Please read this passage before reading the homily.
In this mountain the Lord of hosts will provide a banquet. God meets us on the mountain. Abraham went up a mountain to sacrifice his son Isaac to the Lord. Moses went up the mountain to converse with the Lord. Elijah experienced God’s presence on a mountain. Isaiah sees that God has prepared a banquet for God’s people “on this mountain”. In the thought patterns of the ancient Israelites, mountains were the places to encounter God because mountains were considered the most like God in stability, in height and in strength.
The ancients had a long struggle before coming to a consistent belief in resurrection of the dead. If God were to destroy death forever, how would this be done? Would the return of exiles count to having death destroyed? If the nation should regain its sovereignty after exile, should that be considered a resurrection? Would living to see one’s great-great-grandkids count as life beyond the grave? The concept of death and resurrection from the dead has developed over the centuries to a point where there is considerable agreement among peoples about death.
This passage expresses great trust in God to continue supporting those who believe in God and seek knowledge of God. God invites us to the feast God has prepared for us. It is always God who does the preparing and the calling. It is God who destroys death forever, who wipes the tear from every eye, and who removes the reproach of God’s people.
We have evolved enough to have a better understanding of life and death, perhaps, than the ancient Hebrews, but we must also probe the inner connections between the festive foods we eat and the less and less palatable others have to eat, between our beliefs in life beyond death and our fixation on weapons and wars that kill people. We must allow ourselves to grow more into the image of God that God calls us to. This mountain does not belong to us; it belongs to all of God’s creation. All are called to life and to eat, but many are forced into non-eating and experiencing death.