Homily 15 October 2023:  Matthew 22:1-14

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Please read this passage before reading the homily.

My sisters and brothers,

The kingdom of heaven is like a king who gave a wedding banquet for his son.  One time, the prophet Isaias said that the Lord of all would prepare a banquet of fine wines and destroy death forever (Isaiah 15:6-10).

The wedding banquet is God and the place of God’s glory.  The king calls everyone to the wedding because “everything is now ready”.  Some did not want to come; others had excuses.  Some others, however, listened and came.

The king, who is God, wanted everyone to come to the wedding of his son and enjoy the pleasures of heaven.  God does not want to exclude anyone, but, rather, calls everyone.  This is God’s Universal Call to Salvation.

On the other hand, a man came in not wearing a wedding garment and he was excluded from the banquet.  This is the mystery of God’s universal call to save all people and our free will to exclude ourselves.  In the end, God’s power to save us will always overcome our free will so that we receive the gift of the wedding willingly without damaging our free will.

Always God gives us the time and the ability to repent and always God will overcome our free will so that we welcome the gift of the wedding willingly.

Willingly God wants to save all people and in the end we will welcome God’s saving power.  God’s call is free and our accepting of this call will be free without any coercion.

In the mystery of God’s power to save and our power to resist God, our free will will willingly yield to God’s will.  Our turning back to God is our putting on the wedding garment.

Today’s gospel teaches us that God calls everyone and that more than a few (that is to say, all) can choose God’s wedding.