Catechism Links[1]
CCC 543-546: Jesus invites sinners, but demands conversion
CCC 1402-1405, 2837: The Eucharist is the foretaste of the Messianic Banquet
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| “Supper in the House of Simon Pharisee” by Moretto da Brescia, 1550-54 |
Commentary
Reading 1: Isaiah 25:6-10a
Commentary on Isaiah 25:6-10a
Isaiah once more envisions the messianic kingdom where there is no enmity between peoples, there is no want, and the whole world rejoices in great peace. This reading is favored at funeral liturgies because of its image of the heavenly kingdom. There is a clear sense of anticipation, appropriate for the Advent season as the second coming is looked for as well as the Lord’s Nativity.
The Prophet has, in the previous chapter, started a discourse about the apocalypse, predicting the destruction of Israel. In this hymn, he envisions the salvation God will provide for the faithful. The imagery of the Lord’s banquet used in this psalm, coupled with clear references to the messianic promises: “…he will destroy death forever,” and the idea that God will come in the end with salvation, will be remembered later at the Last Supper (see Matthew 26:29, Mark 14:25, and Luke 22:18). The eternal nature of the invitation to participate in this banquet is clear as is the universal nature of the call (“…the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples”).
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Responsorial Psalm: Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
R. (6cd) I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Commentary on Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Psalm 23 is one of the most familiar songs in the entire psalter. “God's loving care for the psalmist is portrayed under the figures of a shepherd for the flock (Psalm 23:1-4) and a host's generosity toward a guest (Psalm 23:5-6). The imagery of both sections is drawn from traditions of the exodus (Isaiah 40:11; 49:10; Jeremiah 31:10).”[5] While the theme of shepherd is mentioned in the first strophe, the psalm really speaks to the peace given to those who follow the Lord and place their trust in Him, even into the “dark valley.”
The reference in the third strophe above: “'You spread the table before me in the sight of my foes' occurs in an exodus context in Psalm 78:19. As my enemies watch: my enemies see that I am God's friend and guest. Oil: a perfumed ointment made from olive oil, used especially at banquets (Psalm 104:15; Matthew 26:7; Luke 7:37, 46; John 12:2).”[6]
CCC: Ps 23:5 1293
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Reading II: Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Commentary on Phil 4:12-14, 19-20
St. Paul has received financial aid from the Philippians (see Philippians 2:25). He now expresses his overwhelming thanks for that gift. This expression of gratitude is characteristic of the Christian community. The apostle sees this gift as a sharing in his own tribulations (“…my distress,” a reference to the future deprivations of his apostolic mission).
The final verses of this reading (vv. 19-20) are a solemn doxology expressing the faith that whatever is needed will be supplied. This latter refers to needs of the spirit: “in accord with the glorious riches of Christ Jesus.”
CCC: Phil 4:13 273, 308, 1460
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Gospel: Matthew 22:1-14
Commentary on Matthew 22:1-14
St. Matthew’s Gospel presents us with the parable of the King's Wedding Feast. The reference to the first servants sent to invite the guests were the Prophets, rejected or misunderstood by the Jewish leadership. The second servants sent represent Christ himself, who here predicts his own death at the hands of the people he was sent to invite.
In the second section, we see that the feast that was prepared for God’s chosen people, the Hebrew Nation who were first invited, is left unattended. Therefore, God’s mercy is extended to all people of all nations. There is a warning at the end. Those not clothed in Christ who attempt to enter by deception will be punished severely. This caution can be seen in two connotations. First, that those not properly disposed to participate in the wedding feast, recreated in the Eucharistic sacrifice, commit a serious sin. It also can be seen as the rationale for Purgatory, since the process of purification dresses the faithful for the eternal banquet in heaven.
