October 15, 2017

28th Sunday in Ordinary Time A Isaiah 25: 6-10; Philippians 4: 12-14, 19-20; Matthew 22: 1-14 How do I view life? This is a very interesting reflection. Do I view it from my parents eyes who trained me in the ways of family love and caring? Do I view life from my education in the seminary and from my years of priesthood. Do I view my life from the teachings and laws of the Church and from the guidance of the popes? Do I view life from the political system of the country and the different political parties? Do I view life from the point of view of the importance of democracy? Do I view life from the capitalist viewpoint? Do I ever take the time to reflect on life and view life from God’s viewpoint? The readings today help us to see life as God has demanded us to view it. Demand is the correct word because life is about God. God created all life and the world we live in. God did not create the world and our life just as an object that He can watch and enjoy or to punish or to condemn. All Scripture and revelations from God stress that God is love and God created out of love. God desires that all know Him, love Him and serve Him. All life and creation are not from God’s whims. There is a purpose and the purpose concerns itself with love forever with God. The question posed today is how do I view life and creation through God’s eyes? Isaiah has been considered the greatest of the prophets. His call from God in the latter part of the eighth century BC came at a very critical time in Israel’s history. The northern kingdom had been completely wiped out by Assyria. Jerusalem was living with invading armies at its gates. Chapter 6 describes the divine summons from God for Isaiah to show the people the tremendous distance between God’s love and goodness and the people’s growing deeper and deeper into sin. Isaiah describes this moral breakdown and advises the king to lead the people back to God. Today’s reading comes from chapters 24-27 which are called ‘The Apocalypse of Isaiah’. It envisions a future time when a city in chaos is destroyed by God and the holy mountain Zion, Jerusalem, will be the site of God’s saving actions. Isaiah describes the victory celebration as an enormous banquet of rich food and choice wines which will be for all people. This future will be one of hope, the absence of death and the people will turn their lives to God forever. This passage celebrates the wonderful transformation that is possible once human pride is set aside and people turn their lives living according to God’s ways. They will look to God, not their own desires. God’s ways are life, man’s ways lead to destruction. Paul is giving insight into what it means to live according to God’s ways: there will be good days and bad days. There will be suffering and sadness and relief and love. Paul thanks the Philippian community for their support. He is still in prison and their care has been stupendous. The sacrifices they made for him show the hallmarks of what a true Christian is: caring, merciful, forgiving, loving, overall being a disciple of love. God will continue to provide all people in whatever circumstances they find themselves. Even in suffering God’s presence supports and enriches the disciple to continue to love. The Gospel continues the parable of the vineyard from the last few weeks. It is addressed to the same audience: the chief priests and the elders of the people. Today’s parable envisions the kingdom of heaven as wedding feast much like the messianic banquet from Isaiah 25: 6-9, the first reading. One special note is that Matthew’s parable today is very similar to one from Luke 14: 16-24. Luke talks about a banquet that is given and people are invited but he does not include the addition in Matthew’s gospel of the need to wear a wedding garment. This addition by Matthew brings up questions, especially, about the poor man being expected to have a wedding garment since he is poor and also how could he be expected to have a wedding garment since he has been hauled in unexpectedly from the street? What does it mean? Jesus always urges ‘readiness’ of the coming Kingdom. The kingdom comes as a ‘thief in the night’ because no one knows when the end will come. Am I prepared? In the ending in Matthew’s gospel the invitation to the wedding came sooner than the man expected and it caught him unprepared. The clear meaning is ‘Woe to the man.’ Woe to me if I think that ‘when the time comes’ I will start to focus on being the Christian that Jesus needs me to be. This parable is meant for me, the time is now. Every moment God is calling me closer to Himself and giving me the grace, the help to respond to His invitation. Do I find too many of my creature comforts in the way of listening, reflecting, following and loving? Living the Word, Scripture Reflections and commentaries for Sundays and Holy Days has a wonderful Reflecting on the Word today: A few weeks before writing this reflection, the Vatican released Pope Francis’ apostolic exhortation Amores Laetitia (The Joy of Love.) It has caused many a reaction. One of its most powerful lines is a quote form a homily Pope Francis preached at a Mass celebrated with new cardinals in February, 2015: ‘The way of the Church is not to condemn anyone for ever, it is to pour out the balm of God’s mercy on all those who ask for it with a sincere heart… For true charity is always unmerited, unconditional and gratuitous.’ These words sum up today’s readings. God provides for all people, friend and foe alike, on the mountain described in Isaiah. God’s providential love is gracious and unconditional. The king in today’s parable sends his servants out to invite to the wedding banquet whomever they find after others rejected his invitation. Someone is cast out for not wearing a wedding garment. All are invited, but we need to dress for the banquet by asking for and responding to God’s gratuitous and loving balm. Our wedding garment entails clothing ourselves with gratitude, humility and love, like Paul in the Letter to the Philippians. Paul learned how to respond with humility and gratitude to all of life’s situations. Paul’s example challenges me to be grateful for what I have in abundance or want, and give God glory and praise at all times. Jesus reminds me to clothe myself with gratitude for God’s generosity and mercy. Pope Francis also challenges me. Avoid condemning anyone forever . Be a vessel that pours out the balm of God’s unmerited, unconditional, and gratuitous mercy so others can dress for the banquet, too.” This is God’s plan, these are God’s ways. We pray to get on the right track and stay there. So I reflect on: • Do I reflect of God’s mercy? Where have I been forgiven and loved so much it has brought me to tears? Have I learned God’s lesson? • On God’s Holy Mountain all are provided for. I do not have to understand this, just to know that God says this. God doesn’t lie. • How is the invitation to join Jesus in heaven like the invitation to the wedding in today’s Gospel? • Does my acceptance of the invitation mean that I can readily accept the values of my society? Or will I continually have to test those values against the words of the Gospel? Why? Sacred Space 2017 states: “O Lord, how we need Your constant invitation to come to You and learn from You. Rid us of our garments of selfishness, our judgmental attitudes, our stubborn hearts, and clothe us instead with Your garments of salvation. As generous and open-ended as God’s invitation is, it is not to be exploited or taken for granted. For my part, I ask God to help me respond as best I can, to prepare my heart to receive God’s gifts.”