28th Sunday Ordinary Time - October 15th, 2023 (Click Here for Readings)

We have an amazing God who invites all peoples from every nation, race and social ranking to his ongoing banquet of love, mercy and grace; a feast of juicy, rich food and pure, choice wines described in Isaiah’s prophecy.

At this feast, all the negative forces of death, reproach and veil that divert the Israelites’ away from their God will be destroyed, paving the way for them to rejoice and be among his saved.

In today's Gospel parable, however, Jesus makes an additional point that for the guests invited to a feast to be saved and not cast into the darkness; they must not only accept the invitation, but attend in proper spiritual attire.

After the first two groups of invited guests refused or ignored the invitation because of their more important self-centered lives with their farms and businesses, the king ordered his servants to “go out into the main roads and open the floodgates to whomever they find, good and bad alike. But it did not mean that they could come undressed without a "spiritual" wedding garment.

God invites us to his ongoing feast of love, mercy and grace as well, but we must not attend unprepared in a poor spiritual state. We can't just come as we are. At the feast of the holy Mass, for example, we must ask ourselves how respectful our wedding garments are. Are we hoping for beautiful inspiring music from our parish choir, or the priest’s or deacon’s enlightening homilies? Are we coming for entertainment or to repent and transform our ways?

Have we thought about reviewing the upcoming Mass readings beforehand? What else could we be doing to prepare and spiritually cleanse our inner selves for Jesus' celebration?

Nobody loves it better than Satan to see well-intentioned Catholics arrive at Mass ahead of time and chit-chat with their pew friends until the opening entrance hymn signals "quiet," or dart out of Mass as soon as they receive the holy Eucharist and throw off their wedding garment.

Satan is ever so pleased when we to come to Mass just as we are and leave without any feeling of change or transformation. When he hears us say things like “I know God loves me. I’m OK. I’m not going to hell,” his job is done.

If we expect Jesus to be pleased with our wedding garment at Mass, we need to leave our baggage at home and put aside our self-interests and plans for the day after Mass, unlike the first groups of guests invited on today’s Gospel.

Let us always be deserving of Jesus’ invitation by attending his celebrations in both body and spirit with a clean and pure heart prepared for him.

By heeding St. Paul’s letter to the Philippians, we'll be more deserving guests of God’s feasts. When we live by St. Paul's secret vow, “I can do all things in him who strengthens me,” we'll allow the strength of Christ to eclipse the weakness of our self-centeredness and be prepared to celebrate in our best wedding garments.


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