So much of what we
hear in the Gospel is what Jesus proclaimed to the world in his proclamation of
the Kingdom of God. Even though we hear
Sacred Scripture proclaimed to us each time we go to mass, there are still
questions that we need to ask ourselves each day. What is God’s
kingdom all about? And who are the people
who will belong to God’s kingdom? These past several
weeks, we have heard parables from the middle of Matthew’s Gospel. It is already the
middle of October. On the last day of
November, we will begin a new liturgical year with the beginning of Advent,
when we prepare our hearts for the birth of Jesus into our world. But, for now, it is
our task to struggle and wrestle with the message and meaning contained in
these parables that Jesus presents.
We hear a parable
and prophetic vision of a great feast that God prepares for us. Perhaps we think
that these readings present us a vision of the heavenly banquet that awaits us
in eternal life with the Lord. But God’s kingdom
is not just something we hope for in the future. God’s banquet is in
the here and now. Yes, we admit the
God’s kingdom does not come to its fulfillment or it perfection in the here and
now of our lives on here, but God’s kingdom is definitely present. To deal with the
reality of God’s kingdom that exists in our modern world, Pope Francis convened
a synod in Rome, which began its work this week. Pope Francis
advised the bishops at the beginning of the synod that this assembly was not to
discuss beautiful and clever ideas, not to see who is more intelligent, but to
tend to the Lord’s vineyard, to help realize his dream for us, to proclaim his
kingdom here on earth and the plan he has for his people. The pope said that
the family from the beginning has been an integral part of his loving plan for
humanity, so this synod is look at pastoral concerns that are affecting the
reality of the family in our modern world.
One last thing I
wanted to discuss from today’s Gospel is the circumstance of the man who
arrives at the wedding feast without his wedding garment, where he is thrown
out of the banquet into the darkness where there is wailing and grinding of
teeth. Taking literally,
it reminded me of a question that someone asked in newspaper of the Archdiocese
of Detroit: Why do I see people in mass who wear things such as short-shorts
and low cut tops? Is there not some sort
of dress code? I think it is
always good to discuss how we are to conduct ourselves at mass and to remember
that this is a sacred place we are entering, not an auditorium or stadium or
ordinary meeting place. The way people
dress for mass is a reflection of how dress codes have changed in all aspects
of society in just the last decade or two. Our grandparents’
generation talked about “wearing their Sunday best,” the best set of clothing
they had that was reserved for when they went to Church. I went to the
homecoming game at Tupelo High School a couple of weeks ago, where I saw many
of the students dressed in expensive dresses and suits and bowties, purchased especially
for this special occasion. A homecoming
maid and her escort would not have dreamed of going out there in short-shorts
and a tank top, or ripped jeans and a T-shirt, right? And if you go to St
Peter’s Basilica in Rome, the Swiss guards will turn you away if you wear
shorts or a tank top or do not cover your shoulders. This is
Mississippi, and many days throughout the year are hot and humid, so a nice
pair of Bermuda shorts is not inappropriate in our culture. But a heard a
fellow priest say this: If you are walking past someone’s house or your way to
church and they cannot tell by what you are wearing if you are going to church
or going to the beach, then perhaps you need to think about what you are
wearing when you are going to celebrate the holy banquet of the Eucharist at
weekend mass.
When you think
about the heart of our mass today, you could say RESPECT is a unifying theme:
respect for God and his kingdom, respect for how we worship the Lord and how we
proclaim God’s kingdom, and respect for all human life that we proclaim during
the month of October during Respect Life Month.
It gives us a lot to think about, doesn't it?
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