Sunday Homily, October 12, 2014, 28th Ordinary Time
Readings:
Isaiah 25, 6-10, On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines. (One of my favorite all-time readings.)
Psalm 23, I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.
Philippians 4, 1-14, 19-20, I know how to live in humble circumstances.
Matthew 22, 1-14, The kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.
Isaiah observations:
Who: Any idea which Isaiah this is, 1, 2, or 3? We had Isaiah 1 last week talking about the vineyard. That was chapter 5. Pretty easy to guess, Isaiah 1. But, this is chapter 25.
It seems out of character for Isaiah 1, who criticizes the people. More like Isaiah 2, which John Cade loves and which we will read this Advent.
Remember Isaiah 1 is pre-Babylonian Captivity, around 555 before Christ. This selection is a marvelous vision of peace and sensual satisfaction, one of my favorites.
Yep, it is still Isaiah 1, all the way to chapter 39. Basically he is saying that a great day will come, after you people have paid for your sinful, selfish ways.
Life as a Banquet
I apologize ahead of time for talking about these readings in ways I have done before. Trouble is, some readings for me just have a special meaning. They hit me in just a special way. Here goes some observations you may recognize a little bit.
I had a Jesuit friend named Tom Barbarito who was in the class behind me. Italian. About 5 feet 5. Quite rotund in his early years. No way athletic. In fact would shudder at the prospect of exercise or physical work. Intelligent and very amusing mostly at his own expense. He was pastor of St. Rita for many years.
Our selection from Isaiah 1 about the banquet was his favorite reading of all time. He loved to eat. We used to have what were called first class feasts in the early years of my Jesuit life. These were special meals on Christmas, Easter, and church holidays. The meals were excellent Cajun cuisine put together by our cajun cooks from southwest LA, Opalousas & Lafayette. And Tom was from New Orleans, as were many in the classes those days. We got to talk in the refectory on the occasion of these meals, all 150 of us.
I can still picture Tom squaring off for one of these meals, his white cloth napkin tucked into the collar of his cassock European style, getting elbow room, and proclaiming that he was ready. He used to declare that he could not wait for the heavenly banquet referred to here in Isaiah. Today Tom is enjoying that banquet because he died maybe twenty years ago with a brain tumor. And he died skinny, so he now may eat all his favorite foods without guilt.
I think of Tom whenever this reading comes up. Our readings today are so Tom Barbarito, eating, feasting, enjoying the wine running over. Besides that, we got the king throwing a wedding banquet and getting mad because the invited did not come. Then one guy gets kicked out for not having a wedding garment on. What is going on? Three observations.
First, remember for whom Matthew is writing. He has an agenda when he composes parables for his work. Initially he writes to warn the Jewish people about how they are losing it in not recognizing Jesus. But equally he is addressing the Gentiles, letting them know that Jesus welcomes them also.
As in all parables, check out the symbolism of the gospel. Obviously the king is God. Who are the invited to the wedding feast? The Jews. Who are the good & bad street people?
Second observation, we are invited. There is a banquet out there, a feast on a mountain top, a feast of rich food and choice wine. Tex Mex & Blue Bell? We are invited, despite the fact that we are the street people. In fact, I would propose that we are all street people, bad and good, Gentile and Jew. The parable may be creating a false distinction. The idea eventually says only those who believe in Jesus Christ are saved. Only Catholics can go to heaven. Not quite. This was a common Catholic belief from my childhood in the 40’s & 50’s.
The third observation is that the banquet on the mountain top and the marriage feast are taking place today. I can be tempted to think the feast takes place in the next life. In fact, I think a lot of poor people and slaves were fed this nonsense so they would not try to fight back against oppression.
This may be where the poor guy without the wedding garment fits in. He gets treated pretty harshly, especially so after the king invites all the street people in, both good and bad. To attempt an understanding, I think we go back to the symbolism which is the currency of parables. What could he symbolize? Perhaps the wedding garment symbolizes gratitude. Maybe he was not grateful, but was critical and cynical, thinking he was entitled to all this, the attitude that seem to be so prevalent in our contemporary culture. Consequently, the man was thrown out. In reality the ingratitude never allows him in. We can be the man without the wedding garment.
My friend Tom Barberito I am sure is enjoying his wedding banquet in the next life. We are invited to enjoy this life's banquet with gratitude.
What is your banquet today?
Want to see a contemporary feast: (copy the link into your browser)
http://www.coolestone.com/media/10482/This-Is-What-Happens-When-Pranksters-/
Soul's Harbor Silent Auction, October 21, 2014, special notice: