You Are Invited, Be Among The Chosen Ones

Homily For The 28th Sunday In The Ordinary Time Yr. A, October 15, 2023.

Sunday Readings

“Man’s salvation and perfection consists in doing the Will of God to which he must have given all things, and at every moment of his life.”– St. Peter Claver

My Dearest Friends in Christ,

Welcome to the 28th Sunday. We have gathered together as one family of God to worship Him and listen attentively to His Divine instructions for our salvation.One would ask, why would many be called and only a few chosen? Who are the many called? What makes one eligible to be chosen?

A Daily Invitation To Holiness and Eternal Life

The fact that not everyone who applies for a job and goes for an interview ends up getting a job is a familiar experience to many of us. While the job application is open to all, not everyone who applies ends up getting the job. In other words, many apply but few are accepted. Those chosen are the few found worthy at the end of every scrutiny. Our daily life on earth is a scrutiny and preparation for a heavenly invitation. If you have ever had a celebration or a party for which you spent so much to prepare and when everything was ready, your guests for one reason or another called off their plans to attend or ignored your invitation completely; then you will better understand how God feels when we ignore His daily invitation to holiness and eternal life.Whatever we see happening in our day-to-day experience in life, is what Jesus often uses as a parable to draw our attention to the realities of the kingdom of God and the demands of our Christian life.

The first reading, in an eschatological tone, describes the mountain of God which is our heavenly home. On this mountain, God invites all His children to a feast. In that heavenly home (mountain ) God prepares a feast for all, full of rich foods and choicest wine. There, He destroys death forever because those who welcome this invitation and are found worthy to be on this mountain shall live forever.

The Eucharist A Foretaste Of Our Heavenly Invitation

In the gospel, Jesus uses another parable to draw our attention to this invitation to a heavenly banquet. Our Christian life is an invitation to respond to God who has prepared a banquet for us in heaven. In the Eucharist, we have a foretaste of that banquet. This invitation, like a job, is open to all to apply. We begin our application by first accepting Christ through our baptism and the sacraments of initiation (Baptism, Confirmation, and the Eucharist). Through these and other sacraments, we are prepared and given the necessary spiritual support to be eligible to be chosen by God. God created all men and women to return to Him at the end of their earthly life because we belong to Him. Sadly, not everyone goes back to Him at the end. In other words, many who are invited as guests ignore that invitation to return to Him.

The question at this point is why do we ignore God’s invitation? The people of Israel were first called to be God’s chosen ones. Yet, unfortunately, just like those guests who ignored and rejected the king’s generous offer and an invitation to the banquet, the Israelites often rebelled and disobeyed God, refusing to listen to Him or follow Him.When Israel failed God, He never gave up, but sent His servants the prophets to offer a second invitation to them. He extended the invitation to the Gentiles, but still, many ignored that invitation. One, the gospel says,went to his farm and another to his business. Others persecuted those who were sent to offer the invitation.

Do Not Ignore or Make Excuses To God’s Invitation

It is pertinent to note that God’s invitation is a daily call to all men and women of every tongue and race. “God calls us through what happens during our day: through the suffering and happiness of the people we live with, through the human interests of our colleagues, and the things that make up our family life.” -St. Josemaria Escriva
God’s call is a universal call to holiness. A call to love God and our neighbor. The guests who went to their farms and their businesses represent those who because of earthly preoccupation have no place for God in their lives. They forgot completely that they are here on earth as pilgrims. There are those who constantly ignore God’s invitation because they have allowed material things and jobs to occupy the center of their lives. Hence, they are divorced from God. Money and wealth are prioritized rather than reighteousness of life and heavenly destination. How often have you allowed earthly things to distract you from prayers and the love of God? We have often deprived others of our love just to attend to our selfish needs. We watch many starve to death while we buy designer shoes and bags. Very often we have indulged in sinful lifestyles which is a total rejection of the love of God. It is time now to reexamine our lives. “No one should follow what he considers to be good for himself, but rather what seems good for another. Let them put Christ before all else; and may He lead us all to everlasting life.”– St. Benedict

The fact that the good and bad alike were all invited at the third invitation reminds us that our sinful lives and negligence of God do not exclude us from His invitation. His love is for all He created and He came that they all might have life in full. (cf. John 10:10) God’s invitation is not limited to the people of Israel, nor only the righteous people on earth. However, all those who are invited to God’s banquet in heaven must prepare themselves by putting on the proper garment.

Put On The Garment Of Reighteousness

Putting on the dress code is the high point of this heavenly invitation. The parable says that when all had come into the banquet hall, the King saw a man who was not dressed in a wedding garment. This garment is the main requirement for deciding who stays in the wedding banquet. What is this garment that we all are expected to wear to be eligible for this heavenly banquet? Isaiah 61:10 refers to this as the garment of righteousness. The color of this garment is white which symbolizes purity. We wear white at baptism to symbolize the cleansing of our soul from the impurities of sin and our rejection of sin and the works of the devil. We all like wearing good clothes and looking our best. Being dressed well tends to make us feel good about ourselves. Conversely, being dressed in the wrong way can be very embarrassing, especially in modern times when the dress code is indicated in wedding invitations. We feel out of place, we fear rejection, and we wish we could change our clothes right away. The experience of rejection and being thrown out of the wedding banquet into a place of suffering meted out to this guest who dressed inappropriately gives us an insight into what could become of us when we refuse to be clothed in the righteousness of life (deeds and words). Our heavenly Father wants to see us clothed in holiness and righteousness. He wants to see us wearing these clothes every day. Not only because it pleases Him so much, and not only because it brings us joy as well, but also because our spiritual “clothing” can have a great effect on the people around us.

Many will not put on this garment that makes us eligible, and as such, disqualify themselves. Whoever wants to be with God in His banquet must meet this criterion. Like a job seeker invited to apply, our life struggle is to meet this requirement that guarantees our heavenly union with God. Our daily efforts as Christians must be to do the Will of God. He has made everything ready for us to answer His daily invitation to live a holy and wholesome life. Have you applied for an earthly job and got rejected? Work hard to not be rejected for entrance into heaven, because the loss of one’s soul would be the worst rejection and loss any human person can experience. Be part of those who would be chosen in the end.

Nothing is impossible, as St. Paul says in the second reading, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me.” Yes, you and I can live righteous and holy lives if we depend on the strength provided by God and make the effort daily to answer His call. His grace is sufficient for us. (cf. 2Cor 12:9). In this Mass, we ask God to give us the grace to respond daily to His invitation to love, to live holy lives, and to do His will. May we be among those who will be chosen in the end. Amen.