+ The readings today for mass are astoundingly on target!
There is no doubt that the
same people, you and I, and all our Catholic and Christian brothers and sisters
exist in two worlds at the same time: the Kingdom of God that has already
begun, here and now, in us because of the undeserved merits of the life, death
and resurrection of Jesus, and the world that is a very strange mixture of good
and evil, beautiful and ugly, truth and lies. What God made in the world is
magnificent, what mankind has done with it, in part is beyond disgraceful and
sinful.
And so these same people you
and I have to constantly, daily, monitor the progress of the development of
“both worlds” – all aimed at the inauguration one day of the new heavens and
the new earth, and the Wedding that will take place, between Jesus and his
Bride – the Church. And so today’s readings are right on target.
The first reading tells of the
interior attitude and conviction of heart that must be present if one is to not
only attend the wedding, but be a participant in eternal life at the wedding
reception that will be amazing beyond our wildest imaginations of joy, bliss
and community life. Our hard – self-centered and oriented hearts must be
converted and replaced with soft, fleshy, human, fully functioning loving
hearts – this would in a sense be the “inner wedding garment” that we must have
to get in door of Paradise.
The gospel passage talks
literally about the very wedding of which we speak – this is not just another
parable – this is a key parable – the outer noticeable wedding garment that we
must all have on – to get in the door Paradise – is the “wedding garment of
good works” – the garment of true, authentic and genuine surrender to Jesus as
Chief Shepherd and Warrior against Satan and all he is about, and in his Name,
actual caring and concern and a willingness to help all others placed in our
day, to make it through the door of Paradise, and enjoy with us what God has to
offer all.
It is the feeding the hungry, giving
a home to the homeless, it is binding wounds, it is clothing the naked, it is
visiting the imprisoned, it is treating others as we would be treated, it is
protecting and forming children who are God’s favorites at the wedding feast,
those who frolic around and play in the meadows and fields of the wedding
reception and play with their animal friends and pets, who are now not so
imaginary after all.
Getting ourselves ready for
the wedding feast and reception, then, would also go a long way in changing the
attitudes and actions of those recalcitrant and bully children, the scared and
the cornered children, who sit in the Oval office and occupy seats in the
United States Senate and House.
I
shall pour clear water over you and all your sins will be washed away! I will
not spurn your humbled, contrite hearts!
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