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28th Sunday of Ordinary Time

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Invitation.  This is the theme that resonates through our readings for this 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time.  And not just any invitation… an invitation to the Lord’s house.  Who wouldn’t want to go?  Who would turn down this invitation?  Let’s explore our readings to see what we might be missing…


The Word for the 28th Sunday of Ordinary Time:
Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Philippians 4:12-14, 19-20
Mathew 22:1-14

We open with a reading from Isaiah at a point where he sees great hope for Israel (for a brief time as King Hezekiah begins his reign).  In this poem of praise for God, he describes what it is like to live on the mountain of the Lord… a paradise with rich food and choice wines… a place where God’s people rejoice under the umbrella of his protection.  Our Psalm echoes this joy with its chorus “I shall live in the house of the Lord all the days of my life.”  Who would want to leave?

Our Gospel from Matthew continues where we left off last week, where we see Jesus using this image of the Heavenly banquet as he confronts the chief priests and elders with another parable.  In this parable of the wedding feast, the king has prepared a wedding feast for his son, but none of the people he has invited wants to come.  Why would anyone refuse such an invitation?  Yet that’s exactly what happens, so the king sends his servants out into the streets to invite all anyone and everyone they found, and fills the hall with guests.  If the king’s chosen guests refuse his invitation, then his invitation will be extended to everyone else.

We all have been invited by God to his Heavenly banquet.  Will you accept the invitation?  But even if you accept… you still must come dressed for the occasion.  The long form of our Gospel takes on this issue when the king finds someone at the feast who is not wearing his wedding cloths (think Baptismal garment).  He has the servants bind his hands and feet, and has him tossed out into the night.  Imagine his dismay… having been invited but then tossed out.  It’s a reminder that even though the Lord invites us to his banquet, there still remain certain protocols and obligations to follow.  By accepting a wedding invitation it’s expected that you will dress appropriately and bring a gift for the couple.  Similarly God’s invitation to us also comes with certain protocols and obligations.  But the focus here isn’t on those, it’s on the benefit of having a seat at the table for the feast.  The invitation is given to all.

Our second reading concludes our study of Paul’s letter to the Philippians, and not surprisingly, his message provides us with the reassurances we need should we fear getting tossed out of the banquet.  Paul explains how he has been through good times and bad times, but regardless of circumstance, we, like he, can find strength through Christ Jesus.  The Lord will provide us with what we need.

Final thoughts:
We are all invited to the feast!  For Catholics, this feast is manifest in our celebration of the Mass.  Our doors are open and the invitation is to everyone, Catholic or not.  But it is expected that we come dressed for the occasion both physically and spiritually.  Our “wedding dress” is our Baptism, which allows us to share at the table of the Lord.  We make our offering and find strength in Christ himself through the Eucharist.  A weekly (even daily) reminder that we’ve been invited to the Heavenly feast that awaits.  All we need do is to accept the invitation.

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