First Reading Commentary
The Kingdom of the Messiah is depicted here as a
rich feast for all peoples united together, a figure of the Church triumphant,
on the mountain of Zion. He, that is,
the Messiah, will destroy death forever.
The Hebrew text translates as what has been reiterated by Saint Paul:
“Death is swallowed up in victory” (1
Corinthians 15:54). Of course, Jesus
Christ has fulfilled this by His own death and Resurrection.
Rich, juicy food and pure, choice wines for
certain speak of the Holy Eucharist.
These descriptions are far too sumptuous to be referring to corruptible
food. In the Hebrew text, the wine
translates literally to mean “of vintage”.
Clearly what is also described here is the Holy Sacrifice of the Mass;
for it is there that we are “on this mountain,” more specifically, Mount
Calvary, kneeling in the shadow of the Cross, beholding “our God, to Whom we
looked to save us” under the guise of bread and wine.
Saint
Fulgentius of Ruspe wrote: “The very act of sharing in the Body and Blood of
Christ, when we eat His Bread and drink His Chalice, we die to the world and
have our life hidden with Christ in God and crucify our flesh together with its
vices and evil desires.”
How could we not follow the advice offered in
this Reading: “Let us rejoice and be glad that He has saved us!”
Second Reading Commentary
Saint Paul’s description of being able to live
under any circumstance is a suitable and holy afterthought for our Lord’s
words: “My grace is sufficient for you” (2
Corinthians 12:9). With God’s grace
we can deal with whatever is thrown at us.
Saint Paul continues this letter by thanking the
Philippians for sharing in his distress.
This is the Body of Christ at work -- sharing in each other’s joys and
sorrows. In Saint Ignatius of Antioch’s
letter to the Ephesians, he refers to our sharing in each others good times and
bad times as being fellow-initiates.
Gospel Commentary
Distinguished guests are invited to the wedding
feast but refuse while those with no distinction take their place; but even
among these, some are deemed as unworthy and thus excluded. What is contained in this parable is one
aspect of the Kingdom of heaven.
Anglican biblical scholar, Alfred Edersheim (1825-1889) has pointed out
that in Jewish literature the Messianic era was often likened to a feast and the
Messiah Himself as a Bridegroom wedded to Israel. Therefore, the king in the parable is God,
and the son is the Messiah.
From a Christian perspective, though, this
marriage feast represents Christ and His Bride the Church; or as Origen of
Alexandria taught, it represents Christ and the soul; he wrote: “I believe that
this first call to the marriage was to more worthy souls; for God in the first
place wishes those to come to the feast of the divine discourses who are more
capable of understanding them. And since
those who were of this kind would not come at this invitation, other servants
are sent to urge them, and promising that, if they come, they will receive a
dinner prepared by the King.” Reminding
invited guests that the time for the feast was drawing near was a standard
practice in the ancient East.
The servants are the Prophets of God. When the invited guests refuse to come, a
second group of servants are sent. This
second group represents the disciples of the Messiah who, like John the Baptist
and most of the apostles, are mistreated and killed.
The calves and fattened cattle hint that this is
a feast of majestic proportions.
Unfortunately, the invited guests who are no-shows are more concerned
for their worldly affairs than the son’s banquet.
Next, the king sends his servant out to invite
anyone they can find, good or bad, and thus the hall was filled with
guests. In following the path of this
story, these strangers at the feast most likely represent those who accept and
believe in the authority of the king’s son.
A man not dressed in a wedding garment is cast
into the darkness outside. From this it
would appear that the wedding garment represents one’s fitness for the Kingdom
of heaven. And so, the heavenly banquet
begins and continues on into eternity with only those who are worthy. Saint Gregory wrote: “What are we to
understand of the nuptial garment, if not charity? Because it was in this the Lord clothed
Himself. Therefore he who goes into the
wedding feast without a wedding garment, has faith in the Church, but not
charity.” Saint Augustine very
authoritatively says to us: “Put on the nuptial garment: I am speaking to you
who do not yet wear it. You have already
come in; you are now drawing near to the banquet; and you have not yet put on a
garment in honor of the Bridegroom. You
are still seeking the things that are your own, not the things that are Jesus
Christ’s. You know the Bridegroom: it is
Christ. You know the Bride: the
Church. If you fittingly honor the
Spouses, you shall be their children.”
