The Heavenly Father is very much excited to see us so He is preparing all the good gifts that He wants to share with us. The parable of the wedding feast is Jesus’ way of inviting us to join Him for the heavenly feast. Joy and happiness transcend our thoughts and imaginations as we ponder about it.

As a seminarian, I am invited as well to share the joy of the Master. After heeding the invitation, however, I know that He is also commissioning me to invite more people to His kingdom. It is both a challenge and a gift to be allowed by God to participate in His work and mission. Although I may be unworthy in the eyes of men, I know that God does not call only the qualified, but He qualifies those He called. All I have to do is to follow and walk with Jesus to fulfill the mission that I am called to share with.

In the Gospel, I noticed that the reason why those invited to the wedding feast became unworthy was their refusal and unwillingness to respond to the invitation despite being invited twice by the servants. Further, the guests even killed the servants, thereby making the King angry. Due to this, the King ordered to destroy them. It is good to ask ourselves if we too are willing to take the risk in responding to God’s invitation. Let us try to examine our preparedness for the feast that we are all invited to. If we do not take it seriously by doing good works out of faith, hope, and charity, we too might end up being cast down into the darkness. How seriously prepared and excited are you for the upcoming feast?

By: Sem. Jose A. Cordova Jr.

Today’s Gospel

Mt 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables
saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king
who gave a wedding feast for his son.
He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast,
but they refused to come.
A second time he sent other servants, saying,
‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet,
my calves and fattened cattle are killed,
and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’
Some ignored the invitation and went away,
one to his farm, another to his business.
The rest laid hold of his servants,
mistreated them, and killed them.
The king was enraged and sent his troops,
destroyed those murderers, and burned their city.

Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready,
but those who were invited were not worthy to come.
Go out, therefore, into the main roads
and invite to the feast whomever you find.’
The servants went out into the streets
and gathered all they found, bad and good alike,
and the hall was filled with guests.
But when the king came in to meet the guests
he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment.
He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it
that you came in here without a wedding garment?’
But he was reduced to silence.
Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet,
and cast him into the darkness outside,
where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’
Many are invited, but few are chosen.”