SUNDAY OCTOBER 15, 2023
Isaiah 25:6-10
Philippians 4:12-14.19-20
Matthew 22: 1-14
The call to the Christian life comes with very beautiful privileges and rights as well as obligations. God’s call and invitation of human beings into the banquet of eternal life comes with its goodies, beauty, happiness, joys and peace. But at the same time to attain these, God also expects from all who accept this call and invitation certain obligations, standards and conditions that befits the status of the nature and respect for God.
Beginning with our first reading, the prophet Isaiah tells us the privileges, rights and the beauty in the call and the preparations God has made for all those who may desire to answer his call. God has prepared a banquet of rich food and choiced wine. God promises to remove all evil veil cast on his people. He will rather protect them, rule over them and guide their days. The saving mission of our God comes with so much benefits, bodily salvation, eternal redemption, happiness on earth, peace of mind, prosperity and unending glory. The prophet Isaiah describes these in these words. “And he will destroy on this mountain the covering that is cast over all peoples, the veil that is spread over all nations. He will swallow up death forever, and the Lord God will wipe away tears from all faces, and the reproach of his people he will take away from all the earth, for the Lord has spoken.”
The gospel describes the various responses to this invitation. While some rejected the invitations, some others were hostile to the messengers, and others were very indifferent. But no matter the response given, the Lord admits all who comes in. Yet only on one condition – That those who come in must be in their right wedding garment. Failure to be in that garment will invite the wrath of God.
So as long as the invitation to the Christian life is opened to all, there is a very stringent condition which must be appropriated and accepted and acted upon. That those who accept the invitation must be in their wedding garment.
What is this wedding garment? It is the moral code, the standard code, the righteousness that befits the abode of Christ. It is necessary to keep to the standards. A lawyer who is called to the bar, must swear to uphold the integrity of the profession and live within certain code of conduct. Likewise, a doctor who is given the license to function, must equally abide by the ethics of their profession which is to save life and uphold life, never to kill or annihilate life. Even the road users have a code on how to drive on it, the sea and boats has a code on how to navigate on it. Our offices and professions have code of conducts. And such codes in these places help to uphold the principles, ideals and maintain the good intentions of the profession.
In the Christian life, Christ our Lord demands for those who accept the invitation of Christ, a code of conduct, a rule of engagement, and standard of living, a rule of life and this is symbolised by the wedding garment. It covers the moral code expected of all Christians. It is the standard way of behaviour, the acts to be engaged in, the tasks assigned the convert, the rules that guides actions, and life in Christ generally.
This must be worn at all times, in all circumstances, and in everywhere. It must be the standard rule of life. And it is this standard rule that gives access to the beautiful banquet prepared for all who accept the invitation.
Saint Paul instructs us to learn these rules, and try to abide by them. He gives us example of himself. For Saint Paul he argues, “I know how to be abased, and I know how to abound; in any and all circumstances I have learned the secret of facing plenty and hunger, abundance and want. I can do all things in him who strengthens me.”
We can do all things really through Christ who supplies our grace. Let us continue to rest in Christ, to trust in him, to strive to live the life, and pray to be given the grace to abide by the code. He never disappoints us but watches over us. Our willingness to wear the wedding garment is a good step to a right direction. Then we must make efforts, and strive to uphold the code, the standard and the rules of engagement which is not hidden but known to us, the life of love and righteousness.
Heavenly Father, you call us to a life of grace, happiness and peace. May we wholly accept your call in good faith and strive earnestly to maintain the code of conduct, the righteousness it demands. Lord make us holy, obedient, righteous and loving as you are. May we never loose our eternal heritage by obstinacy, indifference and carelessness through Christ our Lord.
– Fr Norbert Uchuno
