HOMILY: 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A.

HOMILY: 28TH SUNDAY IN ORDINARY TIME, YEAR A.

By: Rev Fr Stephen ‘Dayo Osinkoya

Isaiah 25:6-10a
Psalm Ps 23:1-3a, 3b-4, 5, 6
Philippians 4:12-16, 19-20
Matthew 22:1-14

Wedding ceremonies and Aso Ebi (Party uniform) seem to be inseparable in our society today and I don’t think there is any society that doesn’t pay much attention to wedding clothes. The same goes for funerals and some landmark birthdays.   A video was viral barely a week ago of an alleged birthday celebrant ordering guests who are not dressed in the Aso ebi for her celebration out of the reception (banquet) hall. In the gospel we have just heard, Jesus as he would often do, once again takes a feature from the Jewish culture, in fact a universal feature and makes a parable to teach the people about the kingdom of God.

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Today’s First Reading from the Book of the Prophet Isaiah is a poetic description of the ‘heavenly feast’ that God offers to all people. It speaks of the abundant providence of God and universal salvation for all peoples. In the Gospel Reading of today from St. Matthew, we have yet another Kingdom parable, ‘the Parable of the Wedding Feast. This parable stresses on the story of the salvation history from the initial sending of the prophets to Israel through the renewed invitation of the followers of Jesus. It concludes with the Last Judgment when the good and bad from among the community are sorted out.

For the Gospel teaches us that all of us are invited to the Feast of God’s Kingdom. But, for our part, we must come prepared…in the words of the Gospel, “dressed for the party”. And our clothing for God’s kingdom is not Ankara, Guinea, brocade, Lace, etc. Our clothing for God’s kingdom is a life dressed in integrity and honesty.

Whenever we have a wedding ceremony and a particular Aso Ebi or a particular colour or combination of colours is selected, we are not often too pleased to see members of our closest associates not dressed in this Aso Ebi, no matter how neatly and gorgeously dressed they might be. For us, their not dressing in “our Aso Ebi” is a sign that that they don’t hold us very dear to heart. So also it is with God when we do not clothe ourselves in Christian dignity and Christ like virtues. In the rite of baptism we hear the priest say: “Receive this white garment, the outward sign of your Christian dignity…” Without this Christian dignity, we cannot claim to have any relationship with God.

Unlike the Aso Ebi which we have to pay for, God Himself provides us with the garment of Christian dignity purchased for us at cost of the blood of Christ and which we receive through His graces – made abundant in the Sacraments. This was why the king had the man with no wedding garment casted out of the banquet.

In Jewish culture, wedding garments are usually made available for those who could not afford one. So, for this man not to have worn even the one provided at the banquet shows his disregard and dishonour for the occasion and an insult to the host and other guests present. Hence, he was bounded and thrown out.

Beloved in Christ, if we do not practice virtue and clothe ourselves in the wedding garment of Christian dignity, our bearing the name Christian, coming to church, joining pious societies and perhaps even contributing heavily towards the development of the church would be like the man at the wedding feast without a wedding garment. (Cf. Mt. 22:11)

We too are like the guests invited to the wedding banquet and turned down the invitation. Though we are not told the reason why they chose their farm, business and even maltreat some of the servants, but when we examine our own lives critically, we would find clearly the reasons why we don’t yield the call of God.

The Gospel parable of today is a challenge to accept God’s invitation. Moreover, we need to have a proper wedding garment if we are to enter the wedding banquet of the Lord. The garment symbolically, is the garment of virtue that all of us must clothe ourselves with. But the choice is ours.
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