Michaelmas
 |
| Marriage of the Lamb |
Oct
5, 2014
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.
 |
| Bride of Christ, Danny Hahlbohm |
Michaelmas
Oct 5, 2014
Matthew 22: 1 – 14
A
wedding is cause for great joy; for the couple have found each other on
earth. They are joining forces for a
creative and fruitful union, for something that neither could do alone.
This
gospel reading of the wedding of the king’s son is about the relationship
between our souls, individually and collectively, and Christ. Christ is the
Bridegroom. Our souls are meant to be the Bride. The divine Father invites us
to wed Christ his Son.
This
means that first of all we must show up. We need to extricate ourselves from
the demands of ordinary everyday life and enter the hall of prayer, the hall of
the celebration meal. In order to do so
worthily, we are to clothe ourselves in the appropriate soul attire. This
attire we receive as grace from the King. We are to receive and clothe
ourselves in three garments: We are to drape ourselves in an open reverence and
grateful awe of thought. We are to wear an open empathy of heart for all the
world. We are to attire ourselves in the promptings of the angels who inspire
our thoughtful actions.
Thus
clothed we are ready to celebrate the Great Wedding. We step into the hall of
light, in the company of other such souls. There our souls are joined with
Christ, the King’s Son. We have found Him on earth. We are joining forces with
Him for a creative and fruitful union, for something that neither could do
alone. St. Francis said in a poem called “A Wedding Gift” :
I
hear you singing, dear, inviting me to your [arm] limb.
I
am coming , for all that we do is a
preparation
for love.
I
hear you singing, my Lord, inviting me to your throne.
We
are coming, dear, for all the toil you have
blessed
us with is a preparation to know and hold the
sacred.
I
hear you singing, my soul, but how can it be that
God’s
voice has now become my own?
“That’s
just a wedding gift for our
Divine
Union,”
my
Beloved
said.
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