Jesus again in reply spoke to them in parables, saying "The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying. "Tell those invited: "Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast." Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed the murderers, and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, "The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find." The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But then the king came in to meet the guest he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, 'My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?' But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, 'Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.' Many are invited, but few are chosen.
The Word in other words
A wedding banquet is one of the most joyous feasts in Jewish life. In fact, it could even last for a week just to lengthen the state of bliss. It is not surprising therefore that Jesus made use of this feast as an illustration of the Kingdom of heaven. What was surprising was the indifferent reception of those who were invited. The gospel narrative underlines that "the feast is ready" making it a clear incongruence to the unready hearts of the invited guests.
Same is true with our first reading, while Jephthah desired victory at the battlefield, he had nonetheless an unready heart to fulfill the vow he made to God upon his victory. I think, we all love heaven, we all love feasts. That's why we can best relate the phrases like : masarap na buhay and biyaheng langit! And yet the demands of heaven make it difficult for us to commit ourselves to righteousness and fidelity to the Kingdom.
Certainly these eschatological themes of judgment and eternal banquet favor those whose hearts profess readiness to "taste and see the goodness of God." Our saint for today, Bernard of Clairvaux, is an excellent example who even in his own youth exemplified his readiness to enjoy the wedding feast (gospel) as a living sacrifice (first reading); a testament thus of taking the proper garment for a heavenly feast.
- Fr. Antonio Gilberto S. Marqueses, SVD (Rome)
