A wedding can be a metaphor for the relationship between God and Israel.

Those invited were not worthy, who refused to believe in Jesus.
” For many are called, but few are chosen.’

＊＊＊ 1st Reading ＊＊＊ 

Ezekiel 36:23-28

 I will make known

The holiness of my great Name, profaned among the nations because of you, and they will know that I am Yahweh when I show them my holiness among you.

For I will gather you from all the nations and bring you back to your own land.   Then I shall pour pure water over you and you shall be made clean – cleansed from the defilement of all your idols.  I shall give you a new heart and put a new spirit within you.

I shall remove your heart of stone and give you a heart of flesh.   I shall put my spirit within you and move you to follow my decrees and keep my laws.   You will live in the land I gave your ancestors; you shall be my people and I will be your God.

 

Ps 51:12-13, 14-15, 18-19

I will pour clean water on you and wash away all your sins.

＊＊＊＊ Gospel ＊＊＊＊      

 

Matthew 22:1-14

Jesus continued speaking to them in parables:

“This story throws light on the kingdom of heaven. A king celebrated the wedding of his son.  He sent his servants to call the invited guests to the wedding feast, but the guests refused to come.

 Again he sent other servants ordering them to say to the invited guests: ‘I have prepared a banquet, slaughtered my fattened calves and other animals, and now everything is ready; come then, to the wedding feast.’ But they paid no attention and went away, some to their fields, and others to their work.   While the rest seized the ser­vants of the king, insulted them and killed them.

The king became angry. He sent his troops to destroy those murderers and burn their city. Then he said to his servants: ‘The wedding banquet is prepared, but the invited guests were not worthy.   Go, then, to the crossroads and invite everyone you find to the wedding feast.’

The servants went out at once into the streets and gathered everyone they found, good and bad alike, so that the hall was filled with guests.

 The king came in to see those who were at table, and he noticed a man not wearing the festal garment.   So he said to him: ‘Friend, how did you get in without the wedding garment?’ But the man remained silent.  So the king said to his servants: ‘Bind his hands and feet and throw him into the dark where there is weeping and gnashing of teeth.’

 Know that many are called, but few are chosen.”

 

Gospel Reflection：

The Non-negotiable

The parable of the wedding banquet opens with a limited invitation followed by rejection; and then an open invitation, followed by an expulsion. How do we make sense of these dynamics?

Salvation was first offered to the “Chosen People” of Israel. It is typical of human beings not to value what is offered free! The invited ones are too busy with their myopic projects to care for the banquet.

The invitation is then offered freely to everyone: The Gospel goes out to all four directions in the world and all are invited. It is not enough that one responds to this invitation by being present:

one must be present with the right attitude of the heart, the wedding garment, which is non-negotiable. You may come as you are, but as you  enter, put on the mind of Christ (cf. Phil. 2:4-11) so that you will be identified, received, and served at the banquet of life.