1st Michaelmas 2009, Called

1^st Michaelmas

Matthew 22, 1-14

And Jesus continued to speak in parables to them:

The kingdom of the heavens arising in human hearts is like a man, a king, who prepared a marriage feast for his son. And he sent out his servants to call the guests who had been invited to the marriage, but they would not come.

Then he again sent out other servants, and said , “Say to those who have been invited, ‘Think, I have prepared my best for the banquet, the sacrificial oxen and fattened cattle have been slaughtered; everything is ready. Come quickly to the wedding.” 

But they were not interested and went off, one going to his field to be his own master, another falling into the hectic pace of his own business. The rest however took hold of the servants, mistreated them and killed them.

Then the king grew angry; he sent out his army, brought the murderers to their destruction and burned their city. Then he said to his servants, “Although the marriage feast is prepared, the invited guests have proved themselves unworthy. Go out therefore to the crossroads of destiny and invite to the wedding whoever you can find.”

And the servants went into the streets and gathered together all whom they found, both bad and good. And the wedding hall was filled with guests.

Then the king came in to see the guests, and among them he noticed a man who was not dressed in the wedding garment  which was offered to him. And he said to him, “My friend, you are sharing the meal; how is it you came in here without putting on the wedding garment that was offered to you?”

But the man was speechless.

Then the king said to the servants, “Bind him hand and foot and cast him out into the darkness, where human beings wail and gnash their teeth. For the call goes out to many, yet only a few make themselves bearers of the higher life.”

Michaelmas

Sept 29, Oct 4, 2009

Called, Arild Rosenkrantz

Matthew 22: 1- 14

In today’s reading, Christ describes the human heart as a kingdom. The ruler of this kingdom of the heart is our Father. His sovereignty is expressed in the law of “what you sow, so shall you reap.” If we sow responsiveness, we will be welcomed; if we sow rejection, He has no choice but to send us away.

The heart’s king has a son, the heart’s Bridegroom. Together Father and Son invite us to the Great Wedding of the Divine Bridegroom and the Soul of Humanity. All are invited to this wedding. Disinterest, self-sufficiency and too-busy-ness are the only things that stand in our way. The only requirement is for us to show up in the proper soul attire. We are to be willing to clothe ourselves in the high festive garment of offering, and to humbly converse as honored guests with the heart’s King. Those who cannot do so go back to the darkness of the exterior world, bound hand and foot by the consequences of their deeds.

But even so there is hope. For the wedding feast is an ongoing one; the invitation is always going out. And even in the outer darkness we can grow to find the path to the wedding.  

When day withdraws to the ends of the earth

their fires shine on a dark expanse of sand.

….The heart flies from tree to bird,

from bird to distant star,

from star to love; and love grows

…, turning and working,

servant of thought, a lamp held in one hand.[1]

We are all on our way to the Wedding. Some have already been, and are finding their way back; but we all have an invitation, and all hold the soul’s lamplight, the light of love, to help us find the way.

---

[1] Philippe Jaccottet, “Distances”, in The Selected Poems of Philippe Jaccottet, translated by Derek Mahon

www.thechristiancommunity.org