocean and making castles in the sand when a lady came down the beach. Her grey hair was blowing in the wind and her clothes looked dirty. She was muttering something to herself as she picked up things from the sand beach and put them in a bag. The parents called their children to their side and told them to say away from that lady. As she passed them the lady smiled at the family but the greeting was not returned. Later they learned that the little old lady had made it her mission to wander the beach and pick up bits of glass from the sand so that children would not cut their feet. As the old adage reminds us: man sees only the appearance, God sees into the heart.
The Holy Eucharist, the sacrifice and banquet we share at Mass is a precursor of the heavenly feast. What is our attitude when we come to the altar? Do we wear the garment of charity? It is reflected in how we love and forgive as Christ has loved and forgiven us
True charity is like a work of art: it glorifies God because it reflects God. The story is told of an old sculptor in ancient Greece who labored carefully over a block of stone, shaping it into a beautiful piece of art. Once done it would be raised up and set on top of one of those towering columns and support the roof of a huge building. Why spend so much time and effort on this piece, he was asked. It will sit so high that no human eye will be able to see those details. The old artist put down his hammer and chisel, looked at the questioner and said: “but God will see it.”
May we say yes each day to the invitation of Christ to follow him by living with humility in God’s creation and with gratefulness for his love and mercy expressed through how we love one another. Then we will be properly attired for the wedding banquet that is heaven, whenever God invites us.