GOD, THE PARTY-LOVER
Sunday - 28
Some people love parties, and if you do, be happy of this fact: God is a party-lover, too. The Gospel today starts with another parable from the Lord Jesus, this time, involving a man who threw a wedding banquet, a party, and invited many people to come. Feasts, banquets, parties are staples in the Bible’s images of the Kingdom of God. The Kingdom of God is described as a happy event. It will be a party for all those who are invited by God.
Jesus lived this party-loving, party-making attitude. He went to the parties, ate and drank in them, asked people to invite him to their parties. He even brought with him his friends. Jesus did this in order to show that God was the sort of Father who wants everybody to be counted in and to enjoy themselves in his presence.
As children of God, we are invited to his Kingdom. We are invited to his party and God wants us to be present to taste and see his goodness. It is no wonder then that when the Lord established his community on earth, the Church, the central figure would also be a feast – the banquet of the Lord which is the Eucharist. At Mass, we can find the elements of singing, responding, smiling at our neighbor, eating, welcoming and taking leave, because the Mass is a party. But not any other party. It is a foretaste of the Kingdom because the host and the food is God himself in the Body and Blood of Christ.
The Mass is not any other simple human celebration. It is the most powerful experience of our relationship with God. Some people feel this, as they know that their week is incomplete without the Mass. We feel this, when during Mass, we fight the temptation of boredom or mechanical participation and really pour out our hearts to Jesus. We know this when after attending the Eucharist, we feel that Jesus is present in our hearts to inspire us again as we live our daily tasks. How difficult it would be to miss the Sunday Eucharist if we truly understand its meaning.
There are several considerations we need to look into. Some people, though they are Catholics, have no love for the party that God is throwing for them. The Gospel shows these people busy with urgent things, valid things. But are these things – family, business, responsibilities – the most important things in life? Are they higher than the call of God to be with him and to experience his joy?
And those of us who attend the Eucharist, we must remember that to be invited is one thing but to enter the banquet we must be ready, be worthy or else the celebration is a farce. We need to allow the Eucharist to challenge us to conversion. The Eucharist is not a youth party that ends up in more mess. It is a party that sets our lives right. In every Mass, it would be excellent if after the celebration, we can transformed into the loving, understanding persons we are called to be by the Lord. Let’s enjoy the party and be transformed by it!
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