CCC: Mt 22:1-14 546, 796
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OR
Shorter Form: Matthew 22:1-10
Commentary on Matthew 22:1-10
With the omission of the caution to those who attempt to enter the heavenly banquet through deception, this shorter form places a stronger emphasis on the broadened invitation expressed in the story. When those first invited (the Hebrews) rejected Christ’s invitation to revelation, his message was expanded to include all peoples. The joined imagery of the banquet and the invitation recall that similar invitation extended in Isaiah 25:6-10a.
CCC: Mt 22:1-14 546, 796
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Homily
There is an old saying (probably a corollary to “Murphy’s Law”) that says: “If you can keep your head while all those about you are losing theirs, you’ve probably misjudged the situation.”
If we started these remarks by saying what wonderful news we are given today, many would likely think me to be either a complete recluse, or a person who did not have a clue about what is happening in the world. Well, we do start with the statement – what glorious news we are given. And yes, the events in the world in the past months have impacted everyone, either directly or indirectly as a result of complex domestic and international crises impacting us.
It was noted in the Wall Street Journal some time back when the “Great Recession” began that churches in the area of Wall Street had seen a marked increase in attendance. This trend points out what many have seen in the past. When forces over which we have no control begin to impact our lives, one of the first responses of those who have been given even a small amount of faith in God take refuge and comfort with him.
Yet we come together as we always do, to give thanks to the Lord who opens his arms to us. To those of us familiar with the ways of the Lord, we can instantly turn our own fears about the world situation into peace as we recall that we do not walk alone in these troubled times. We have been reassured time and again. This day was not the first time we heard those words:
“Even though I walk in the dark valley
I fear no evil; for you are at my side
with your rod and your staff
that give me courage.”
It is especially at these times of shared distress that we, the people of faith, are called to be heralds of the “Good News.” When we go back into the world, what would Jesus have us share with our friends, our co-workers, and our colleagues? Would he have us panic with them, fearfully expressing dread for the future? Or rather would he not look to us to extend his invitation to those who had not been invited, or to remind those who had that the invitation they had previously received was still open.
When Jesus told the parable about the King's Wedding Feast, he was speaking specifically to the Scribes, the Pharisees, and other Jewish leaders who had rejected him and the message he brought. He told them with his story that, if they who were the first to hear the invitation God extended rejected that invitation, they would later come to regret it. That invitation, as the Prophet Isaiah also said, was extended to all peoples.
While all are invited, however, there is a requirement. We must truly accept God’s Son and the promise he brings. To give lip service, to be disingenuous about our acceptance of his promise and the necessary values embodied in it, constitutes a person not properly dressed for the feast (as analogized in the parable). According to the parable, a person in such a state would not receive the true benefit being offered. A spiritual gift cannot be pretended.
But for those of us with genuine faith in Christ, the benefits of our unity at the banquet of the Lord cannot be underestimated.
“God will fully supply whatever you need,
in accord with his glorious riches in Christ Jesus.”
What we need most right now is exactly what Christ offers: his peace and love which calms our fears. It is through the knowledge that because we have accepted his invitation, because we are here to share in his banquet, set once more before us, we find that when difficulty is shared with God, our confidence in his salvation is restored and we can confidently go about the important work set before us. In accepting our own apostolic role we bring the peace of Christ to others.
Does our acceptance of the role as examples of faith, and the fact that we are at peace with the knowledge that God’s salvation is there for us, guarantee we will be met with acceptance by others? We go back to the corollary with which we began. People will probably think we have misjudged the situation. But rejection should not dissuade us. Our example of peace and assurance in the face of difficulty will have its impact, and in that impact those about us will see only God’s great mercy and consolation for it is his invitation and his great gift we bring.
Pax
In other years on this date: Memorial of Saint Teresa of Jesus, Virgin and Doctor of the Church
[1] Catechism links are taken from the Homiletic Directory, Published by the Congregation for Divine Worship and the Discipline of the Sacraments, 29 June 2014
[2] The picture used today is “Supper in the House of Simon Pharisee” by Moretto da Brescia, 1550-54
[5] See NAB footnote on Ps 23: 1
[6] ibid
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