Brothers and Sisters,

Last Sunday, our Scripture readings reminded us of the generosity of our God who provides us with all our needs and trusts us to tenderly care for His creation and called us to be faithful, grateful and generous. Today, we celebrate the Twenty-Eighth Sunday in ordinary time of the year. Our Scripture readings of today invite us to a joyful celebration where God himself is featured as the host. They also remind us that we must be prepared and ready, wearing the garment that has been given to be worn at this celebration. It is important to remember that it is to great and joyful celebration that the Christian is invited. It is joy that he loses when he refuses the invitation.

In the first reading, Isaiah describes the Messianic feast on the Lord’s mountain which God is preparing for His people, and it is going to be a great feast of “rich food and choice wines.” The amazing thing about this invitation is that God is inviting all people, including Gentiles, to the banquet.  The end of it all is going to be a celebration in which God stands ready to satisfy the hunger and thirst of every guest. Our God is pictured as leaning over and wiping the tears of those who mourn and inviting the guests at the banquet to let go off past hurts, failures and disappointments and rejoice in the gift of life and love being offered.

The Responsorial Psalm sings about the Good Shepherd Who feeds, leads, and keeps his sheep safe. In the second reading, St. Paul advises the Philippians to put their trust in the grace of God and rejoice in his provident care. He thanks the Philippians for wearing the new garment of generosity, thoughtfulness and sacrificial love.

The Gospel speaks of the tragedy of those who rejected the invitation and of those who came without wearing the “wedding garment”, the garment of holiness and grace. Things that make us refuse the invitation are not bad in themselves. We tend to become too pre-occupied with the immediate needs and lose touch with that which is lasting, enduring and eternal. Our priorities get mixed up. Often, we become so busy with the affairs of life that we forget life itself. Often, we get so busy with the Lord’s work that we forget the Lord of the work!

Our Sacred Scriptures and our Spiritual tradition call us to choose between life and death, wisdom and foolishness, the way of God and the way of the world, the way of peace and way of war, the way of Grace and the way of sin and today’s Scripture readings call us to choose to wear the “wedding garment”, the garment of holiness and grace and share the banquet which God himself is hosting.

​

To read more of these reflections, click on the button below…