The following Homily is provided by Friar Sidney as a way
     of enriching the ministry of the Word as presented through
     this web site.  Friar Sidney, who has spent much of his
     ministry in India, is currently a Professor of Philosophy
     in Rome.  He can be reached at smascarenhas@ofm.org.  The texts
     used by Friar Sydney come from the Roman Lectionary - which in
     most points agrees with the Revised Common Lectionary.


READINGS: 
Isaiah 25:6-10a; Philippians 4:12-14.19-20; and Matthew 22:1-14.


INTRODUCTION:
Why are justice and charity ncessary virtues for a good society?


HOMILY:
The Gospel of today is very shocking. We are told of a banquet.
The proper invitees did not turn up although they are twice
invited.  The invitees even murder those who brought the
invitation.  There follows the destruction of these murderers. 

One has the impression of a tooth for a tooth situation.  The
story seems to display primitive and revengeful reactions. 
Then, the king throws open the banquet for anyone from the
street.  So the servants went out and collected together anyone
they could find. 

Last of all, the king comes in the scene.  He discovers one man
without the wedding garment.  We are not told anywhere in the
parable that the invitees were required to wear a wedding
garment.  Yet, strangely enough, the king asks the man: How did
you get in here my friend, without a wedding garment?  The man
was silent.  And then, evenmore strangely, the king orders that
the man to be bound and cast out.  Is this not cruel?  Is this
not a kind of five-star discrimination?

Sure, it would be like a five-star discrimination?  But then, we
have missed the point.

Our religion has some very interesting images.

To live in society, for Christians, is like an invitation to a
Banquet.  For this to occur we need to be clothed with the
garment of justice and charity.  For all to enjoy more than a
mouthful on the table of this earth, everybody needs to put on
these virtues of justice and charity.

If we lack the sensibility of justice and charity, then we will
find ourselves cast out from the Banquet, a Banquet of fine
wines, of food rich and juicy.  We will find ourselves facing
injustices and murderers.  

Shalom! 


copyright - Friar Sydney Mascarenhas and  Rev. Richard J. Fairchild 1999 - 2005
            please acknowledge the appropriate author if citing these sermons.