The WORD in other words (2014) by Father Narciso Cellan SVD – Nairobi, Kenya
28th Sunday in Ordinary Time – A
A story is told of a father who was impressed by his son’s ability to attract a large audience to his public lectures. Curious about his secret, he asked how he managed to do it. The son replied:
“It is simple, Father. The audience consists of three groups. The first group is made up of my students, who attend because it is a course requirement. The second group comes because they want to be with the students. The third group is sent by their parents to keep an eye on them.”
Whether for duty, companionship, or curiosity, people are often drawn to something or someone. Depending on the strength of that attraction, they are willing to overlook inconveniences and make sacrifices to be present.
In today’s Gospel, Jesus uses the image of a wedding feast (Matthew 22:1-14), perhaps the most joyful celebration in biblical culture. Through this parable, God reveals His desire to draw humanity into communion with Him. The king prepares a banquet and sends invitations, but the invited guests refuse to come. Some are too preoccupied with their farms and businesses; others even mistreat the king’s servants.
The king then extends the invitation to others, gathering people from the roads and streets. Yet even among those who arrive, one guest appears without a wedding garment, showing a lack of respect for the occasion and for the one who invited him.
At first glance, the king’s reaction may seem harsh. How can a loving and merciful God react so strongly to those who refuse His invitation or fail to prepare properly for the feast?
The answer lies in understanding the nature of the invitation itself.
God is not inviting us to a burden but to a celebration. He is inviting us to friendship, communion, joy, and eternal life. The wedding feast symbolizes the fullness of life in God’s Kingdom. Throughout Scripture, salvation is often described as a banquet prepared by God for His people:
“On this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide for all peoples a feast of rich food and choice wines” (Isaiah 25:6).
To reject such an invitation is not merely a matter of declining an event; it is rejecting the relationship and love behind the invitation.
The first guests were not condemned because they were working. Work, family responsibilities, and providing for one’s needs are noble and necessary. Jesus Himself praises responsible stewardship in the Parable of the Talents (Matthew 25:14-30). Their fault lay in allowing these legitimate concerns to become more important than God. They had other priorities.
The man without the wedding garment represents another danger. He accepted the invitation but refused to be transformed by it. He wanted the benefits of the feast without honoring its meaning. The wedding garment symbolizes the new life that God asks of those who enter His Kingdom. As St. Paul writes:
“Put on the Lord Jesus Christ” (Romans 13:14).
The Gospel therefore challenges us to examine our own priorities.
Do we find time for God amid our many activities?
Do we pray, read Scripture, and participate in the sacraments with joy and gratitude?
Do we see our relationship with God as a privilege or merely an obligation?
The truth is that God continually invites us: through the Eucharist, through His Word, through prayer, and through the people He places in our lives. He desires our presence not because He needs us, but because He loves us.
As St. Augustine wrote:
“You have made us for Yourself, O Lord, and our hearts are restless until they rest in You.”
Perhaps the greatest tragedy is not that God withdraws His invitation, but that we become so busy, distracted, or self-sufficient that we no longer see any reason to accept it.
May we never lose our attraction to God. May we recognize His invitation as the greatest honor and joy of our lives. And may we always be ready to enter the banquet, clothed in faith, hope, and love.
Prayer
Lord, thank You for inviting me to Your banquet of life and love. Free me from the distractions and priorities that keep me from You. Help me to treasure Your friendship above all things and to clothe myself with the virtues that make me worthy of Your Kingdom. May I never refuse Your invitation, but respond with a grateful and generous heart. Amen.
