Homily on the 14th Sunday after Pentecost Matthew 22: 1-14.
In today’s Gospel, we have recounted for us the parable of the wedding feast. This parable is symbolic of the invitation that all receive by virtue of their humanity to the wedding feast of or Lord and Saviour. This feast is the feast of feasts. In this feast, the food of great delight is served – if one partakes of this food, then one will have life in one (John 6: 53-54). Remember, that the Lord is good for in psalm 33 it is stated, ‘Oh, taste and see that the Lord is good; blessed is the man who hopes in Him (Psalm 33: 9).’
Truly, we have the Gift of Gifts in the Holy Mystery of the Eucharist. Without this gift, we would be spiritually empty far from the grace of our Lord and Saviour. This is why this parable is important – it relays to all that they have an invitation to this great Mystery, which is both the Sacrifice of all Sacrifices as well as the Feast of all Feasts. Thus, we as Christians must be clear to the world that they are indeed welcome to this feast – all they need to do is have a conversion to the All-Holy Trinity and receive the Mysteries of Baptism and Chrismation and then they can become one of the wedding guests.
This parable highlights that whilst all are called by virtue of their humanity, to the Wedding Feast, in reality, few will respond in a way that is appropriate. In the parable, the king had everything ready for the wedding feast of his son, yet all his guests made excuses to not attend this great feast. The king rightly so, was hurt by his guest’s refusal to attend this feast that he had organised causing him to open up the invitation to the feast to others that had not been the first to be invited. In many ways, this serves a double meaning; the first being a symbolic representation of the reality that many people of Christ’s day would reject Him- their Lord and Saviour-and the second being the reality today, that many people who have been brought up Orthodox reject their invitation to the Wedding Feast (the Eucharist) of our Lord and Saviour.
Now one thing that comes again and again throughout the Old Testament is prophesied that all nations will come to worship the Lord. For in Psalm 85 verse 9 Saint David states:
“All the nations that You made shall come and worship before You, O Lord, and they shall glorify your name…(Psalm 85:9).”
Whilst, it is clear that All-Holy Trinity first revealed Himself to the Jewish people it is also clear that the All-Holy Trinity was to ensure that all were to know His Name and have the opportunity to become part of Church. This is the meaning behind the great event of Pentecost – Christ came so that all may become part of His Body the Church. This is why the Comforter came down on the Apostles as they preached; enabling all present to hear the Apostles preaching in their own languages. This is why the Church is universal and, as such, has a message that is for the whole world that must be preached in a language that the world understands.
Therefore, it is vital to have the Divine Liturgy celebrated in the language of the country it is being celebrated in. Moreover, this is why many have turned from the Orthodox Church because they simply cannot understand what is going on. We are not Gnostic heretics here who believe that it is the Church’s mission to preach a secret message to those who are part of the elect! Instead, the Gospel should be preached to all in their language so that they all may be able to embrace the Truth of Christ’s Gospel.
Finally, let us reflect on what a great gift we have in the form of the Holy Mysteries. Without this gift - which is the very Body and Blood of our Lord and Saviour -we would not have life within us. Nor would we have the opportunity to enter into communion with the All-Holy Trinity! The reality here is simply that the All-Holy Trinity loves man so much that, ‘He gave His only Son, that whoever believes in Him shall not perish but have eternal life (John 3:16).’ This is the beauty of the gift of the Eucharist for in this great Mystery is contained all the Mysteries of salvation - for in this Great Mystery one has the incarnation of Christ, His death on the Holy Cross and Finally His Resurrection. It is by partaking of this great Mystery that one is brought into communion with the All-Holy and through this communion one has life. This is why it is important to receive this Mystery of Mysteries as often as one can! Through this Mystery, one is brought close to the All-Holy Trinity and as a result one is brought closer to Him who is the Font of all Joy and Life.
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