Sunday Homily 10-9-11, 28th Ordinary Time
Readings: Isaiah 25, 6-10 (fun reading about the next life); Psalm 23, I shall live in the House of the Lord all the days of my life (Psalm of consolation); Philippians 4, 12-20; Matthew 22, 1-14, The king throws a wedding feast.
Isaiah: This is Isaiah I, a great reading.
Psalm 23:
Number of Psalms: There are 150 psalms, which are religious songs.
Authorship: Jews, Muslims and Christians for centuries considered King David to be the author. 73 psalms use his name. Today, however, scripture scholars know numerous authors composed the psalms and they were passed down ca. 500 years in an oral, sung form before they began to be written down ca. 600 B.C.E. King David lived ca. 1000 B.C.E.
Life is a Banquet
I had a Jesuit friend named Tom Barbarito who was in the class behind me. Italian. About 5 feet 5, like 5 by 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, Opelousas & 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 ten 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 cup 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 puts parables into 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 Yahweh. Who else? 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 third observation is that the banquet on the mountain top, the marriage feast is 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. Everyday is a banquet.
A final post script: what about the poor guy without the wedding garment? 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? What is the wedding garment symbolizing? Gratitude? Or cynicism? Maybe he was not grateful, but was critical and cynical, thinking he was entitled to all this, the attitude that seems to be so prevalent in our contemporary culture. Consequently, the man was not thrown out. His 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 the banquet today with gratitude.
On the 1 to 10 scale, where is your gratitude, where is your cynicism?
Picture 1: Mass begins
Picture 2: Lorynne & Lacee with their grandmother, Marilyn
Picture 3: Sienna
Picture 4: Robyn & Erin
Picture 5: Wendy
Picture 6: Jean & Jack, Wendy's parents