Thursday in the Twentieth .week of Ordinary Time, August  20, 2020

The Feast of St. Bernard

Matthew 22:1-14

Jesus again in reply spoke to the chief priests and the elders of the people in parables saying, “The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son. He dispatched his servants to summon the invited guests to the feast, but they refused to come. A second time he sent other servants, saying, ‘Tell those invited: “Behold, I have prepared my banquet, my calves and fattened cattle are killed, and everything is ready; come to the feast.”’ Some ignored the invitation and went away, one to his farm, another to his business. The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them. The king was enraged and sent his troops, destroyed those murderers, and burned their city. Then the king said to his servants, ‘The feast is ready, but those who were invited were not worthy to come. Go out, therefore, into the main roads and invite to the feast whomever you find.’ The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike, and the hall was filled with guests. But when the king came in to meet the guests he saw a man there not dressed in a wedding garment. He said to him, ‘My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?’ But he was reduced to silence. Then the king said to his attendants, ‘Bind his hands and feet, and cast him into the darkness outside, where there will be wailing and grinding of teeth.’ Many are invited, but few are chosen.”

“The Kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king who gave a wedding feast for his son.”  We ought to notice that Jesus says that the kingdom of heaven may be likened to a king.  Jesus does not say that it may be likened to a feast made by the king.  He likens it to a king.  What sort of king?  To a king “who gave a wedding feast for his son”, that is, to a generous father, a father excited for his son, a king who wanted to honor people in his kingdom by making a feast for them on the occasion of his son’s marriage.  Jesus does not describe the kingdom of heaven as a place.  As in the parable which precedes this one in St. Matthew’s Gospel, he likens it to a person.  In the earlier parable, he likened it to a landowner who was generous in paying his workers.  Here, to a king.  Jesus reminds us that the Church is not a place, either, nor is heaven.  It is the faithful in union with Christ.  Because it is a “union”, it transcends the physical, the geographical.  Thus, Jesus can say to Pilate, “My kingdom is not of this world.”   St. Thomas Aquinas comments that Jesus himself is the kingdom of heaven.  In these parables about the kingdom of heaven, Jesus tells us about himself.

The invited guests react strangely to the invitation the king issues them through his messengers.  In fact, even if they disliked the king personally, they should have attended the feast simply because it was in their best interest to do so.  The Lord tells us that some of the invited guests acted as though they had not heard the invitation.  One went to his business, one to his farm.  These people so belonged to the world that they could not imagine living in a different way, or seeing their larger responsibilities in life.  For very many people today, the main matters of life consist of health, career, finances, and sex.  The idea of religion never arises for them.  It does repel others: “The rest laid hold of his servants, mistreated them, and killed them.”  These folks saw in the king’s invitation a threat to their freedom to do as they wished.  If they agreed to go to the feast, they would have to wash and dress for it, and then act with decency and polite behavior throughout the meal, which was for the king’s son and his bride.  The king’s subsequent destruction of the “city” inhabited by these bad subjects signifies the consequence of their actions, which is death.  To reject God through sin is to die, that is, to lose God’s grace and friendship.  

“The servants went out into the streets and gathered all they found, bad and good alike.”  Those who first heard the Lord tell this parable, particularly the Scribes and Pharisees, would have understood they were the unworthy invited guests, and that the “bad and good” who filled the hall were the Gentiles.  We can also see here that the membership of the Church is open to sinners who repent.  Jesus himself tells us that he came not for the righteous but for sinners (cf. Luke 5, 32).  That is, all who recognize themselves as sinners and in need of grace.

“My friend, how is it that you came in here without a wedding garment?” The king may seem here to expect too much of a guest who has just been brought in without much notice.  The fact is that all the other guests are apparently wearing wedding garments.  Either they put on their own garments and came to the wedding feast already dressed, or garments would have been provided for those who came without them.  This man in his normal clothing is showing contempt to the king and the guests, and his refusal to answer the king’s question confirms this.  He signifies one who attempts to benefit from Christ’s promises without seeking the sacraments, or, having received them, without believing in or living out all of his teachings.

“Many are invited, but few are chosen.”  This seems contradictory: those to be invited are already chosen.  To understand what Jesus means, we have to look back at the parable.  Initially, a very large number of people were invited, but they did not come.  At the king’s order, his messengers brought in enough people to fill the hall, but the number brought in fell short of the number originally invited.  All people are called to the Church, called to salvation in Christ, but not all will believe, not all will be saved.  You and I are the messengers given the task of calling in “the bad and the good”.  Let us do our part, with the help of God, to fill up the banquet hall of heaven.

Today we honor the 11th century preacher St. Bernard who zealously delivered the invitation of God.  He converted sinners, set tepid faith ablaze, and made holy men and women holier.  Through his intercession  may we become the Lord’s dedicated heralds.